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| Royal Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Royal Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies |
| Established | 2023 |
| Type | Defence college |
| City | Canberra |
| Country | Australia |
| Parent | Department of Defence |
Royal Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies is a senior professional institution for strategic education, leadership development, and defence research located in Canberra, Australia. The College delivers advanced courses for flag and general officers, senior civilian leaders, and international partners, integrating lessons from Battle of Britain, Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Afghanistan War (2001–2021) into contemporary curricula. It seeks to bridge operational experience from units like Australian Defence Force formations with strategic theory drawn from thinkers associated with Thucydides, Clausewitz, Sun Tzu, and cases such as Yalta Conference and Treaty of Versailles.
Founded in the early 2020s as part of reforms following reviews influenced by lessons from Defence Strategic Review (2023), the College succeeded predecessor institutions modelled on Royal College of Defence Studies, United States Army War College, and Australian War Memorial initiatives. Its creation responded to strategic shifts after events including the South China Sea arbitration (2016), the rise of the People's Liberation Army Navy, and operations such as INTERFET and Operation Sovereign Borders. Early leadership included alumni of National Defence University (United States), Australian Command and Staff College, and officers with service in International Force East Timor and Operation Slipper.
The College’s mission emphasizes strategic education for leaders engaged with challenges from the Quad partners, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and partners in the Pacific Islands Forum. It frames analysis through case studies like the Sino-Indian border skirmishes and the Falklands War, aligning with policy instruments such as the Australia–United States Alliance and multilateral mechanisms like the Five Eyes. Roles include advising senior officials involved in contingencies similar to Timor Leste intervention and informing capability debates influenced by platforms such as Hobart-class destroyer and F-35 Lightning II.
Organised into schools and directorates, the College mirrors structures seen at NATO Defense College and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, with divisions for strategy, intelligence, and defence economics. Leadership has included directors with prior roles at Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Department of Defence (Australia), and postings to the United Nations Mission in Sudan and Coalition Provisional Authority. Governing boards feature representatives from Commonwealth of Australia, the Australian Defence Force Academy, and international liaisons from institutions like King’s College London and Deakin University.
Programs range from a flagship Senior Command and Staff Course to research degrees modelled on offerings at Johns Hopkins University and King’s College London. Curriculum integrates modules on grand strategy, deterrence theory informed by Mutual Assured Destruction, maritime strategy referencing Mahanian theory and the Corbettian approach, and crisis management reflecting lessons from Hurricane Katrina response and Indian Ocean tsunami (2004). Courses feature war games simulating scenarios akin to Taiwan Strait crisis and tabletop exercises referencing Cuban Missile Crisis decision-making. Guest lecturers are drawn from think tanks such as Lowy Institute, Chatham House, RAND Corporation, and universities like Australian National University.
The College publishes monographs, policy briefs, and journals analogous to Survival (journal) and Parameters (journal), producing research on force posture, cyber strategy related to Stuxnet, and space security in the context of Outer Space Treaty. Publications have examined historical operations such as Kokoda Track campaign, Operation Overlord, and contemporary cases like Syrian civil war. Research fellows have backgrounds from Griffith University, University of Oxford, Harvard Kennedy School, and institutions including CSIRO for technical studies.
Affiliations include formal links with United States Naval War College, Indian National Defence College, Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute, and regional partners such as Papua New Guinea Defence Force and Fiji Military Forces. Cooperative programs extend to multilateral forums like the East Asia Summit and exercises including Talisman Sabre and Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). The College collaborates with international organisations such as International Committee of the Red Cross for humanitarian law modules and with industry partners including Boeing, BAE Systems, and Raytheon for capability seminars.
Alumni include flag officers and senior officials who later served in posts at Australian Defence Force Headquarters, as ambassadors to postings including United States, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, and in NATO and UN appointments. Graduates have influenced procurement decisions on systems such as Hawkei (vehicle) and doctrine updates that reference historic cases including the Battle of Midway and Operation Market Garden. The College’s impact is seen in strategic reviews, parliamentary briefings to the Parliament of Australia, and contributions to multinational planning in forums such as ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus.
Category:Defence education in Australia