Sea Control & Maritime Power Projection for Australia: Maritime Air
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University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2003 Sea control & maritime power projection for Australia: maritime air power and air warfare Richard T. Menhinick University of Wollongong Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. 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For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Sea Control & Maritime Power Projection for Australia Maritime Air Power and Air Warfare A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree Master of Maritime Studies from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by Richard Temple Menhinick, BA, DippAppSc Course 1320: Master of Maritime Studies – Research 2003 Thesis Certification CERTIFICATION I, Richard Temple Menhinick, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Maritime Studies, in the Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualification at any other academic institution. Richard Temple Menhinick 1 July 2003 Table of Contents ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................ IV INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 AIM......................................................................................................................................................... 6 AUSTRALIA’S REGION – A MARITIME ENVIRONMENT .......................................................... 7 MARITIME JURISDICTIONS – LEGAL ISSUES ......................................................................... 18 MARITIME STRATEGIC CONCEPTS - THE CLASSICAL PERSPECTIVE ........................... 25 MARITIME STRATEGIC CONCEPTS – CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS .................. 29 AUSTRALIAN MARITIME DOCTRINE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS ................................. 40 THE CONTINENTALIST APPROACH – AEROSPACE THEORY & LAND WARFARE STRATEGY ........................................................................................................................................ 46 AN INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ................................................................ 49 AUSTRALIAN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE .............................................................................. 52 CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL MARITIME STRATEGY ............................................... 69 CONTEMPORARY REGIONAL MARITIME STRATEGY .......................................................... 77 RECENT MARITIME OPERATIONS AND REALITIES .............................................................. 82 AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC ISSUES ……………………………………………………………91 THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER DEBATE .......................................................................................... 103 Aircraft Carriers 1990-2003........................................................................................................... 116 SURFACE COMBATANT CAPABILITY ..................................................................................... 118 Sea Control Combatants – Air Warfare Capable Destroyers 1990 – 2003.………………………120 PROJECT AIR 6000 – THE NEED FOR AN ORGANIC MARITIME ELEMENT .................. 123 Diplomatic Issues........................................................................................................................... 128 Security Issues - Vulnerability ....................................................................................................... 129 Resilience and Reliability .............................................................................................................. 129 Air Control ..................................................................................................................................... 129 Weather .......................................................................................................................................... 130 Communications, Command and Control ...................................................................................... 130 Tactical Flexibility ......................................................................................................................... 131 Land Base Protection ..................................................................................................................... 131 Logistical Resupply ....................................................................................................................... 132 General .......................................................................................................................................... 132 PROJECT SEA 4000 – THE SEA CONTROL COMBATANT ................................................. 139 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 143 APPENDIX 1 .................................................................................................................................... 153 SEA 4000 – MARITIME AIR WARFARE CAPABILITY ........................................................... 153 APPENDIX 2 .................................................................................................................................... 154 AIR 6000 – NEW AEROSPACE COMBAT CAPABILITY ........................................................ 154 APPENDIX 3 .................................................................................................................................... 155 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY .............................................. 155 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................. 159 Table of Figures FIGURE 1: THE MARITIME ENVIRONMENT .................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 2: AUSTRALIAN REPORTING POSITIONS – MERCHANT SHIPPING . ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 3: ARCHIPELAGIC SEA LANES EXAMPLE ......................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 4: HMAS AUSTRALIA, SYDNEY 1913 .......................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 5: MARITIME CONVOY/ RE-SUPPLY NEW GUINEA/ EAST COAST AUSTRALIA 1942-1944 ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 6: ALLIED AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS NEW GUINEA 1943-45 .......... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 7: US MARITIME CAMPAIGN PACIFIC 1942-1945 .......... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 8: ROYAL NAVY FUTURE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ............... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 9: HMAS MELBOURNE ............................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 10:HMS INVINCIBLE .................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 11: TABLE OF COUNTRIES OPERATING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS 1990-2003 .................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 12: TABLE OF COUNTRIES OPERATING SEA CONTROL COMBATANTS – AIR WARFARE DESTROYERS 1990 -2003 ............................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 13:DUTCH LCF – A TYPICAL SEA CONTROL COMBATANT ............. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. FIGURE 14:JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER ................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ABSTRACT SEA CONTROL AND MARITIME POWER PROJECTION FOR AUSTRALIA: Maritime Air Power and Air Warfare Australia is a maritime nation in one of the most complex open ocean, littoral and archipelagic maritime regions in the world. The sea is the defining physical characteristic in the region. The overwhelming significance of this is that Australia has no land borders. This is a strategic advantage that must be better understood to avoid it becoming a strategic liability. Strategic realities endure. There are many more effective ways to