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Força 2020
Attached is the government of Timor-Leste's controversial
Força
2020 (1.8 mb) plan for its
military. Below are its "Conclusions and Recommendations."
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The
strategic guidelines for the development of the Armed Forces of
Timor-Leste are based on the definition of the State’s strategic
concepts and the fundamental principles of security and national
stability, which should systematically converge in the defence of
the national interests to achieve the State’s overall objective:
Peace and Prosperity.
As
with other Democratic States, the State of the RDTL is justified in
using the national Armed Forces as a State resource to achieve
constitutionally authorised missions. Within the scope of their
mandate, the Forces must make themselves subordinate to the
democratically elected political power, in terms of war or the
defence of national sovereignty, and are deployed under the command
of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (a legally constituted
political authority). The internal deployment of the Armed Forces
may only take place within the constitutional parameters envisaged
in current laws.
From
a historic and geographic perspective, we have not neglected the
past which holds a painful record of military conflicts.
Irrespective of the ideological reasons and political and moral
condemnation attributable to the strategic wars fought in
Timor-Leste, it is the duty of historical leaders and scholars to
objectively clarify the strategic factors and circumstances
surrounding the motivations, conditions and reasons that expose the
vulnerabilities of Timor-Leste when faced by third parties that use
elements of dissension and violence to impose their geo-strategic,
political and economic interests.
Guidelines for future national development must successfully
integrate two interdependent components: the observance of a
democratic State and the establishment of national political and
ideological equilibrium in the regional and international context.
Both require relevance with regard to the conceptual dispositions
for defending the national interests within the ambit of global
security.
Geographically, the inclusion of Timor-Leste in the challenge of
regional and global geo-strategic interest compromises national
strategic guidelines, bringing with it constant external
interference in the development of the Armed Forces, something which
has happened systematically. External interference has been a
notable drain on the institutional capital of the Armed Forces of
Timor-Leste (FALINTIL-FDTL). The possible strategic modelling of the
Armed Forces of Timor-Leste may also represent a unique
vulnerability with regard to the geo-strategic interests of third
countries.
Politically, this represents a vacillating and economic
vulnerability for the future development of the Armed Forces of
Timor-Leste, which depend on the serious interest of the State of
RDTL in putting into perspective and creating a real, sustainable
and enduring Nation, with worthy reasons for existing in the world.
It is, however, appropriate to emphasise that the tactical
innovations or strategies we adopt in the development of the Armed
Forces - no matter how respectively exceptional or efficient they
are - do not always automatically contribute towards achieving the
State’s objectives. It is imperative to know how to deal with
national interests and those of our neighbours.
Strategically, the Armed Forces of Timor-Leste represent the
decisive guarantee of the security, sovereignty and independence of
RDTL as entrenched in the Constitution. National Defence is,
unquestionably, a fundamental pillar for the construction and
viability of the Nation.
The
analysis of changes in the strategic environment of Timor-Leste
linked with the definition of the interest of the existence of the
State of RDTL, constitute the fundamental national policies for
defining the framework of the Armed Forces in the national and
global development dynamic.
Finally, it falls upon the people of Timor-Leste to question and
respond to the relevance of Timor-Leste itself within the concept of
global development. Will Timor-Leste have the conditions, in the
third millennium, to be and remain a sovereign nation without
interference from all and sundry? Or, simply stated, does
Timor-Leste pledge as an economically unfeasible country to
transform itself geo-strategically into a platform or satellite
state of third parties and profit from the benefits imposed by third
parties and/or benefit from revenue and the collection of taxes? The
advantages and disadvantages are relative and disproportionate and
further aggravated by symptoms of political and ideological
persecution from the past that linger concealed in the vision of
some Timor-Leste politicians in conceiving the development of
Timor-Leste. Analysing and defining the paths of the future for
Timor-Leste is something that the people of country must debate
widely and openly among themselves. As a sovereign Nation, what is
the value of Timor-Leste in the context of globalisation? How can
Timor-Leste engage in the global economic dynamic? In what ways can
Timor-Leste participate in and contribute to the development of the
world?
In
relation to the future of the Armed Forces of Timor-Leste, the State
of the RDTL must employ special effort and dedication towards the
development of the Armed Forces, through the prioritisation of
structuring political decisions in relation to the legal framework,
conceptual definitions and the concrete manifestation of technical
and operational questions of a institutional character for the
attainment of the Nation’s overall objectives.
Structuring Political Decisions and Conceptual Guidelines:
§
Prioritisation of the Defence Sector in planning the Significant
Options for National Development with the integrated perspective of
continental and maritime base guidelines, specially emphasising the
development of the Light Naval Fosse of the Armed Forces;
§ Revision of the General State Budget (OGE) for the Defence sector,
contemplating the development of the Armed Forces with strategic
public investment;
-
Engagement of the competent organs of State in the definition of
National Defence Policy and of the legislative framework and
structural concept of the National Defence and Armed Forces
sector. Namely: the National Defence and Armed Forces Law (LDNFA),
Military Service Law (LSM), Defence Budget Law (LPM), Strategic
Concept of National Defence (CEDN), National Strategic Concept (CEM),
Missions of the Armed Forces, National Forces System and
National Forces Mechanism. In addition to carry out a revision
of the Organic Law of the F-FDTL in force, it is necessary to
define an Organic Law of the Ministry of National Defence. And,
to periodically issue Ministerial Directives on Military Defence
to enable CEMGFA to update its Force planning;
-
It is important that the CEMGFA be appointed on the terms
defined by law and given the legal powers to elaborate the Force
Planning doctrine for the creation, training and maintenance of
the Forces;
§
The procedures for Force Planning in the context of reorganising the
Armed Forces of Timor-Leste must be supported by a coherent
legislative structure, which brings together the new ideas that have
been adopted and must aim to confer an prominently operational new
dimension, enabling the Armed Forces to achieve a high standard of
operational efficiency in the fulfilment of their various duties and
responsibilities, both in a national and international context. This
Force Planning and the definition of its objectives must be guided
by analyses of the missions and current situation of the Armed
Forces in an assessment of threats, risks and challenges that are
envisaged in the short, medium and long term as well as in the
dynamic characterisation of the potentials and vulnerabilities of
the Forces, of both the country and its neighbours, referred to in
the updated analysis of the strategic and operational environments
of Timor-Leste;
§ From the perspective of the development of the forces, effective
technical and administrative decisions must be taken for the
procurement of adequate resources needed by the Armed Forces,
according to the operational requirements for the fulfilment of
missions;
§
Redefining the Specific Missions of the Armed Forces of Timor-Leste
from the view of carrying out missions in the public interest,
participating in humanitarian and peace missions under the United
Nations, and in multilateral interests (ARF and CPLP);

Technical and Operational Questions
§
Prioritisation of the development of the Armed Forces according to
the strategic environment for defining Timor-Leste’s military
potential. Encompassing the volume of the force, nature of the
force, type of force, the structure and system of the forces, the
missions and mechanism of the forces in conformity with National
Defence Policy objectives;
§
Establishing an adequate legal mechanism for implementing the
Timor-Leste Forces Development Plan within the ambit of the proposal
presented in this first strategic manuscript.
§
Current Force contingent – the State authority must once again
debate and provide new direction for the current authorised
contingent versus the reduction and/or increase that the process of
restructuring and remodelling the Force may imply;
§
Volume of the Force - it is envisaged that the number of regular
troops will reach 3,000 in 15 years (2020), taking into account the
increased number of reserves available, in the event conscription is
adopted as an option in the military service system of the
Timor-Leste Armed Forces;
§
Nature of the Force – defined in relation to the strategic
environment conditions of Timor-Leste, may be redesigned in the
following way:
o
Land Forces– Subdivision of the land forces into two branches: Operational Land
Combat Forces (FOCT) and Land Defence Forces (FDT). Both comprise
various types of forces: mechanised infantry, special forces,
armoured combat support units, aerial combat support units and
upgraded firepower. Engineering and mobile health services have been
added to the land defence forces, followed by the later addition of
light artillery forces. A light structured force added to the
echelon of the companies that group or regroup themselves in
Combined Response Companies (CMI) to form battle groups;
o
Light Naval Force– the current structure of the naval component will be remodelled in
phases into two branches, Operational Naval Combat Forces (FOCN –
the Naval Marines) and the Naval Force, in addition to the logistics
and training and development branches. It is a structure for the
assertion and defence of the permanent strategic interests of
Timor-Leste that is capable of operating together with neighbouring
and allied countries in the context of defence and joint security;
o
Updating the structures of the Armed Forces General Command
Headquarters, of Training and Development and other structures that
depend on the control of the Support and Service Component,
in accordance with the proposal presented by GE F2020.
-
Strengthening Institutional Training to shape military and
conventional institutional character. Preparing the structural
and legal technical conditions for the phasing out of older
members and focusing on training and developing new members of
the armed forces;
§
Within the context of consolidating the Forces, it is necessary to organise an operational force as a matter of priority, ready to
intervene from the new 2007 to 2010 fiscal year, defined as the Land
Forces and Light Naval Force and which are characterised by a high
level of readiness, adequately sized to the reality of the country
and able, if required, to be seconded outside the country in Task
Force units for peace and humanitarian missions;
§
Creation of a body with a legal basis – Audit Committee – a legal
body comprised of members of the National Parliament and respective
members of the security and defence institutions with the authority
to guarantee institutional transparency, specifically in the process
of auditing the procurement process for warfare equipment and
materials and in monitoring the evident political problems in
defence and security institutions;
-
When commissioning Studies on Defence, the State must maintain
the Think-Tank method for studying and advising on
military defence material, including details for the procurement
of warfare equipment and materials recommended for the Armed
Forces of Timor-Leste. A national Defence Consultant model would
also be advisable;
-
In the event Compulsory Military Service is the chosen option,
it will be advisable to create a small-scale domestic defence
industry, with the aim of producing uniforms and footwear, dry
rations, munitions and other military articles and basic
necessities for use in training and development;
-
National and international suppliers of the Military Defence
Industry must possess a safety and quality diploma (company
certification diploma), recognised (and/or accredited) by the
RDTL Government, as a prerequisite for participation in tenders
for warfare equipment.
§
The CEMGFA Force Plan will refer to the study of costs and benefits
and the technical details of the operational requirements for the
preparation of the Force;
§
The CEMGFA must plan for the participation of the Timor-Leste Armed
Forces in international commitments through humanitarian and peace
Missions under the United Nations;
§
The CEMGFA must form workgroups, specifically to prepare the
structural adjustment for the Forces Development Plan (PDF); the
military budget, the procurement of equipment and arms (combat
support units and integrated tactical and strategic communications
system); the evaluation of training and development for the new
Force plan.
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