The League – ‘ready for sea in all respects’.
During November the Navy League had its annual meeting and Federal Council AGM in Canberra. It was a well-attended meeting which included a most illuminating briefing from the Director General of the Australian Submarine Agency, Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead AO (Australia’s equivalent to Hyman G. Rickover).
Many readers of THE NAVY will know that the League has been an advocate of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), among other capabilities, since the 1980s, given their suitability to Australia’s maritime geography. For this stance we ‘copped a lot of stick’ from the public, media, politicians and some naval officers over the years. So VADM Mead’s briefing was a great vindication of our hard work and perseverance.
It was a shame that given how long it took for this to occur that some of our greatest champions of the SSN cause have since passed away and did not get to see the fruits of their labour. Navy Lague stalwarts such as a RADM Andrew Roberston, RADM David Holthouse, CMDR Geoffrey Evans, John Grover, and many others, would have been delighted to say the least to hear how the RAN is preparing to accept, operate and support SSNs in its order of battle.
Then for the next 12 months, the Federal Delegates elected myself as President; LCDR Roger Blythman RFD* RAN (Rtd) (VIC) and CAPT Simon Reay Atkinson MiD RAN (NSW) were elected as Vice Presidents. Mr Brad Barret (WA) was appointed as Honorary Secretary with Mr John Harker (VIC) as Honorary Treasurer. The Federal Council Executive has its work cut out for it with the meeting producing over two pages of action items to get the league up to ‘flank speed’.
Financially, the League is in a good position sustained largely by its property income. It continues to support Cadets. Where it can, the League provides members with special benefits and produces THE NAVY magazine, at great expense.
At the meeting the League’s Statement of Policy, which is contained in each edition of THE NAVY, was amended and brought up to date. This will be a standing agenda item at each annual meeting from now on. I commend it to readers as a testament to the League’s aims, priorities and its pursuits which will no doubt resonate with readers of this magazine.
If you are not a member then I would invite you to join the League and show your support for our aims and objectives for it is only through community support that we can continue into the future.
At our Annual Meeting, the State Divisions Presidents presented their reports. It was humbling to see how our Divisions are working so hard in the community to further the aims of the League.
The future
Since its inception in November 1900, The Navy League of Australia intends to hold the Government of the day (whatever Party) accountable for this nation’s maritime security through the lens of our Policy Statement.
The most pressing need is what many commentators and Defence officials are now calling the ‘speed to capability’ concept, for conflict seems much closer today than it has for some time. The Government believes it can achieve speed through jingoistic academic fascinator catch phrases like “Minimum Viable Capability” – the idea being that just enough in time will win the day (some might liken it to the 21st century version of the ‘fitted for but not with’ concept).
However, how many Australian parents, wives, husbands etc would want their loved ones going into combat knowing they are operating the “minimum viable capability” to keep them alive? Not many at all, I would suspect.
We need to demand the greatest level of capability for our Australian service people. An uncompromising determination to ensure capability overmatch of our enemies should be the government’s policy, and not only for the safety of our men and women in uniform, but also for the Nation’s survival.
19 November 2024