00:00 For the first time, we're getting a precise picture of just how many star-ranked officers
00:07 there are in the Australian Defence Force.
00:09 These figures are generally not publicised by the Defence Department.
00:14 And by star-ranked officers, we mean that in the Navy, that's a Commodore, a one-star
00:19 or higher, and in the Army, a Brigadier, or in the Air Force, an Air Commodore or higher.
00:25 So, the one-stars, two-stars and three-stars, and the four-star who runs the Defence Force.
00:32 What this data has shown, though, is that over the past 20 years, the number of those
00:37 senior officers has gone from around 119 to 219.
00:43 So, an increase of 100, almost double, but at the same time, we're seeing overall enlistment
00:50 numbers for the ADF steadily falling back in 1983.
00:56 The number was in the early 60,000s and now it's at around 57,000 full-time personnel
01:04 overall.
01:05 In any case, this data has come from the Parliamentary Library after it was requested by Green Senator
01:12 David Shoebridge.
01:14 He's quite scathing of the findings.
01:16 He says that it points to a very top-heavy military, one where it's like a growing galaxy
01:23 of stars, but very few actual ordinary ranked officers or lower that are carrying out the
01:32 tasks that are needed in the military.
01:34 Let's hear from David Shoebridge.
01:37 Every time there's a national security announcement, we get a new general, or we get a new admiral,
01:41 or we get a new air marshal.
01:43 But often, it's not connected to a new boat, a new plane, or a new tank.
01:47 Now, if stars kept Australia safe, we would have one of the most secure, most advanced
01:54 militaries in the world.
01:56 But I don't think that's the case.
01:58 Before the Defence Minister Richard Miles flew out for California last night, where
02:03 he'll be attending an AUKUS meeting, we did put some questions to his office.
02:08 There hasn't been a response as such yet, but certainly from Defence sources, I'm picking
02:13 up both at the officer level and below that it is a bit of a problem.
02:19 There is also an acknowledgement, though, with the changing nature of the way Defence
02:24 operates across all three services, there is a need for more coordinating-level leaders,
02:31 so they are at that star rank.
02:33 But there is also an acknowledgement that in comparison to other militaries, it is a
02:38 high ratio.
02:39 In Australia, it's one senior officer for every roughly 260 other personnel below them.
02:46 In the United States, it's a much larger ratio.
02:49 There's something like 1,500 ordinary personnel serving under a star-ranked officer.
02:55 So it's a bit out of kilter here in Australia.
02:58 However, the Australian continent sets up its own unique challenges for the ADF.
03:03 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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