John Blackburn, Air Vice Marshal (Retired) of the Royal Australian Air Force, stands as a leading Australian figure in advancing the discourse on national resilience, from traditional defense concepts to critical infrastructure protection and energy security. His journey, professional background, major published works, and founding of the Institute for Integrated Economic Research Australia (IIER-A) have collectively shaped a new paradigm for how Australians confront vulnerabilities against strategic threats such as China’s coercive capability to isolate Australia in times of crisis.
John Blackburn joined the RAAF in 1975, beginning his career as a Mirage III fighter pilot and later graduating from the Empire Test Pilots School in the UK in 1980. He served in roles such as test pilot with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit in South Australia and held operational command positions including leading integrated air defense systems across Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Blackburn rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Air Force, where he was responsible for strategic, personnel, logistics, and operational planning, immersing him in defense capability development as well as the direct oversight of airworthiness and the regulation of Australia’s technical aviation standards.
Blackburn’s leadership legacy is marked not only by operational achievements but by visionary thinking about long-term risk management for the defense sector. As Commander of the Integrated Area Defence System and Deputy Chief, he oversaw multi-national cooperation under the Five Power Defence Agreement, strengthening Australia’s presence in regional security.
Upon retiring in 2008, Blackburn transitioned from military command to strategic policy consulting, driven by a conviction that Australia’s national security must extend beyond capability-centric defense alone. His military experience revealed significant dependencies in Australia’s strategic “ecosystem” and particularly its vulnerability to disruption in energy, supply chains, and infrastructure.
Blackburn became increasingly vocal about Australia’s reliance on imported liquid fuels, its exposure to supply chain shocks, and the absence of a coherent bipartisan approach to energy security. In wide-ranging interviews and reports, he warned, “you can have the best military in the world but it’s futile if you can’t fuel it,” asserting that Australia’s defense posture would be crippled if energy supplies were interrupted.
Blackburn’s body of work spans consulting roles, published analyses, and policy advocacy:
“Australia’s Liquid Fuel Security” (2013, NRMA): This foundational report examined Australia’s mounting dependence on imported oil and fuel, outlining the strategic risks of supply chain disruption, particularly as refineries in Singapore (sourcing from the Middle East) became critical links for Australian transport energy.
Cyber and Energy Security Analysis: As chairman of the Kokoda Foundation (now Institute for Regional Security), Blackburn co-authored reports on cyber risk and advocated for a systems approach to national security—where interdependencies between energy, communications, and logistics are recognized as integrated risk factors.
Resilience Policy Advocacy: Serving as Deputy Chairman of Williams Foundation, Director at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Council, and contributing to the National Resilience Project (GAP, IIER-A), Blackburn emphasized the need for an “all-hazards” approach where resilience extends across economy, industry, health, education, environment, energy, emergency response, and culture.
In 2018, Blackburn co-founded the Institute for Integrated Economic Research Australia (IIER-A), motivated by recognition that systemic risk rather than isolated threats could undermine Australia’s national security. IIER-A became a focal point for multidisciplinary research into vulnerabilities and resilience strategy. Under his chairmanship, IIER-A convened government, industry, and academic experts for the National Resilience Taskforce, producing integrated reports on:
- Energy systems resilience
- Sovereign industry capability
- National preparedness and disaster risk reduction
- Recommendations for establishing a permanent National Resilience Institute.
The institute advocated a policy shift, calling for resilience to be institutionalized through joint funding across philanthropy, federal and state governments, and private industry. Its reports and summits influenced national discussions and were referenced by parliamentary commissions and policy forums.
Blackburn’s strategic outlook was sharpened by the rising threat of Chinese “gray zone” operations, coercive acts aimed at disturbing critical lifelines without resorting to conventional warfare. He assessed that China’s ability to sever supply chains, cut off communications, or degrade infrastructure could isolate Australia diplomatically and economically, rendering it vulnerable even in the absence of direct conflict.
He publicly argued that sea lanes, energy networks, communications infrastructure, and multinational supply chains are vulnerable points that must be protected with flexible, forward-looking policies. Blackburn urged policymakers to view resilience not as a static defense reaction but as a dynamic set of capabilities, spanning civilian and military spheres, prepared to withstand technological, geopolitical, and environmental shocks.
Beyond energy, Blackburn contributed expertise on:
- Cyber resilience and integrated risk management
- Climate risk and its defense impacts, as an Executive Member of the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group
- Fifth-generation air power and network-centric defense strategy
- Space and missile defense policy analysis
- Strategic foresight for long-term prosperity and crisis management
Blackburn’s thought leadership precipitated institutional change:
- IIER-A’s work catalyzed government inquiry into resilience policy and disaster recovery frameworks
- Recommendations for a National Resilience Institute are shaping future funding priorities
- His advisory role in AI system implementation for operationalizing resilience recommendations reflects ongoing engagement with emerging technology solutions
John Blackburn’s journey from RAAF fighter pilot and senior commander to strategic consultant and resilience advocate, mirrors Australia’s own evolution in confronting 21st-century strategic threats. His legacy is embodied in the widening recognition that resilience is not merely a defense challenge, but a whole-of-nation imperative, one where sovereignty, preparedness, and adaptability are forged through proactive policy, integrated risk management, and robust institutions.
By founding IIER-A and leading multidisciplinary efforts, Blackburn has provided a blueprint for how Australia and likeminded democracies can protect themselves against coercive isolation, infrastructural shocks, and complex global threats.