Australia’s strategic environment is complex, increasingly contested, and rapidly evolving. Major power competition, militarisation, disruptive technological change and new threats pose challenges to Australia’s national security. These developments test Army’s capacity to generate highly trained, disciplined and fit tactical units; preserve its capacity to operate within the joint force; while simultaneously delivering Army forces in support of the national interest when and where they are needed.

The AARC fosters thought leadership to enhance Australian land power to help meet these challenges. They work to raise the level of professional debate on war, military force, future land capability development, and its challenges within Army, the nation, and internationally. The AARC is the Chief of Army’s lead agency for land power research.

In the lead-up to this year's Chief of Army Symposium (CAS 22), the AARC’s 2022 Short Thoughts Competition invites submissions of 1000-1500 word articles with the theme ‘Transforming Land Power.’ This is your opportunity to communicate your ideas about land power to Army’s senior leadership and a wide range of readers, and in the process help to inform and shape Army’s future.

Articles will be published on the AARC’s Land Power Forum as they arrive, as part of the ‘Transforming Land Power’ series. A compilation of meritorious entries will also be available to Symposium attendees, as well as online. In addition, authors of the four best submissions (as assessed by the Director General Future Land Warfare) will each receive the following:

  • A ticket to attend CAS 22, Adelaide Convention Centre, 10-11 August 2022
  • Return flights to attend the Symposium from any Australian capital city or regional centre
  • A $300 book voucher.

This competition is available to ADF and APS members only.

Submission process and deadline

Submissions are sought on topics directly relevant to the competition theme, ‘Transforming Land Power’. This topic encompasses a range of issues including domestic and global tasks Army must perform, force concepts and design, new approaches to technology, and training.

Submissions are to be between 1000-1500 words in length and all content is to be at the unclassified level.

The deadline for submissions is 01 June 2022 to enable judging, online publication and compilation in hard copy ahead of the Symposium.