🧵 Naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz are often discussed as a solution to tanker attacks — but in practice they are difficult to execute at scale. A short thread 1/ 🧵The last large-scale tanker escort campaign in the Gulf was Operation Earnest Will (1987–88), when the US reflagged and escorted Kuwaiti tankers during the Tanker War. Even then, escorts were selective and resource-intensive. 2/

🧵Australia's General Purpose Frigate (GPF) |

With rumours abounding that some form of decision may be due soon on 🇦🇺's GPF it is worth taking a look back at how we got here, & re-emphasising why time is critical. 1/
(Image: HMAS Darwin - not relevant here, but a great frigate) 🧵 Importance: 🇦🇺 as an island nation, almost all of its imports/exports go by sea.
Current Surface Combatant Fleet Fleet: 🇦🇺 presently has 3 x Hobart Destroyers (2017-2020), 7 x ANZAC Class frigates (1996-2006). 2/
(Image - A point to remember)

🧵Australia's border security is an issue and it's time for a fresh look at the structure and capabilities required to support it. 1/

abc.net.au/news/2024-08-0… 🧵Whilst its perfectly reasonable that with the 3rd largest exclusive economic zone in world, 🇦🇺 will find undetected irregular migrants and illegal fishers within that zone. This should not be cause for extreme concern. 2/

🧵It is largely expected that the first of Australia’s biennial National Defence Strategy (NDS) & an unclassified version of the Integrated Investment Plan (IIP) will be released tomorrow.

The biennial was a key recommendation of the 2023 DSR.

defence.gov.au/about/reviews-…
🧵The IIP is a living doc, 1st established in 2015. It outlines intended budget allocations for capability acquisition & sustainment. It has only been publically released twice, 2016 & 2020. My article below explains the broad issues 👇

aspistrategist.org.au/no-pot-of-gold…

🧵And so it begins - the lead up to the Australian budget & the National Defence Strategy which is due out shortly - the rhetoric that we need to cut defence projects to accelerate capability.

amp-9news-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.9news.…
🧵I certainly agree we need to prioritise capabilities, we cannot do everything, and we cannot afford an unending wish list of capabilities. It’s a conversation of risk and balance.