DEFENDING THE EXPANDING ROLES NATION’S IN WIDER SOVEREIGNTY: DEFENDING HORIZONS EXPANDING THE NATION'S ROLES IN SOVEREIGNTY: WIDER HORIZONS DEFENCE 2011 ij DEFENCE An emerging challenge to national security is the danger of information warfare or cyber attack. Potentially national economies and decision making can be paralysed by the disruption of the The responsibility for riverine mobility and developing the associated operational concepts will be transferred to the land force. increasing interdependence of national and regional economies makes that an unlikely prospect Judgments in relation to strategic mobility are more complex. nation’s communications system without any requirement for the deployment of force. The unless accompanied by a significant deterioration in relationships. The possibility of attacks by sub-state actors or attempts to access classified government or commercial information can be expected to increase. This is not primarily a Defence responsibility. Strengthening of defence’s own systems against that threat is, however, essential. Maintaining a survivable Defence communications network able to withstand major physical damage, including natural disaster, ora more concerted information attack is an important national asset. Force Mobility * The introduction of a larger fixed wing transport aircraft would provide greater flexibility in the nature and scale of contributions further afield * Allied or commercial capabilities will generally be available to support such deployment should the need arise. At the same time, developments in other areas The mobility requirements for the RBAF in the national context are primarily tactical. The difficult terrain in much of the country places a premium on movement by air or water. The commitment of of capability are enhancing the capacity of the se force in this area. of strategic deployments. Further extension of the nation’s involvement in stability operations will strengthen the need to provide protected mobility for ground forces. " The new offshore patrol vessels have the size and range to deploy at greater distance, either forces to cooperative regional activities and to peacekeeping has, however, increased the frequency Early upgrading of the force’s mobility assets is a priority. * Apart from the ground force’s fleet of wheeled vehicles, the core mobility assets are the Bell 212 214 medium lift helicopters, which are capable of company group lift, and the Navy’s landing and craft " Those capabilities are essential to the rapid deployment and support of forces operating in the nation’s hinterland. They are now reaching operational life-of-type and early replacement is required to support operational reliability and contain maintenance costs. " The acquisition of fast, manoeuvrable shallow water craft to patrol the Bay of Brunei and the river estuaries will significantly enhance the ability of the land force to patrol the hinterland and intercept incursions. contributing in their own right or transporting a specialist ground force element. The provision of a helicopter deck on the larger vessels provides enhanced operational flexibility. The acquisition acquisition. of a strategic transport aircraft remains, however, an important priority for future More immediately, there are two additional imperatives for upgrading the land force’s capacity for protected mobility. * The commitment of troops to stability and peace keeping operations is anticipated at least in the short to medium term to be an on-going feature of RBAF operations. - The fragile nature of potential scenarios and any steps to strengthen the value of this role in international engagement increases the possibility that the deployed force will need to operate in more complex and dangerous environments. * There is a requirement to develop the skills, concepts and doctrine for the planned mechanisation of one of the existing infantry battalions. Tailoring the nature of that capability to national circumstances will be important. Introducing an upgraded armoured personnel carrier capability at company level with the protect personnel against the range of threats, including improvised explosive devices, being experienced in peace operations will enhance the nation’s ability to contribute collective tasks. It will also provide the nucleus for developing the skills and doctrine for the mechanisation of one of the battalions. ability to currently to those planned Protection and Firepower The ultimate responsibility of a defence force is, of course, to be prepared to go in harm’s way if necessary to defend the nation and its interests. The RBAF has the capacity to respond to a range of lower level hostilities assessed to be the most likely strategic scenarios in the immediate future. At the same time, there are several important reasons why progressive enhancement of the force’s capability in these areas is important. 2011