Australia could be cut off from internet in hours during war, ex-Deputy Secretary of Defence warns
Australia could be cut off from the world within hours of a regional conflict erupting, a leading defence expert warns.
Australia could be digitally isolated within hours of a regional conflict erupting, with 99 per cent of the nation’s internet traffic flowing through just 15 undersea cables that enemy submarines could easily sever.
The chilling scenario has been outlined by one of Australia’s top defence strategists as Exercise Talisman Sabre – involving 40,000 troops from 19 countries – exposes the nation’s woeful lack of preparedness for modern warfare.
Mike Pezzullo, former Deputy Secretary of Defence, warns that any future conflict wouldn’t begin with missiles or bombs, but with cyberattacks designed to cripple Australia’s digital infrastructure.
“It would be in cyber. You’d start to see a degradation of the internet,” Pezzullo told 7NEWS.
If those critical undersea cables are cut by submarines or crewless vessels, the country would be digitally isolated, cutting off communications, banking, emergency services and the digital backbone that modern Australia relies on to function.
‘We are nowhere near ready’
The Exercise Talisman Sabre currently underway in Central Queensland has seen US, Australian, French and German forces, among other allies, flexing their military might. But behind the military spectacle lies a more serious warning about Australia’s defence capabilities.
“We are nowhere near ready,” Mr Pezzullo said.
With tensions escalating in the Indo-Pacific, Mr Pezzullo believes there’s at least an 80 per cent chance Australia would be drawn into any conflict between China and Taiwan if the US becomes involved.
“It might start there,” he says. “But I can assure you, it won’t end there.”
The strategic reality is stark. Australia’s military, ports, bases and intelligence systems are deeply integrated with America’s defence network.
“We don’t really have a choice,” Pezzullo explains. “Our military, ports, bases, intelligence systems - they’re all deeply tied to America’s.”
Critical infrastructure exposed
Beyond the cyber threat, Australia faces multiple vulnerabilities that could prove catastrophic in any regional conflict.
After cutting internet cables, Mr Pezzullo warns targeted missile strikes would likely follow, aimed at key infrastructure including air bases, radar facilities and defence logistics.
“You’d want to ensure those are protected,” Mr Pezzullo said.
“But we have no missile defence systems. We’re completely bereft in that area.”
Fuel supplies present another critical weakness, with 90 per cent of Australia’s oil and petrol flowing through the South China Sea – the very region where any Taiwan conflict would likely unfold.
“We only store enough for 60 days,” Pezzullo warns.
Defence assets visible on google maps
Adding to Australia’s vulnerabilities, billions of dollars’ worth of defence aircraft are sitting exposed on tarmacs, visible to anyone with access to Google Maps satellite imagery.
Recent drone strikes have demonstrated the devastating potential of low-cost technology.
Earlier this year, Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web saw 117 drones destroy approximately $7 billion worth of Russian military assets, including strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
“Everything visible from space or aircraft is available on Google Earth, NASA Worldview, or other public systems,” defence strategist Professor David Kilcullen told news.com.au.
Australia’s fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance jets at Adelaide’s RAAF Base Edinburgh and C-17A transport aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland are clearly visible on public satellite imagery, lined up on tarmacs with no protective cover.
“Unfortunately, Google Maps shows almost everything,” Marc Ablong of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute tells 9News. “You can see the base infrastructure, people on the base, where the guard posts are. You can determine access points, weak points in fence lines.”
Playing catch-up
While Australia has major defence projects underway, including AUKUS nuclear submarines, new frigates, cruise missiles and underwater drones, Mr Pezzullo says those efforts are still years from completion.
“That technology is improving almost monthly, but we’re playing catch-up,” he says.
Some argue Australia shouldn’t risk its economy by confronting China, the nation’s largest trading partner. Mr Pezzullo says that the argument becomes irrelevant in the context of global conflict.
“We’d all suffer through the tanking of the global economy,” he said.
He believes Australia’s defence budget will need to rise from its current level to three or even three-and-a-half per cent of GDP to adequately deter adversaries and defend the nation.
Counter-Drone Defence Underway
Defence officials say they’re taking the drone threat seriously, with Project Land 156 launched late last year to develop counter-drone systems, complemented by Mission Syracuse focusing on advanced drone intercepting technology.
“The protection of Defence’s critical assets is a priority area for work and investment,” a defence spokesperson tells news.com.au. “Security of bases, ports and barracks is, and will remain, a focus for Defence resources.”
Modern counter-drone systems being developed use acoustic, thermal, radar and electro-optic sensors to detect threats, with various methods to neutralise them, including signal disruption and physical destruction.
“Modern counter-drone systems, incorporating radar, radio frequency detection, electronic warfare and directed energy capabilities, are already active across global deployments,” DroneShield CEO Oleg Vornick tells defence industry magazine ADM.
Despite the challenges, Mr Pezzullo remains clear about Australia’s strategic priorities.
“Plan A is always peace through diplomacy. But if you want peace, prepare for war,” he said.
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