Perun | Defence strategy for small nations - force design, friends, and deterrence on a budget @PerunAU | Uploaded February 2023 | Updated October 2024, 5 days ago.
Much of the the defence content online focuses on what might be called major power competition and the cutting edge platforms that go with it. We often focus on the race by major military powers to field the latest and greatest expensive jets, ships, or submarines in quantity - and it's often those systems that capture the imagination
But all those things have something in common - they cost immense amounts of money, and for most nations, keeping up with the USAF or the shipbuilding efforts of the PRC just isn't on the cards.
So following a vote by my patrons I decided to look at the question of how smaller (both in terms of population and/or economic power) nations can try to defend themselves in a world dominated by larger powers.
It's a bit of a light-hearted return to some defence 101 concepts, and I hope you enjoy.
We'll be back next week with a deeper look at Wagner, Blackwater, and the historical and modern role of PMCs.
For my recent interview on "The Red Line" see either:
theredlinepodcast.com/listen/episode/3fbb957d/89-european-rearmament-are-we-preparing-for-the-wrong-war (podcast format)
or
youtube.com/watch?v=5gncQ3x9_lo (youtube format)
Patreon:
patreon.com/PerunAU
Caveats & Comments:
This video is intended as a bit of a walk back into the world of defence concepts 101, as a result, it may be a bit on the basic side for those in the industry. I also fully admit to blurring the lines of the stages between the development of a strategic concept and fielding and sustainment for the sake of brevity and simplicity.
I have also deliberately over-simplified the concepts and force designs in each of the examples for illustrative purposes.
Also - several typos made it into the slides, apologies
Sources & reading:
Defence in a Competitive Age (Defence contribution to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy)
gov.uk/government/publications/defence-in-a-competitive-age
UK Defence and Security Industry Strategy 2021:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971983/Defence_and_Security_Industrial_Strategy_-_FINAL.pdf
UK Defence Industrial Strategy 2006:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/272203/6697.pdf
Finnish army headcounts:
maavoimat.fi/en/about-us
Netherlands Defence Vision 2035:
https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2020/10/15/defence-vision-2035
Netherlands Defence White Paper 2022:
https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2022/07/19/defence-white-paper-2022
What Role Can Land-Based, Multi-Domain Anti-Access/Area Denial Forces Play in Deterring or Defeating Aggression? - RAND 2017
rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1820.html
Defence Capability Manual (2021)
https://www.defence.gov.au/about/publications/defence-capability-manual
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:52 — WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT
00:02:44 — DEFENCE 101
00:02:55 — Military Spending Should Serve A Purpose
00:03:49 — Defining A Defensive Concept Or Strategy
00:05:18 — Force Design
00:06:38 — Procurement & Industry Strategy Follow
00:07:43 — A Few Themes Of Small Nation Defence
00:08:41 — MEET KIWILAND
00:09:29 — Starting From Scratch
00:10:03 — Understanding The Enemy
00:11:00 — MACRO STRATEGY TOTAL DEFENCE
00:11:53 — The Threat
00:12:44 — The Concept
00:14:22 — Designing A Force
00:18:00 — Specialised Equipment
00:20:14 — Preparing Society
00:21:59 — Fortress Kiwiland
00:26:17 — MACRO STRATEGY DOMAIN DOMINANCE
00:26:30 — Kiwiland At Sea
00:26:44 — The Threat & Concept
00:27:50 — Making The Ocean Dangerous
00:30:37 — Kiwiland Rules The Waves
00:33:30 — (Sea) Fortress Kiwiland
00:35:24 — MACROSTRATEGY WMD DETERRENCE
00:35:46 — When War Changed
00:37:33 — Cost & Consequences
00:39:57 — Threatening Armageddon
00:41:23 — The North Korean Nuclear Program
00:43:19 — Kiwiland Goes Nuclear?
00:48:14 — MACROSTRATEGY ALLIED INTEGRATION
00:48:35 — You Do Not Exist In A Vacuum
00:50:05 — Being A Better Ally
00:51:03 — Becoming Part Of An Alliance Architecture
00:53:28 — Designing A Force
00:54:08 — Greater Than The Sum Of Parts
00:54:55 — Kiwiland Partners Up
00:56:09 — DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL SPECIALISATION
00:56:33 — Self-reliance And Strategic Autonomy
00:58:13 — Kiwi-industrial Policy
00:58:50 — HARD & SOFT POWER
00:59:05 — Defence Without Deterrence
01:00:26 — Would You Invade This Guy’s Home?
01:01:35 — CONCLUSIONS
01:02:16 — CHANNEL UPDATE
Much of the the defence content online focuses on what might be called major power competition and the cutting edge platforms that go with it. We often focus on the race by major military powers to field the latest and greatest expensive jets, ships, or submarines in quantity - and it's often those systems that capture the imagination
But all those things have something in common - they cost immense amounts of money, and for most nations, keeping up with the USAF or the shipbuilding efforts of the PRC just isn't on the cards.
So following a vote by my patrons I decided to look at the question of how smaller (both in terms of population and/or economic power) nations can try to defend themselves in a world dominated by larger powers.
It's a bit of a light-hearted return to some defence 101 concepts, and I hope you enjoy.
We'll be back next week with a deeper look at Wagner, Blackwater, and the historical and modern role of PMCs.
For my recent interview on "The Red Line" see either:
theredlinepodcast.com/listen/episode/3fbb957d/89-european-rearmament-are-we-preparing-for-the-wrong-war (podcast format)
or
youtube.com/watch?v=5gncQ3x9_lo (youtube format)
Patreon:
patreon.com/PerunAU
Caveats & Comments:
This video is intended as a bit of a walk back into the world of defence concepts 101, as a result, it may be a bit on the basic side for those in the industry. I also fully admit to blurring the lines of the stages between the development of a strategic concept and fielding and sustainment for the sake of brevity and simplicity.
I have also deliberately over-simplified the concepts and force designs in each of the examples for illustrative purposes.
Also - several typos made it into the slides, apologies
Sources & reading:
Defence in a Competitive Age (Defence contribution to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy)
gov.uk/government/publications/defence-in-a-competitive-age
UK Defence and Security Industry Strategy 2021:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971983/Defence_and_Security_Industrial_Strategy_-_FINAL.pdf
UK Defence Industrial Strategy 2006:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/272203/6697.pdf
Finnish army headcounts:
maavoimat.fi/en/about-us
Netherlands Defence Vision 2035:
https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2020/10/15/defence-vision-2035
Netherlands Defence White Paper 2022:
https://english.defensie.nl/downloads/publications/2022/07/19/defence-white-paper-2022
What Role Can Land-Based, Multi-Domain Anti-Access/Area Denial Forces Play in Deterring or Defeating Aggression? - RAND 2017
rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1820.html
Defence Capability Manual (2021)
https://www.defence.gov.au/about/publications/defence-capability-manual
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:52 — WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT
00:02:44 — DEFENCE 101
00:02:55 — Military Spending Should Serve A Purpose
00:03:49 — Defining A Defensive Concept Or Strategy
00:05:18 — Force Design
00:06:38 — Procurement & Industry Strategy Follow
00:07:43 — A Few Themes Of Small Nation Defence
00:08:41 — MEET KIWILAND
00:09:29 — Starting From Scratch
00:10:03 — Understanding The Enemy
00:11:00 — MACRO STRATEGY TOTAL DEFENCE
00:11:53 — The Threat
00:12:44 — The Concept
00:14:22 — Designing A Force
00:18:00 — Specialised Equipment
00:20:14 — Preparing Society
00:21:59 — Fortress Kiwiland
00:26:17 — MACRO STRATEGY DOMAIN DOMINANCE
00:26:30 — Kiwiland At Sea
00:26:44 — The Threat & Concept
00:27:50 — Making The Ocean Dangerous
00:30:37 — Kiwiland Rules The Waves
00:33:30 — (Sea) Fortress Kiwiland
00:35:24 — MACROSTRATEGY WMD DETERRENCE
00:35:46 — When War Changed
00:37:33 — Cost & Consequences
00:39:57 — Threatening Armageddon
00:41:23 — The North Korean Nuclear Program
00:43:19 — Kiwiland Goes Nuclear?
00:48:14 — MACROSTRATEGY ALLIED INTEGRATION
00:48:35 — You Do Not Exist In A Vacuum
00:50:05 — Being A Better Ally
00:51:03 — Becoming Part Of An Alliance Architecture
00:53:28 — Designing A Force
00:54:08 — Greater Than The Sum Of Parts
00:54:55 — Kiwiland Partners Up
00:56:09 — DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL SPECIALISATION
00:56:33 — Self-reliance And Strategic Autonomy
00:58:13 — Kiwi-industrial Policy
00:58:50 — HARD & SOFT POWER
00:59:05 — Defence Without Deterrence
01:00:26 — Would You Invade This Guy’s Home?
01:01:35 — CONCLUSIONS
01:02:16 — CHANNEL UPDATE
