AUKUS and Sovereignty

 

7 RAR headquarters Nui Dat 1970 - Image courtesy AWM

There is a slice of the history of the US/Australian relationship, relevant to AUKUS, which has been largely forgotten. Let me remind you, gentle reader, of its significance.

When Australian troops were first deployed to South Vietnam in March 1965, the battalion involved (1 RAR) was based at Bien Hoa Air Base and under the command of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade.

By 1966, an Australian Task Force base had been established at Nui Dat, and that task force was responsible for the security of Phouc Tuy province, an area which had historically been dominated by the Viet Cong, and was strategically important because of its proximity to Saigon.

This assigning of a separate command responsibility to the Australian Task Force was a result of the different priorities and tactics used by our forces, and the reluctance of the Australian military to fight under American command.

It was also an expression of our national sovereignty, and evidence of the difference between Australian and American understandings of counter-insurgency warfare. By the time of the withdrawal of 8 RAR in 1970, when I was in country, the populated areas of Phouc Tuy were largely secure, as a consequence of the tactics learned and applied successfully in the Malayan campaign.

The significance of this expression of our sovereignty was not lost on our military commanders, nor on the baggy-arses like me who were at the pointy end of the decisions being made about our activity. My memory of the operational efficiency of the Americans we encountered in the field reflected well on our commanders' insistence on independent operations.

Now, over fifty years later, the same issues of sovereignty emerge, and the linked article expresses it well.

It points out the tactical and strategic advantages of nuclear powered boats, but emphasises the principle that we should never compromise our sovereignty.  

Image courtesy Business Insider

These boats need to be built here, crewed exclusively by Australians, and their activity driven by our security needs, not those of any other country. This is especially the case, when you regard the political instability which has become a feature of the USA since 2016.

Frankly, I trust the Americans as far as I could kick them when it comes to alliances. It has always been the case that self-interest reigns supreme when it comes to US foreign policy.

Building the boats here, and crewing them by our navy is going to slow the acquisition of these submarines by at least a decade, perhaps longer. 

This is the situation that bothers me more than somewhat.