A
Aussie Digger
Guest
WA is lighter on for personnel that is true, but it is also lighter on for industrial capacity to support these military assets, personnel to equip them and opportunities for defence families. Funny how fed up, non-ADF partners get when they are posted to the middle of nowhere time and time again. Can't imagine why that has an effect on separation rates...My initial response was WA does have a lighter on level of personnel, but I think the argument lost traction when the "scenario" they described was a clear example of an occasion when the SASR would be used.
Between RAAF Darwin, RAAF Tindal, 1 Brigade in Darwin and Adelaide, Maritime Patrol and Response Group in Adelaide and the aforementioned assets in WA itself, I think the Western half of the Country is VERY well covered considering the overall capacity and personally I think these "analysts" might want to get their maps out again. India is NOT closer to Australia than China is...
I would also argue that the West is better covered than the East, except for air cover, but the difference between air and naval power is that air power can cover ground much more quickly... Apparently these "analysts" don't quite manage to grasp that concept.
Nor do they seem overly concerned about the cost of moving our major military assets away from their current locations, nor the potential issues in moving them as far away as you possibly can from our major population and industrial centres and yet have them remain on mainland Australia...
One starts to wonder exactly what their motivation is in making these comments, when you factor a few of these issues into it...