ABSTRACT
Between the end of the Korean War in 1953 and the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2003, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Royal Navy (RN) and United States Navy (USN) were regular partners in naval operations across a range of theatres. The Korean War provided the first real test of the drive towards standardisation, which was still in its embryonic stage during the conflict. The RAN's involvement in the Vietnam War was one of the best exemplars of standardisation in naval warfare. The operation of the same platforms made integration into the Seventh Fleet significantly easier and provided many benefits. Although tactical voice communications pose little difficulty, networked communications such as SIPRNET have been barriers to interoperability. Standardised equipment and procedures are the foundation for interoperability, but an unwillingness to be inclusive can undermine integration.
