The Force Exploration Hub works closely with Defence Science and Technology as well as the Services and Groups to generate, develop and test ideas. This work informs future Defence capability investment while building a unique and useful body of knowledge to support force structure plans and strategic assessments.

Defence is currently revisiting the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Future Operating Environment (FOE) 2040. The document’s purpose is to describe trends and developments that may influence how the ADF will operate out to 2040.

FOE 2040 will explore alternative futures with particular focus on the manner in which existing regional strategic systems might evolve over the next 20 years.

To support the development of the FOE 2040, Force Exploration Hub is seeking ideas from the Australian Defence Industry on potential evolutions in the relationships between industry and the Department of Defence over the next two decades.

This may include changes in relation to:

• The nature of the markets in which industry actors are engaged;
• The commodities and services that industry supplies to the ADF;
• Acquisition processes;
• Sustainment considerations (at various scales); and
• Other aspects of support.

Input should not include future emerging technologies, unless those technologies will directly alter the relationship between Defence and defence industry.

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Contributors are encouraged to think ‘out of the box’, and challenge current thinking to identify decisive differences in how Defence and defence industry could interact in the period to 2040. FOE 2040 is expected to be published in mid-2021.

The Force Exploration Hub delivers:

• Focused relevant future products that inform further idea and concept work, experimentation and future scenarios, policy and intelligence activities, and capability development;
• Research and development of innovative ideas that have been gathered from a diverse range of organisations and thinkers; and
• Joint concepts for the future force that are able to be expanded, explored and tested.

Please submit your ideas and insights to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by COB Wednesday, 23 December 2020.