23 minute read
EXCLUSIVE NTERVIEW
By Andrea Dora Thomsen,
Contributing Research Associate &
Serge DeSilvaRanasinghe,
Managing Editor, WA DEFENCE REVIEW
KIM ELLIS: “PRESENCE AND RESEARCH IS PIVOTAL IN AUSTRALIA’S LEADERSHIP IN EAST ANTARCTICA AND THE SOUTHERN OCEAN.”
Though often overlooked in the public consciousness, Antarctica is becoming increasingly important to Australian national interests. This is exemplified by the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan, both of which predicate a vision for Australia’s future engagement in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. In an exclusive interview, WA DEFENCE REVIEW spoke to Kim Ellis, Director of the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), about Australia’s ongoing leadership role in maintaining Antarctica’s status as a natural reserve devoted to peace, science, and environmental protection.
To begin with can you explain the role of the AAD and its key activities?
The AAD is part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, and is based in Kingston, Tasmania where it leads, coordinates and delivers the Australian Antarctic Program (AAP). We are very fortunate to be located right near Hobart, one of the world’s premier Antarctic gateways. Our program is highly collaborative, with partnerships across government and more than 150 national and international research institutions. Australia also works with other countries’ Antarctic programs to run joint international scientific and logistical operations. Australia maintains three year-round research stations in Antarctica — Casey, Davis and Mawson — and one on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Remote field bases operate during the summer research season, supporting coastal, inland and traverse operations. The planning, scheduling and support for these operations is done in our head office in Kingston and much of the material, supplies and logistics is sourced from Tasmania. The population at each station ranges between 40 and 100 expeditioners over summer, and 15 to 20 over the winter months. Each season around 500 expeditioners travel south with the AAP. The advent of COVID-19 has made that an especially complex
operation and the health and wellbeing of our people deployed south remains our top priority. Each station is like a small town and we have a diverse and dedicated workforce. There are station leaders, tradespeople, scientists, doctors, chefs and communications experts. We also have a team of Australia maintains three people supporting our shipping and aviation activities. year-round research stations in Antarctica — Casey, Davis and Mawson — and one on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Remote field bases operate during the summer research season, supporting coastal, inland and traverse operations. The planning, scheduling and support for these operations is done in our head office in Kingston and much of the material, supplies and logistics is sourced from Tasmania. Kim Ellis, Director of the Australia Antartic Division.
Could you describe Australia’s mission in Antarctica and why the continent is important, not only to Australia, but to global commons?
The whole-of-government Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan sets out Australia’s national Antarctic interests and our vision for Australia’s future engagement. It recognises Australia’s interests in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and identifies actions to support these.
The governance of the region though the agreements of the ATS, and the status of Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace, science, and environmental protection, represent an unparalleled example of successful international cooperation. Antarctica plays a key role in global climate, weather, oceanographic, and ecological systems. Antarctic research is critical to understanding the past and present global climate, and the nature, extent and consequences of climate change.
The AAD is principally a science organisation and our research is critical to support evidence-based decision making for Australian and global issues. We work closely with other Australian agencies like the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, Australian Border Force, Australian Defence Force, and CSIRO to find answers to the big challenges facing our communities.
The development of new capabilities and support for our presence in Antarctica will allow us to deliver more relevant, impactful and valuable science. It will improve our ability to work with other nations to develop shared understanding of our changing natural world and ensure longer-term sustainability for human activities in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.
Australia has a history of association with Antarctica stretching back 100 years and has played a disproportionately large international leadership role in pioneering exploration and scientific research endeavours. Could you provide an overview of Australia’s legacy and its implications?
Australia has one of the world’s leading polar programs and has been a leader in Antarctic and
Southern Ocean science since the heroic era of
Antarctic exploration. This long-term presence and research in Antarctica has created some of the world’s most important longitudinal data about this region; environmental, atmospheric,
geological and human. This important science asset is pivotal in Australia’s leadership in the management of East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, our ability to preserve and protect these regions and our ongoing contribution to emerging opportunities like our space programs.
This leadership is active today, to protect and advance Australia’s national interests. Our Antarctic Science Program focuses on world-class research with global benefits, and conducts science to understand and protect Antarctica, support Australia’s responsibilities in managing Antarctic activities, understand Antarctica’s influence on Australia - particularly its impacts on the wellbeing of Australians - and support Australia’s role in the ATS. Research focused on Antarctica’s place in global systems is fundamental to understanding and predicting Australia’s weather and future climate.
Our operational capabilities, including our permanent stations, transport, and science support resources underpin our Antarctic science, environmental management, and cooperation with other nations in the framework of the ATS. These activities ensure we continue to play a leading role in the international governance of the Antarctic region, including the management of activities, and protection of the Antarctic environment.
In recent years, the Australian Government has enhanced its commitment to the AAP. What has driven this revitalisation and intensification in focus towards Antarctica, and how will the AAD’s upscaled activities ultimately benefit Australian interests in the short and long term?
The strategy and action plan sets out Australia’s national Antarctic interests and vision for Australia’s future engagement in Antarctica.
These national interests are: (a) Maintain Antarctica’s freedom from strategic and/or political confrontation; (b) Preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic Territory, including our sovereign rights over adjacent offshore areas; (c) Support a strong and effective Antarctic Treaty System; (d) Conduct world-class scientific research consistent with national priorities; (e)
Protect the Antarctic environment, having regard to its special qualities and effects on our region; (f) Be informed about and able to influence developments in a region geographically proximate to Australia; and (g) Foster economic opportunities arising from Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, consistent with our ATS obligations, including the ban on mining and oil drilling. The strategy and action plan represents a significant package of cohesive measures developed to support Australia’s role as a leader in Antarctica. It provides new operational funding and contributes to the modernisation of the AAP. Under the strategy and action plan, Australia will continue its strong support 2021/22 Australian for the ATS, deliver world-class science, and run Antarctic operations safely and Antarctic Program efficiently. The 2016 Australian Antarctic Operational Overview Strategy and Action Plan delivers a $2.8bn investment, including: (a) $1.9bn CONTINGENT SHIPPING for construction and operation of a new icebreaker RSV Nuyina; (b) $52m over 10 RSV NUYINA - Transition and commission years for overland traverse capabilities; x2 Cargo ships x1 Icebreaker (c) $200m in additional funding for AAD operations; (d) More than $450m over 10 years to upgrade Antarctic research stations and supporting infrastructure;
Use of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) play a key role in AAD’s scientific operations to monitor the Southern Ocean. © Australian Antarctic Division.
2021/22 Australian Antarctic Program Operational Overview 20
PROJECTS 500
EXPEDITIONERS
The AAD work in concert with the RAAF for logistical purposes as part of Operation Southern Discovery. Seen here, a C-17A Globemaster landed at Wilkins Aerodrome, Antarctica, to deliver specialised cargo and equipment crucial to sustaining AAD missions. In the upcoming 2021/22 expeditionary season the RAAF are earmarked to conduct up to six C-17 flights to Antarctica. © RAAF. Photographer: David Said.
(e) $77m to advance the design and environmental assessments for Davis Aerodrome Project, and (f) $50 million for Macquarie Island
The strategy and action plan acknowledges Australia’s role as a leader in Antarctic operations and the need to continue to invest in capabilities to deliver our science and to maintain our presence. It also reinforces two very important national imperatives: continued support and participation in the ATS, and our ability to deploy throughout the Southern Ocean and the Australian Antarctic Territory. The strategy and action plan is currently undergoing a five-year review to ensure that it continues to meet Australia’s national interests into the future.
The whole-of-government Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan sets out Australia’s national Antarctic interests and our vision for Australia’s future engagement. It recognises Australia’s interests in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, and identifies actions to support these.
Can you describe the AAD’s existing and planned infrastructure, capabilities and resources, and how they will be utilised?
As mentioned, Australia has three year-round Antarctic research stations (Casey, Davis and Mawson), an Antarctic ice runway (Wilkins) and a year-round station on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Australia’s new icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina, arrived in Hobart in October.
We are currently working on a fiveyear plan for our operations, including voyage planning for RSV Nuyina. Serco Asia Pacific, who have recently established offices here in Hobart, will operate the RSV Nuyina. The new operating contract - along with RSV Nuyina’s capabilities - gives us an extended season in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. It will give us the ability to visit remote areas we have not managed to get to for some time, including Heard Island and McDonald Island. It will allow us improve our presence in the Southern Ocean and our knowledge and understanding of the oceans and Antarctica.
A new traverse capability will enable the establishment of temporary inland stations to support scientific research, including the retrieval of a million-year ice core. This reinstates an Australian capability lost in the 1980s and will allow us to deploy to remote areas of the Australian Antarctic Territory, to
undertake collaborative science and extend our leadership in Antarctica. A typical season for the Our annual operations are AAD involves around 500 significant and require considerable expeditioners, 20 projects, logistics, planning and resources. We cannot do this alone and we delivery of 1500t of cargo and continue to rely on support from three million litres of fuel. the Australian Defence force and shared assets with other nations. People and equipment get We also work with commercial to Antarctica through four partners to provide shipping and aviation and we rely on the skill voyages, 20 A319 flights and and commitment of the businesses six C-17A flights. This is a huge of Tasmania to provide the food, fuel and equipment for the season. logistic effort and we greatly A typical season for the AAD value the support provided by involves around 500 expeditioners, the ADF through Operation 20 projects, delivery of 1500t of cargo and three million litres of Southern Discovery. fuel. People and equipment get to Antarctica through four voyages, 20 A319 flights and six C-17A flights. This is a huge logistic effort and we greatly value the support provided by the ADF through Operation Southern Discovery.
To what extent does Tasmania serve as an Antarctic gateway for AAD operations and how is your agency supported by Tasmanian industry? Further, how does the Commonwealth envisage Tasmania’s future role in facilitating Australia’s ambitions in Antarctica?
There are five gateways to Antarctica: Hobart, Christchurch, Cape Town, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. Hobart is the closest and best equipped of the ports for use by the AAP and the Australian Government continues to support Hobart as the premier gateway to East Antarctica. Hobart has a world-leading Antarctic industry sector which supplies equipment and goods to the AAP and other Antarctic programs.
The French Antarctic program uses Hobart as a summer port for its Antarctic vessel L’Astrolabe and Japanese, US and Chinese vessels have used Hobart as a jumping off point over the past five years. Recent years have also seen Hobart Airport as an entry point for French and Italian expeditions and our programs frequently share resources for the summer resupply operations.
Hobart is home to the largest concentration of Antarctic science in the world. Investment by public sector institutions and employment continues to increase. The Australian Government works to develop and promote Tasmania as the leading international Antarctic research hub and logistics gateway for East Antarctica, including through collaboration with the Tasmanian government and industry. Over the past few years, we have established key collaborations with Hobart-based polar experts to support this gateway city.
The Centre for Antarctic Remote and Maritime Medicine (CARMM) brings together the AAD, the University of
In October 2021, Australia’s new Antarctic icebreaker RSV Nuyina arrived at its new home port of Hobart, Tasmania. This ship is the most powerful multi-purposes research vessel in the world and will support the cutting-edge science of the Australian Antarctic Program for the next 30 years. © Australian Antarctic Division. Photographer: Flying Focus.
Tasmania (UTAS) and Royal Hobart Hospital to provide a world leading polar medicine capability. The Centre for Antarctic and Southern Oceans Technology (CAST) combines the polar and ocean technology capabilities of the AAD, UTAS and CSIRO to deliver science and operational technology for the future. Nowhere else in the world can provide this level of collaborative research and technology support for Antarctic operations. We have been able to source a significant amount of our equipment and infrastructure here in Tasmania and the polar industry concentration in Hobart has been a great benefit to the program. Taylor Bros in Hobart have built the barges and science containers, integral to the operations of the RSV Nuyina. William Adams have modified our tractors that will tow the 500t traverse mobile station for polar operations and Elphinstone Engineering at Triabunna designed and built the sleds. Taylor Bros also built the science and accommodation vans for this traverse. Tasmania has continued to provide the world’s best food, consumables, building materials and skilled personnel to support our program and the programs of other nations. This is how you build Antarctic leadership – through excellence in design, supply, operations and science.
There are five gateways to Antarctica: Hobart, Christchurch, Cape Town, Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. Hobart is the closest and best equipped of the ports for use by the AAP and the Australian Government continues to support Hobart as the premier gateway to East Antarctica. Hobart has a world-leading Antarctic industry sector which supplies equipment and goods to the AAP and other Antarctic programs.
Given that the Antarctic region is inter-connected with the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and considering the important role of Antarctica in global Earth cycles, could you describe what the AAD is doing, or planning to do, to integrate its programs with current and future southern hemisphere oceanic research programs?
The Australian Antarctic Science Program is a collaborative and multi-disciplinary program that draws together researchers from across Australia and the world to understand Antarctic and Southern Ocean systems and processes. Our Southern Ocean research includes climate and ecosystem science with a particular focus on environmental change. Our understanding of how Antarctica and the Southern Ocean influence Australia’s climate future is a critical part of our research into the ocean, ice and atmosphere of Antarctica.
Marine conservation and management research provides the evidence to ensure the conservation of marine bio-diversity, including iconic Antarctic wildlife such as penguins, whales and seals, and ecologically sustainable management of Southern Ocean fisheries, including toothfish and krill. The Australian Antarctic
Science Program operates a range of science projects utilising state of the art oceanographic, cryospheric and atmospheric equipment and techniques. The program incorporates partnerships with national and international ocean observing programs, global observing networks and both government and university led research.
The arrival of Australia’s new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, represents a major enhancement in our marine science capabilities. It will provide opportunities for innovative research to further our understanding of Southern Ocean processes and global climate systems. The RSV Nuyina will allow for better, more extensive and higher quality ocean research in the Southern Ocean and will extend the reach and leadership of Australia in our areas of influence.
We are also seeing a greater emphasis on our digital support for research and operations in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The RSV Nuyina will bring significant improvements in our ability to gather scientific information and we are developing new technology that will allow us to integrate the data from numerous research projects. Increasingly, the focus of our research will be on a connected, highspeed and secure digital network that supports our understanding of the oceans and Antarctica.
Though often overlooked, what role does the AAD play in the southern Indian Ocean, particularly in overseeing administration of Heard Island and Macdonald Islands, a remote Australian external territory?
The AAD administers the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve, including all activities, and conducts substantial marine scientific research in the Southern Ocean including the southern Indian Ocean region. In addition, the AAD plays a significant role in the conservation and management of marine living resources, including fisheries science in that area. The AAD is active in the area through cooperation with other agencies, industry, and other nations, and science and management activities as part of the broader AAP.
RSV Nuyina and its extended operating season will give us the opportunity to undertake more visits to Heard Island and McDonald Islands. It will also give us the capability to work in conjunction with other Australian and international organisations
to extend our ocean research and presence. We are now planning for the next five years of voyages and working with our key science partners to ensure that we do the right research, in the right place, to support Australia’s national interests.
How would you describe the status of Australia’s relations with Antarctica’s 12 claimant countries? What practical mechanisms are in place to foster enduring collaboration, and are they working?
Australia maintains close relations with other Antarctic nations in direct bilateral contacts, in groups, and within the forums of the ATS. We have direct cooperation with nations that operate in the region where we are active, and we work with many nations on policy and management, environmental protection, and maintaining and supporting the ATS.
A range of mechanisms supports Australia’s collaborative engagement with other nations, including formal bilateral and multilateral agreements and meetings. Our engagement is whole-ofgovernment, recognising that many departments and agencies contribute to, and have an interest in, the AAP. Our relationships are based on a shared interest in furthering scientific research and we have a long history of joint science programs. COVID-19 has limited our ability to deploy together and recent emphasis has been on digital and virtual connections.
We also have a strong operational relationship with all Antarctic nations through the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). COMNAP consists of 31 National Antarctic Program members who work together to facilitate and promote international partnerships and provide opportunities and systems for information exchange. This engagement has supported ongoing operational interactions including emergency evacuations, shared resources and commonality in search and rescue planning. Australia has leadership roles in COMNAP.
Australia also has leadership roles on the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings and related forums. This leadership relies on our ongoing engagement with nations that share our interest in conservation of the Southern Ocean, and the maintenance of Antarctica as a place of peace, science, and international cooperation.
The advent of a rapidly altering global balance of power with the re-emergence or rise of new powers is clearly placing pressure on the international rulesbased order. Indeed, there is growing scepticism about the future sustainability of the Antarctic Treaty System which is due for renewal in 2048. For instance, there are more countries seeking to ‘jostle’ for influence in Antarctica than previously, which is adding another layer of complexity. Is it inevitable that the situation unfolding in the Arctic is also likely to befall the Antarctic? What are the likely future challenges that may be encountered and how can Australia ensure that it plays a constructive role in preserving the future integrity of the Antarctic Treaty System?
The ATS is a stable and enduring international system of agreements, and has evolved and responded to developments and challenges over time. It has been one of the world’s most effective international agreements and has stood the test of time through conflict and global change. While the ‘consensus’ approach of the ATS can at times make it challenging or slow to make progress on initiatives, it ensures robust decision and agreement by all participants, and Australia remains committed to supporting and enhancing the system.
The agreements of the ATS are indefinite – they do not have end dates, nor do they require renewal. The parties to the Antarctic Treaty have regularly re-stated their commitment to the agreements of the ATS, including most recently through the Paris Declaration on the 60th anniversary of the entry into force of the Antarctic Treaty and the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Madrid Protocol.
Australia was a leader in adopting the agreements of the ATS. Australia will continue to provide leadership within the ATS to guarantee its role as the appropriate international governance and management framework for the region, as well as to further the objectives of those agreements consistent with Australia’s interests.
This requires us to maintain our capability to contribute to the international forums of the ATS, to undertake meaningful scientific research and to undertake operations that meet the high environmental and safety standards established within the ATS. It also means that we need to continue to undertake treaty inspections to ensure that other nations are meeting the requirements for peaceful use, scientific activities, and environmental management.
In 2020, I travelled across East Antarctica with an Australian inspection team to undertake the most comprehensive inspection tour ever undertaken by Australia, visiting 12 international stations and conducting six formal inspections. This reinforces our commitment to upholding the ATS as an effective means of maintaining the integrity of the system.
2021/22 Australian Antarctic Program Operational Overview 800 TONS
DELIVERY OF MILLION YEAR ICE CORE (MYIC) TRAVERSE EQUIPMENT
By Nicholas Dynon,
Chief Editor, Line of Defence Magazine
NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE UPDATE: DISRUPTION AND CONTINUITY
Like much of the rest of the world, New Zealand has been profoundly impacted upon by COVID-19, and Defence has not been spared. But so far, continuity is trumping disruption. The 2020 national election saw the Labour Party returned with an overwhelming mandate, and in December the new Defence Minister, Peeni Henare, announced the reappointment of the Chief of Defence Force and service chiefs out to mid-2024. The Ministry of Defence continues to be led by talented and respected secretary Andrew Bridgman.
NEW ZEALAND STRATEGIC OUTLOOK
Defence Industry engagement has adapted to the COVID-19 new normal. Projects that might otherwise have been affected by closed borders have found virtual workarounds, and official international engagement has benefitted from the convenience and informality of virtual formats. The Minister and Secretary have both signalled that Defence projects have avoided the chop, but timetables may be set back. There is also no apparent change to the values-based lens on international security Despite its not infrequent that New Zealand laid out characterisation in some under former Defence Minister Ron Mark in the international media as the Strategic Defence Policy soft - even rogue - underbelly Statement 2018 (SDPS). Although we await the release of the Five Eyes, both New Zealand’s post-SDPS strategic of a new Defence assessment, recent statements from the Foreign Affairs Minister outlook and its recent big indicate that the government’s strategic outlook remains ticket Defence purchases… profoundly concerned with an provide ample evidence that eroding international rulesbased order. Wellington is indeed keenly Despite its not infrequent focused on alignment and characterisation in some international media as the interoperability with its soft - even rogue - underbelly ‘traditional partners’. of the Five Eyes, both New Zealand’s post-SDPS strategic outlook and its recent big ticket Defence purchases (C-130J, P-8A Poseidon and Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle) provide ample evidence that Wellington is indeed keenly focused on alignment and interoperability with its ‘traditional partners’. THE ‘GREY ZONE’
Zealand Information Domain. Acknowledging the increasing problem posed by state competition in the ‘grey zone’, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Information Warfare Domain Director GPCAPT Pete Franken stated last November that the future NZDF “will need to be relevant to times of peace, as well as times of competition, and remain relevant in times of conflict.”
It is in the Defence Capability Plan 2019 that Defence first mooted its concept of the ‘information domain’, and while the awaited Defence assessment will shed light on what to expect, there has already been significant early engagement with industry.
The identification of the new domain and associated ‘Information Domain’ directors in both the Ministry of Defence and the NZDF will not involve the standing up of a new service, but it will constitute a more targeted integration of capabilities across intelligence, Cyber Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA), C4, and information activities.
URGENCY OF MARTIME SECURITY
While the new information domain is a new and unfolding story, it is nevertheless one dwarfed by the continued preponderance of New Zealand’s maritime domain. The country’s 30m km2 area of responsibility covers one of the world’s largest search and rescue areas, and it takes in New Zealand’s strategically important Pacific Island neighbourhood.
The reasons for its importance are urgent and many, headlined by escalating great power competition in the Pacific, trade connectivity, climate change challenges, disaster response, marine resource management, transnational crime, and border security. A Maritime Security Strategy released by the Ministry of Transport in December 2020 emphasises these challenges and aligns itself explicitly with the aforementioned SDPS.
The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and the planned complementary investment in maritime situational awareness reflect the importance of getting
Entering into service in July 2020, the HMNZS Aotearoa is a Polar-class sustainment and replenishment vessel and is the largest ship in the Royal New Zealand Navy fleet. © NZDF.
TASMAN SEA
New Zealand
South Island North Island
Wellington
As a small power, New Zealand faces unique issues of resourcing and scale, and it requires a defence force focused specifically on the list of threats it faces.”
the maritime domain right. But big capability question marks remain with development of a Southern Ocean Patrol Vessel capability and replacements for the Maritime Helicopters, Protector-class Offshore Patrol Vessels, ANZAC-class frigates and the dive and hydrographic support ship HMNZS Manawanui all needing to be considered over the next decade and beyond.
A CLEAR FOCUS
As a small power, New Zealand faces unique issues of resourcing and scale, and it requires a defence force focused specifically on the list of threats it faces. Copyright © Free Vector Maps.com For this reason, it also requires a defence force focused on maintaining its ability to deploy effectively with traditional partners and - most importantly - with its key regional ally, Australia.
