.... Western Europe has long had a SOF training centre, while in Jordan the new King Abbullah II Special Operations Training Center aims to encourage international SOF cooperation, training and interoperability. Two evident gaps in building a global SOF network are Asia and Africa.
Australia and Canada enter the post-Afghanistan era with highly experienced, well-regarded SOF. The two nations could collaborate in building a SOF training centre in Australia to provide regionally appropriate, high-quality SOF training in doctrine, tactics and procedures. If located in Darwin such a centre would be almost within ASEAN, although Perth is attractive in being home to Australia’s SASR. Moreover Perth looks west (as well as north) and so such a centre could undertake training of both African and ASEAN SOF.
For the two nations, providing training for ASEAN SOF would build useful linkages with and among regional militaries. These would deepen Australia’s existing ties while providing Canada with durable new connections across the region. In 2014 Australia is co-chair with Singapore on the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group on Counter Terrorism. Australia hopes to use this appointment to develop ‘regional capacity, foster interoperability, build links and relationships and enhance information sharing’. Such objectives suit Canada nicely as well.
For Australia, proposing a SOF regional training centre would help work towards these objectives. For Canada, such a concept would show practical Canadian commitment to a key ADMM+ ** initiative. The centre could uniquely embed Canada in an area of particular importance to ASEAN in general and the ADMM+ in particular. Such a centre could also potentially offer to assist ADMM+ maritime security efforts. Advantageously, working group co-chair Singapore appears already receptive (and here) to more Canadian involvement in the ASEAN region ....
