Regional security and Pacific partnerships : recruiting Pacific Islanders into the Australian Defence Force

Title page

Contents

Executive summary 6

Defining the problem 8

Pacific recruitment into the ADF: the current debate 9

Pathways to Pacific recruitment into the ADF 10

Option 1: Direct recruiting from the Pacific into the ADF 10

Option 2: Closer integration that supports regional security: a combined Pacific Battalion 14

Option 3: A broader partnership model drawing on international lessons 15

Other options for enhanced collective regional security, integration and interoperability 16

Five key Pacific reactions 18

Areas for further research 20

Conclusion 20

Notes 21

Acronyms and abbreviations 22

Figure 1. Average ADF strength (personnel), including Budget projections, 2013 to 2026 8