One of Defence's most senior public servants is the new head of Australia's leading military think tank, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
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The publicly funded brains trust, which has a budget of $3 million for 2011-2012, is to be led by the Defence Department's current deputy secretary for strategy, Peter Jennings.
Mr Jennings was instrumental in establishing ASPI as a source of ''contrarian'' advice on defence and security matters for government in the closing years of the last century.
The organisation's program director in 2003 and 2004, he was also acting director between the departure of the founding director, Professor Hugh White, and the arrival of the outgoing director, Major-General (retired) Peter Abigail. General Abigail was appointed in 2005 for a five-year term which was subsequently extended.
While both men are highly regarded in defence circles, The Canberra Times has been told they have different skills sets that will be reflected in the ways they handle the role. General Abigail has been praised for his skills as an administrator and his ability to deal successfully with the Howard, Rudd and Gillard governments.
Mr Jennings is described as an analytical thinker, an incisive writer and a gifted strategist who knows how Defence works at the political and administrative level.
University of Canberra academic and former chief of army Peter Leahy said yesterday, ''This appointment has been one of the worst kept secrets [in Defence] for some time.
''Peter is very experienced, he will bring a good knowledge of Government - both from the political and the defence bureaucracy side - to the role and he will be able to push the ASPI charter strongly.''
Defence would not comment on Mr Jennings' appointment yesterday as it was awaiting ministerial confirmation.
A former colleague described Mr Jennings as a ''natural choice'' to lead ASPI in interesting times.
''He is currently one of Australia's senior strategic policy makers - this makes him an excellent fit,'' the source said.
As an acting first assistant secretary within the Department of Defence in the late 1990s, Mr Jennings was involved in producing the 2000 Defence White Paper.
With the ADF already conducting a force posture review in the lead-up to the preparation of a new white paper due in 2014, his insights are expected to attract keen interest.
A 2004 paper he wrote for ASPI called Beyond Baghdad is still discussed and helped shaped the thinking encapsulated in the 2009 Defence white paper.
Mr Jennings cited the rise of China, the importance of the US alliance and the risk of regional instability as key areas to watch.
''We're entering an age of warfare where precision strike weapons and low-technology fertiliser bombs compete uneasily for dominance,'' he wrote.
''There is an urgent need to rethink our military doctrine and training in the light of these... trends.''