Security Challenges, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Spring 2012), pp. 103-120. - 103 - An Australian National Security Strategy: Competing Conceptual Approaches Peter Layton There is a growing global interest in formulating national security strategies but their form, nature and usefulness depends greatly on the conceptual approach policymakers choose to base them on. The three different national security approaches of grand strategy, opportunism and risk management have different purposes, parameters and implications. The first major issue to be considered when devising an Australian National Security Strategy is which organising construct to adopt. Globally there has been a recent surge in interest in states producing a national security strategy document. 1 Australia has not been immune from this with the publishing of a National Security Statement 2 and recent calls for this to be developed further into an Australian National Security Strategy. 3 This genre has been strongly influenced by the American National Security Strategy that each American Presidential administration has been required to regularly publish since the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act. The purpose of the American National Security Strategy is ―for developing, applying, and coordinating the instruments of national power to achieve objectives that contribute to national security‖ . 4 The American National Security Strategy consciously adopts a grand strategy conceptual approach, but many others do not. 5 Indeed some 1 Examples include: National Security Strategy until 2020 (Moscow: Russian Federation, 2009); Finnish Security and Defence Policy 2009 (Helsinki: Prime Minister‘s Office Publications, 2009); The National Security of the United Kingdom: Security in an Interdependent World (Norwich: The Stationery Office, March 2008); The French White Paper on Defence and National Security (Paris: Présidence De La République, 2007); National Security Policy for Jamaica: Towards a Secure and Prosperous Nation (Kingston: Government of Jamaica, 2007); Strategy of National Security of Montenegro (Podgorica: Government of the Republic of Montenegro, 2006); National Security Strategy 2005 (Bucharest: Government of Romania, 2005), National Security Concept of the Republic of Estonia (2004); The National Security Strategy of the Republic of Poland (Warsaw: Republic of Poland, 2003). 2 Prime Minister of Australia, The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, The First National Security Statement To The Australian Parliament (4 December 2008). 3 Carl Ungerer, The Case For An Australian National Security Strategy (Canberra: Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2011). 4 Joint Staff, Joint Publication 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms (Washington DC: Department Of Defense, 12 April 2001 (as amended through April 2010)), p. 321. 5 Examples include: A Strong Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The National Security Strategy (Norwich: The Stationery Office, 2010); Dutch National Safety and Security Strategy (2007); The