DEFENDING THE NATION'S SOVEREIGNTY: EXPANDING ROLES IN WIDER HORIZONS DEFENCE WHITE PAPER DEFENCE » 2011 * There is the ever present risk of either miscalculation or unexpectedly escalation in a tactical engagement. Developments in overall regional capabilities and the availability of sophisticated weaponry to non-state actors leave no room for complacency. * Units deployed for peace monitoring and stability operations need to be equipped with weapons for self protection, light weight body armour and tactical surveillance equipment. " For collective security operations, force elements will operate most effectively together where they share similar levels of technology and have the flexibility to undertake a range of tasks. Development of the RBAF should seek to maintain its operational value in the context of comparable regional enhancements. In the maritime environment, the Navy’s new patrol vessels incorporate upgraded survivability and self protection measures and a significant enforcement capacity against smaller vessels. The vessels have the potential to be upgraded to counter subsurface or airborne threats in the future. The capacity of the land force for more significant engagements is, however, limited due to the extended operational life of its major combat assets. To improve its flexibility across the spectrum of conflict, including options for contributing to peace and stability operations and the ability to protect national assets and infrastructure, the land force is to be progressively hardened and its ability to deliver precision firepower upgraded. The important first steps will be: * Developing the capacity for company level protected mobility as noted previously. * Introducing more potent short-to-medium range direct firepower at both unit and squadron level. To support system commonality, variants of the mobility armoured personnel carrier will be considered to replace the existing light tank. That capability will be a valuable test bed for plans to develop a fully mechanised battalion, allowing the concept to be tailored to the particular characteristics of the nation’s operational environment. The introduction of more comprehensive indirect firepower will be considered subsequently. Introducing a comprehensive air defence capability is a complex task that cannot be achieved quickly. While the prospect of such a threat is currently remote, knowledge of unauthorised air movements is important to a wide spectrum of security challenges. Possessing the ability to identify and, if necessary, engage hostile aircraft provides a more secure environment for the conduct of a range of military operations. Enhancement of the national capacity for airspace control will be achieved progressively. The important steps will be: " Improved access to the existing civil airspace control system * The acquisition of an integrated mobile air defence radar to develop doctrine and provide more detailed coverage of specific operational areas should tensions arise in the future * The introduction of a surface based defence capability, both maritime and land based Possession of the latter capability would have an important deterrent effect.