{"id":40793,"date":"2018-07-19T13:00:39","date_gmt":"2018-07-19T03:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=40793"},"modified":"2018-07-19T13:00:39","modified_gmt":"2018-07-19T03:00:39","slug":"building-strategic-security-defence-diplomacy-and-the-role-of-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/building-strategic-security-defence-diplomacy-and-the-role-of-army\/","title":{"rendered":"Building strategic security: defence diplomacy and the role of army"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

[D]iplomacy and defense are not substitutes for one another. Either alone would fail.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014John F. Kennedy, 16 November 1961<\/p>\n

[A] more strategic and integrated approach to International Engagement and security cooperation must be a core component of Army\u2019s mission into the future.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014Major General Rick Burr, 25 June 2015<\/a><\/p>\n

Every new century has brought security challenges with it, and the 21st is no exception. However, what distinguishes the 21st century from the 20th is the multilevel, complex and dynamic nature of security challenges that nation-states face today. Changes in those challenges have already stretched the options available to states to deal with them, and the effectiveness of traditional tools, such as defence forces, has been increasingly questioned. In Australia, the ADF\u2019s international engagement in a range of measures has been a notable response.<\/p>\n

The research literature shows that one area where the traditional role of defence institutions has changed since the end of the Cold War is defence diplomacy, which offers a way to meet security challenges while maintaining a low risk profile. As Australia faces increasing competition for influence in its neighbourhood, particularly in the South Pacific, defence diplomacy is more relevant than ever before. It was identified as a key enabler to realise the strategic defence interests and meet the objectives outlined in the 2016 defence white paper and elaborated in the 2017 foreign policy white paper.<\/p>\n

The exercise of soft power through diplomacy by subnational agencies with hard power, such as the army, can pay political and security dividends that build, sustain and expand strategic influence in the region. It can provide opportunities, security and strength\u2014key benefits that consolidate national power. However, it can work effectively only when it\u2019s supported and strengthened by non-military instruments (so-called Track 2 diplomacy).<\/p>\n

The role of defence diplomacy depends on the point in the conflict spectrum at which it\u2019s used: pre-conflict, during conflict or post-conflict. The primary goal of diplomacy (military or otherwise) is to pursue the national interest without using physical force. A 2016 study<\/a> identified five basic functions of defence diplomacy:<\/p>\n