ADF to train Ukraine forces on our soil
UKRAINIAN military officers will be trained in Australia to improve their leadership skills.
UKRAINIAN military officers will be trained in Australia to improve their leadership skills, and Royal Australian Air Force jets are ready to fly to the Middle East if the Abbott government decides Australia should play a combat role in defeating Islamic State.
Defence Force Chief Mark Binskin told The Australian yesterday that in training members of the Ukrainian armed forces, the goal would be to build up their professionalism and capacity.
“We can do professional training for some of their people, in areas such as logistics, and the majority of it will be back here, in Australia,” Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
Some Ukrainian officers would attend the Australian Defence Force’s Command and Staff College. The Ukrainians were keen for English language training to help them better engage with the West, Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
“And in terms of equipment, as they’re coming into winter, we’ll be giving them the wherewithal to survive so you’re looking at jackets, thermal underwear, boots, that sort of thing.”
It would not be Australian patterned gear but more generic military uniforms. A small team of ADF logistics experts might also be sent to Ukraine to see how the military supply systems there worked and how they could be improved.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister David Johnston were at a NATO leaders’ summit in Wales last night working on global strategies to deal with the crises in Ukraine and in Iraq.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama wrote a joint article in yesterday’s The Times that was delivered to the hotel doors of the 68 countries participating in the NATO summit, setting clear their strategy.
“Developments in other parts of the world, particularly in Iraq and Syria, threaten our security at home,” they wrote. “If terrorists think we will weaken in the face of their threats, they could not be more wrong.
“Countries like Britain and America will not be cowed by barbaric killers.”
As the meetings began, Mr Cameron edged towards Britain’s Royal Air Force joining US airstrikes in Iraq, even though such action could seal the fate of British hostage David Haines.
Islamic State executioner Jihad John, believed to be a British citizen, named Mr Haines as his potential next victim, shortly after the video-taped killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff.
Australia was invited to the NATO summit as “an enhanced partner’’ following its significant contribution to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said the possibility of a combat role in Iraq was a decision for the government, but the Defence Force would be ready. He said Defence had become self-sufficient in terms of “high-end” equipment and its personnel were very well trained to use it.
“That means we more than carry our weight anywhere around the globe on operations,” he added.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said either the RAAF’s large fleet of older “classic” Hornet fighter bombers or its 24 Super Hornets could operate in Iraq.
“If the government makes the decision to send fast jets, any of our Hornet squadrons could do the job,” he said.
They could fly to Iraq escorted by the RAAF’s fleet of KC30 air-to-air refuelling tankers.
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said sending forces was “not an easy decision to make but the fact is we have people well trained and well equipped, and we’re well positioned to be able to do it”. “We now have an ADF with a global mindset,” he said.
“You can sit around and talk about this but the fact is there is a threat there, and it’s a threat that’s growing and it’s a threat that needs to be contained,” Air Chief Marshal Binskin said.
“It’s being able to work with Iraq and the regional countries to be able to give them the wherewithal to counter this threat. We can’t leave it because it will continue to fester and grow.”
Air Chief Marshal Binskin said the next key step was to have a representative government in Baghdad.
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