Ellen Phiddian
Cosmos science journalist
Militaries have always been reliant on newer technology to stay ahead of their opponents – but how do you bridge the gap between the open culture of science, and the secrets necessary in a defence force?
According to Professor Tanya Monro, Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist and head of the government’s Defence Science and Technology Group, it is possible and indeed important to talk defence science publicly – provided you choose which information to share carefully.
“I think that at times, Australia culturally doesn’t recognise how extraordinary the things our scientists do for our nation are,” says Monro, speaking to Cosmos on the eve of a Defence Science summit in Canberra.
“I think we have a have a habit of seeing ourselves as small and poorly funded,” she says.
Australian inventions, such as flight black boxes and counter-IED devices, have become crucial parts of military forces. And defence receives the second-largest portion of Australian government spending each year.
Scientists and defence personnel are converging on Canberra today for the 2024 Australian Defence Science, Technology and Research (ADSTAR) summit.
“It’ll be a pretty equal mix of academia, industry, government, defence and international collaborations coming together in a mixing pot, which is wonderful,” says Monro.
“We are stronger the more we bring those different communities together.”
The theme of the summit is “asymmetric defence.”
“Asymmetric capabilities are anything that you can use against an adversary that unbalances their decision calculus – so, when you when you apply something that can’t be countered,” explains Monro.
She cites Ukraine’s use of cheap drones against expensive Russian equipment as an example.
“For a country like Australia, we have vast territories to protect but a modest population, and so we are never going to come out well if we try to compete on terms of scale alone,” she says.
“So we need to be clever.”
This can take a number of forms, such as technological advantages or uncertain information environments, but it’s not exclusively about finding smarter tech.
“I would actually argue that one of the greatest asymmetries that we can really benefit from is through our allies, because the very act of like-minded countries working together in a collaborative way is one of the most powerful ways of denying an adversary their aims,” says Monro.
But new technology is an important part of the strategy, and a central theme of ADSTAR.
In its 2024 National Defence Strategy, the federal government outlined 6 science and technology priorities: hypersonics, directed energy, trusted autonomy, quantum technology, information warfare and long-range fires.
“They all have certain common elements, one of which is the capacity for asymmetric advantage. They each are areas where we have excellence in our nation,” says Monro.
Applications of these technologies could range from extremely precise sensors made with quantum science, to powerful lasers that can damage targets from a distance. And many more things that are not public knowledge.
“Of course, the very act of talking about them in public in any detail often loses the advantage,” says Monro.
Is it difficult to run a summit – or do research – in a highly classified environment?
The key, says Monro, is figuring out which information can be shared, and with whom.
“There are still things that are unclassified, and it’s really important that we harness what Australia’s universities and industry can do that aligns with our national security interests,” she says.
“But there are also ways in which we can bring that community in, and particularly for those people who have clearances, give them briefings about Defence’s priorities and challenges at that classified level, so that when they go out and do their unclassified work, they do that in an informed manner.”
Monro says that the ability to share information is “something we have to be very alert to”.
“Without the openness of scientific discourse and peer review and the like, science is diminished,” says Monro.
“We have peers that can provide that contestability function and that collaboration piece within the classified environment, particularly with our bilateral and multilateral relationships with like-minded nations.
“So that same sort of scientific culture exists within the defence world as well. It just looks a little different from the more open, collaborative culture.”
Monro points out that scientists who work with the private sector also need to keep some of their work from becoming public.
“Absolutely there is a place for open discourse and broad sharing of knowledge and scientific advances, but we must be very deliberate in understanding where that can cause us harm and where those boundaries are, and make sure that people understand how to work within them.”
Summits like ADSTAR are an important part of linking research with not just industry, but government, according to Monro.
“The defence industry doesn’t have a market if Defence doesn’t buy,” she says.
“So no matter how well universities work with defence industry, they won’t achieve their aims unless they work well with government.”
