Chain of command rattled over defence spending

JOHN ARMSTRONG says the Chief of Defence Force left the Army's top general in no doubt who was boss.

Defence Force correspondence reveals acrimony between top brass in the military dating back at least two years, with the head of the Army complaining about his commanding officer telling him how to do his job.

The major rift between the Army's Chief of General Staff, Major-General Maurice Dodson, and his superior, the Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Carey Adamson, surfaced in this week's report from the Auditor-General into the purchase of $677 million worth of troop-carrying light armoured vehicles.

Internal memos written in 1999 and supplied to Parliament's foreign affairs and defence select committee showed animosity between the pair as they argued over how many troop carriers to buy.

Last year, the Government sided with the Army and agreed to buy 105 Canadian-built LAV3s to replace the Army's Vietnam War-era armoured personnel carriers - twice the number Air Marshal Adamson was recommending.

Under the Defence Act, the Chief of Defence Force is the principal military adviser to the Government. The Chief of General Staff heads the Army but is subordinate to the Chief of Defence Force.

In August 1999, General Dodson wrote to Air Marshal Adamson, saying he was "'surprised and disappointed" by restrictions imposed on plans to "motorise" the Army.

"As Chief of General Staff, I consider that I have the competence and authority to determine how best to run the Army ... What you have done ... is to tell me how to run the Army."

He also accused Air Marshal Adamson of making changes "without any warning or discussion on the reason for the change".

Responding over a month later, Air Marshal Adamson said there was "no hidden agenda" to frustrate the motorisation of the Army.

He acknowledged that General Dodson was his chief adviser on Army matters.

"This is undisputed. You should, however, note that I do not take advice as indisputable and will take issue and intervene if a chief proposes a course of action that in my opinion will adversely affect the ability of the Defence Force to produce its outputs."

In another part of his memo, Air Marshal Adamson warned: "Quite clearly I have both the legal standing and authority to impose constraints on you as I see fit".

General Dodson's plans were "not sustainable for the Defence Force in an environment of limited finance and competing demands".

The pair were questioned by MPs two months ago during the foreign affairs committee's examination of the Defence budget.

Opposition MPs noted in the committee's subsequent report that the "differences of opinion have developed to the point where the integrity of the Defence Force's advice to the minister may be being undermined".