In an effort to be in compliance with GDPR we are providing you with the latest documentation about how we collect, use, share and secure your information, we want to make you aware of our updated privacy policy here
Enter your name and email address below to receive our newsletter.
The return of direct defense to Northern Europe as seen Sweden restore conscription, the Finns move closer to the United States, the Danes increasing defense spending and the Norwegians emphasizing their “total defence concept.”
As the Norwegian Ministry of Defence has defined this approach:
An example of how Norway is working its Total Defence Concept was highlighted in this article published on November 2, 2018 by Naval Today.
The Norwegian defense ministry is using commercial vessels to test a new concept of operations as part of the 31-nation NATO drill Trident Juncture which is taking place in Norway.
Norwegian company Simon Møkster has disclosed that its offshore supply vessel Stril Mar is taking part in the exercise and is helping the country test the Total Defence Concept, which involves military forces and a wide range of civilian departments and authorities.
Stril Mar has been taken out of her normal operation and in addition to the civilian crew, the vessel has a military crew from MARCSS (Maritime Combat Service Support). The vessel will be used as a platform for easy maintenance and fuel supply and logistics support.
This civil-military concept is called STUFT (ship taken out of trade). The concept implies that one takes a civilian ship out of normal operation, so that it can be used to support military departments at sea.
“To be able to test this capacity during Trident Juncture will enable the Armed Forces to support vessels that are in operation in a better way. Immediately, we will test the preparedness and civil society’s ability and willingness to support the Armed Forces in the framework of the total defense,” says MARCSS, Kommandør Kaptein Frode Staurset.
Naval Today has contacted the Norwegian defense ministry to ask how many commercial ships or what other non-military sectors could be expected to take part in the concept test but we are yet to receive a response. In an earlier announcement, the ministry said it has signed contracts with Norwegian companies worth more than NOK 1.5 billion (USD 180 million, EUR 160 million) for various services supporting the drill.
And in a November 2, 2018 article published by NATO, the Norwegian approach was highlighted as well.
TRONDHEIM, Norway – Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 is using a fictitious scenario where Norway has been attacked, and due to such an attack on the Alliance, NATO Response Forces respond quickly subsequently enabling the northern country to test their Total Defence Concept in the process.
Co-operation between the Norwegian Armed Forces and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB) is extremely close and Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 has provided a platform to test and reinforce civil defensive procedures and assess national vulnerabilities and preparedness.
“Norway is a very safe country, but world security has and is changing rapidly and the Total Defence Concept is key in order to cope with all challenges,” said Morten Harangen, DSB Deputy Head of Communication. “It has taken steady progress to develop such close cooperation with our Norwegian Armed Forces and other agencies.”
Morten Harangen (centre), Deputy Head of Communication for the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection, discusses the Norwegian Total Defence Concept during TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18
In any crisis or conflict, both military and civilian authorities must work together, especially in times of cyber aggression or other hybrid activity. These close working relationships across all spectrums of Norwegian national life form a Total Defence Concept that enables extensive unity of effort.
“Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 provides us with a unique opportunity to test our Host Nation capabilities and the Defence Concept, reflecting extremely close co-operation and synchronisation,” said Cecilie Daae, Director General DSB. “It has been an essential exercise to test our procedures in order to safeguard our Norwegian population,” she added.
The Norwegian Total Defence Concept has been fully integrated into all aspects of Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 18 activity and in the phases completed so far, has proved an outstanding success. In the future, further DSB activity and exercises will involve mass casualty situations and emergency services, followed by other scenarios such as environmental and natural disasters.
Sweden has a similar concept as well.
In this 2017 by Fredrik Lindgren and Ann Odlund, the Swedish approach and its evolution was examined.
According to a story by David Pugliese and Tyler Dawson published in the National Post on December 6, 2018, the Canadian government is establishing a new military aircraft testing facility in Ottawa and moving it from Cold Lake.
The federal government will create a new centre of excellence in Ottawa to support aircraft testing, but it will come at the cost of relocating staff and shutting down existing military facilities in Alberta.
The move affects the Canadian military’s Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, or AETE, which has been at Cold Lake, Alta. since 1971.
Under the new plan AETE would be relocated to the international airport in Ottawa and partnered with the National Research Council Flight Research Laboratory and Transport Canada Aircraft Services Directorate to create a centre of excellence for flight testing and evaluation.
The move would affect almost one-third of the unit, which employs 166 military personnel and 22 public servants. The remaining two-thirds would be reassigned to other air force functions, said Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier.
Moving AETE will save $14 million a year and free up space for the arrival of more fighter jets at Cold Lake.
Canada is in the process of purchasing used fighter aircraft from Australia and the federal government has committed to buying 88 new jets to replace the existing fleet of CF-18s.
The featured photo shows a CF-18 Hornet fighter jet takeing off from 4 Wing Cold Lake on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.
In an historic day in Australian aviation, the first two F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to be permanently based in Australia arrived at RAAF Base Williamtown.
The Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, and Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Steven Ciobo MP, were there to welcome the aircraft and RAAF fighter pilots who flew the final leg in the journey from Luke Air Force Base Arizona.
The Lockheed-Martin-built Joint Strike Fighter will be operated by nine partner nations, reaffirming and strengthening Australia’s alliance with the United States and other key international partners including the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark and Norway.
The two aircraft arrived in Australia following a cross-Pacific ferry from Luke Air Force Base Arizona and will be operated by the Air Force’s Number 3 Squadron. The F-35A Joint Strike Fighters will be based at RAAF Base Williamtown and at RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory.
By Robbin Laird, Research Fellow, Williams Foundation, Canberra
A great photo opportunity was provided by the arrival of the first two F-35s from the United States to their operating base at Williamtown Air Base in Australia on December 10, 2018.
121867fade1.05.0
But as the saying goes “fortune favors the prepared.”
Certainly, the Aussies have been preparing for this moment for some time, including building the facilities to house and operate the F-35s but more generally reshaping the RAAF to highlight the F-35 as the lead element in an overall transformation process, “Plan Jericho” and its continuing reverberations throughout training, procurement, and joint force development.
I have had the privilege as a report writer for the Williams Foundation based in Canberra to watch this process and discuss its evolution with many of the airpower and ADF leaders who recognized from the ground up that the coming of the F-35 was not simply about buying a new cool replacement aircraft, but an incubator of change which could transform the force if its capabilities were to be leveraged into a broader process of change within the ADF.
The first report I did for the Williams Foundation was published in 2014 based on the seminar held on March 2014. At this seminar, the primary focus was upon the F-35 and F-22 and what made fifth generation different from legacy aircraft.
An RAAF F-22 exchange pilot, a USMC pilot who was embedded in the USAF to fly F-22s and who came to part of the standup of that aircraft and went on to be a leader in the USMC F-35 transition, and an Osprey pilot and head of the Marines VMX-22 squadron, all participated and shaped a broader understanding of what the transition meant, not just for airpower but for the ground forces as well.
Lt. Col. “Chip” Berke discussing his F-22 and F-35 experiences with the Australian audience at the Williams Foundation Conference, March 11, 2014. Credit Photo: SLD
Air Marshal Brown then head of the RAAF was one of the key speakers, and my friend John Blackburn in his key role at the Williams Foundation provided a key role in organizing the effort as he would do for several seminars to come.
What was enlightening to see was that the conversation was not just about an airplane but about force transformation. And the later efforts sponsored by the Williams Foundation have shaped a broader discussion not just in Australia about the challenges and opportunities of force transformation associated with the F-35.1
During our visit earlier this year for the latest Williams Foundation seminar, we had a chance to visit Williamtown Air Base and discuss the preparation for the aircraft, who just now landed in Australia to prepare the standup of the first squadron in Australia.
Incoming Commander Air Combat Group, Air Commodore Michael Kitcher, AM returns the general salute during his welcome parade held at RAAF Base Williamtown.
“The first involves the base refreshing itself. This involves base redevelopment with the base infrastructure being renewed and replaced, including runway and taxiway extensions.
“The second involves building the infrastructure and support facilities for the F-35A squadrons which will train and operate from the base.”
The OBISC or On Board Information System Center for the F-35A is built with personnel working in the Centre.
The Number 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU) building is largely complete and will support the training squadron but will also house Number 3 Squadron (3SQN) when they return from the US at the end of 2018.
“3SQN will come back to Australia at the end of the year and work on the Australian Validation and Verification Activities for F-35A.
“By the end of 2020, they will move into their own facilities and the training unit (No 2 Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU)) ) will move into the buildings vacated by 3SQN.
“2OCU will look after all aircrew and maintenance training for the RAAF F-35 capability.”
By the end of 2020, there will be over 30 F-35s at the base “which is initially sufficient aircraft for 3SQN and 2OCU, and that’s our Initial Operating Capability number of aircraft.”
Now the first F-35As have arrived at Williamtown on December 10, 2018.
As Air Marshal Leo Davies put it eloquently at the arrival ceremony: THE NAYSAYERS CAN TAKE A SEAT!
An article by Andrew McLaughlin published on December 10, 2018 in Australian Defence Business Review highlighted the arrival of the aircraft.
The first two RAAF Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters to be based in Australia have been formally welcomed to their home base of RAAF Williamtown today.
The two jets, A35-009 and -010 arrived at Williamtown at 10:20am on December 10 from RAAF Amberley. The aircraft had arrived at Amberley last week after ferrying from Luke AFB in the US via Hawaii.
These two aircraft were delivered in August and September and were the first to be accepted directly into an Australian operational unit and RAAF airworthiness authority, with the previous eight being placed onto the USAF’s system via an RAAF Chief of Air Force directive.
“This is the most advanced, multi-role stealth fighter in the world,” Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said in a statement. “It will deliver next generation capability benefits and provide a major boost to our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
“In Australia’s immediate region, Japan and South Korea are in the process of procuring the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, and are closely aligned with Australia’s pursuit of shared strategic, security and economic interests,” Minister Pyne added.
In a separate statement, Lockheed Martin Australia Chief Executive, Vince Di Pietro added, “The arrival of the first F-35 aircraft to be permanently based in Australia is a historic occasion and we are proud of our role as the 5th generation design pioneer and F-35 original equipment manufacturer. We congratulate the RAAF, the ADF and all of our Australian industry partners who have worked to make this achievement a reality.”
And Stephen Kuper of Defence. Connect (a website which has put together a very good countdown to the arrival of the F-35 at Williamtown series as well) in an article also published December 10, 2018 focused on what the arrival means for the RAAF.
Commander Air Combat Group, Air Commodore Mike Kitcher, described the F-35 as providing a ‘quantum leap’ in capability for the Air Force.
Both the RAAF and the broader ADF will need to rewrite the operational, tactical and strategic doctrines that have held true for the better part of the last 75 years, he told Defence Connect.
“F-35 presents a quantum leap, not only in terms of operational realities, but also technologically. For Air Force in particular, but again also for the wider ADF, F-35 is a catalyst for developing a truly fifth-generation force,” AIRCDRE Kitcher said….
The F-35 will provide more than just a quantum leap in capability for the RAAF and the individual warfighter. The aircraft will be responsible for supporting thousands of jobs around the nation.
Minister for Defence Industry Steven Ciobo welcomed the contribution made by the F-35 to Australian industry: “Australian industry is manufacturing parts that will be fitted to every F-35 in production globally, and more than 50 Australian companies have directly shared in $1.2 billion in production contracts to date.”
Defence set the key target for Australian industry participation in the F-35 program to be between $6-9 billion of production and sustainment work through to 2050.
“It is really exciting to see the fires of Australian industry reignite to get involved with the advanced and high-tech manufacturing opportunities presented by the F-35 program,” Di Pietro added.
Ten nations are currently flying F-35s, and with today’s arrival, Australia becomes the 7th nation with F-35 aircraft based locally on their home soil, joining the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Israel and Japan.
Additionally, with the formal stand-up of RAAF Williamtown, F-35s are now operating from 16 bases worldwide. More than 340 F-35s are operating today, more than 700 pilots and 6,500 maintainers have been trained and the F-35 fleet has surpassed more than 170,000 cumulative flight hours.
And last month at the International Fighter Conference in Berlin, Air Marshal (Retired) Brown underscored how significant introducing the F-35 into the ADF was for an overall transformation process.
We published an interview with Geoff Brown on November 24, 2018 which captured what he presented at the International Fighter Conference
At the International Fighter Conference 2018, Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown provided an overview of how the RAAF has shaped a way ahead along with the Australian Defence Force to craft what they refer to as a fifth-generation combat force.
In the case of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the acquisition of the F-35 has been seen as not providing a replacement aircraft but a trigger to broader force transformation, with a future is now mentality.
Brown provided an overview of how the ADF is looking at the crafting of a fifth gen force or a fifth generation enabled force and some of the highlights from his presentation underscore how the Aussies are looking at this dynamic of change.
For the last 5 – 10 years in Australia we have been determining the characteristics of combat operations in the post 2025 era.
The RAAF we have been very fortunate to have been well supported and funded by government.
In the RAAF it’s been nice to say that most pieces of the future combat fleet are in place or that the funding has been secured. It will be a F-35’s supplemented by Super Hornets and they will well be supported by systems like Wedgetail, Growler, KC-30s, and air defence systems like Vigilaire and over-the-horizon radar, and I even think the Maritime Patrol Fleets, P-8s and Tritons, will all contribute to the air combat system…..
We have concluded in Australia, that air operations will be characterized by the capability to connect air, ground and maritime forces.
In the ADF we have actually called that 5th Generation enabled CONOPs. The ultimate goal is that the combat and strike power of a single aircraft is not defined by what it carries itself but by its ability to direct and rely upon its network partners. Even to the point of using other platforms weapons. We have been in the process of developing 5th Gen CONOPS across the ADF informed by the forcing function of 5thGen aircraft and the associated air, maritime and land systems.
In a 5thGen force, C2 systems will be enabled by flying ISR and C2 system, the combination of sensors and Stealth will enable aircraft like the JSF to operate in an Adversaries airspace and allow aircraft to serve as nodes in a dispersed and distributed air battle management system….
One of the things that the critics of the F-35 don’t get is, in all the studies of air combat, the amazing statistic is that 5% of the pilots have taken 95% of the kills. Now, when you do the analysis of those 95% of the kills and what makes the difference with those 5% of pilots, it was their superior situational awareness in all the situations that they faced that made the difference. And the F-35 gives you a massive leap in situational awareness, and that’s the key factor in 5th generation capability. It’s the integrated fused picture.
It’s worth briefly working through the value chain of the F-35. I’ll start in operations and I’ll work my way towards fundamental inputs to capability, and we’ll just have a bit of a look at some areas that we have been working on.
Over the last 10 years I almost get a hoarse voice trying to explain to people why 5th generation capabilities are important in the F-35 and why speed and maneuverability don’t necessarily have the same impact that they previously had.
What is 5th generation?
It’s low observability, it’s a low infrared signature, it’s low electronic emissions, it’s an AESA radar, it’s the data links associated with that, but the most important thing in my mind that the JSF brings is the fused picture – that situational awareness that it actually brings to the operator.
And your level of situational awareness is a combination of all those things. If you look at the difference between an F-35 and a legacy platform, you don’t have to manipulate the sensors. You’ve got a fused picture on the display, you don’t have to have as much communications between the flights; the pilots fundamentally got a lot more brain space to actually look at the tactical situation and go forward.
Now what are the implications for Air Battle Management?
We’re already implemented some of this with the rest of the ADF.
We’re successfully fusing the picture between Wedgetail and the Navy Destroyers and Frigates. One of the great decisions we made with Wedgetail was that on each one of the crews there’s a Navy Air Intercept Controller. We’ve had Mission Commander who’s are Navy Lieutenant Commanders – and our recent experience on exercises and in Iraq and Syria with the Super Hornet and Wedgetail have really shown the power of that integration.
When you look at the F-35 be able to find, fix, track, target, engage and assess. That’s the cycle. The JSF can do that all by itself, but it is far more powerful if you look at the find and fix and you use a lot of the systems we’ve got from Vigilare to JORN to Space Based Systems, to maybe even the Triton and P-8.
They’re all part of that find and fix. And if I was to look at track – Wedgetail, AWD, Growler are all parts of that. The engage – well, that’s the job of Super Hornet, JSF and Growler, and what we aspire to is to have, some integrated fire control with the Royal Australian Navy. That’s all well within the realms of possibilities.
The more nodes you’ve got, the better off it is for the entire system. And what we see is the advantage of the F-35, it does increase the capability of the entire system….
After his presentation, I had a chance to sit down and discuss his presentation and the way ahead for the ADF leveraging the F-35 as a trigger point for change.
In the discussion after his presentation, Air Marshal (Retired) Brown highlighted a number of key points which he believes are central to thinking about the future of airpower.
First, he argued that buying an advanced plane and getting on with it was crucial
“70% of your cost is about maintaining, supporting and modernizing your airplane. Why would you want to do that with a legacy jet when you can buy a fifth gen jet?”
Second, by getting the F-35 into service, the ADF could then look to add what is missing to that jet or to the air system and then look to shed legacy assets.
A case in point is support to the Australian Navy.
“When we have an effective maritime strike weapon onboard the F-35, we will look to retire our Super Hornets, with the exception of the Growler. Flying the Super Hornet has prepared us for F-35 in some key ways, notably in terms of the security requirements necessary to manage data generated by the aircraft.”
Third, the 5thgen approach as characterized by Brown is a shift to working the interconnected force in a different way.
He provided an example with regard to CEC and the Air Warfare destroyer.
“Our Navy has just started deploying our air warfare destroyers but we have already demonstrated CEC interoperability with the US Navy.
“We will put CEC on our Wedgetails to be able to provide weapons quality tracks to our ships, hence enhancing significantly the range for the strike capability of our fleet.
“And as we go forward we will find ways to directly link our F-35s with the fleet as well.
“Our Navy and Army are now focused on fifth generation communciaitons with their platforms as well, which is why having the F-35 in the force can drive change in the strategic direction in which you want to go.
“You fly a legacy asset you cannot drive the kind of change the ADF needs in the near to mid-term.
“It is not an abstract, long-range aspiration or goal.
“As the head of the RAF Lightning force, noted, the future is now.”
Fourth, the change in the overall structure of the ADF and the architecture to guide its development is being driven by a fifth-generation mentality and approach as well.
“Our architecture is not up to speed with what the F-35 can provide.
“We have a great airplane with enormous capability which will continue to evolve but a lot of the supporting infrastructure we’ve got is not designed to get the best out of that airplane.
“And I think that our focus needs to be on getting the rest of the system up to speed.”
Finally, fifth generation warfare training requires a paradigm shift.
“If you want an integrated system, you’ve got to train with an integrated system.
“You can exploit a lot of the capabilities that the F-35 brings to the fight in the live environment but the only place you can do it as a force is in the simulated environment.
“We need to develop fifth gen warfare networked simulation capabilities.
“And you just can’t afford for the simulated environment to be behind the airplane.
“It’s got to be updated at the same rate that the aero plane is being updated.
“Albacete flies a regular Quick Reaction Alert force to provide for Spanish security in the Mediterranean.
“The engagement in the Baltics is in effect a QRA mission further north.”
And earlier this summer the F-22 came to Albacete for the first time as the European Air Forces focus on the impact of fifth generation aircraft and on shaping ways to leverage fifth generation aircraft and to shape a fifth-generation enabled combat force.
In an article published on September 20, 2108, we highlighted the coming of the F-22 to Albacete and its impact.
In that article we provided a translation of an article on the Spanish Air Force website which described the first visit of the F-22 to Albacete in August 2018 and the workup on 5th gen operations with Spanish Eurofighters and F-18s.
121819fade1.05.0
This story was published on August 17, 2018 and was translated by SLD’s Chloe Laird as follows:
August 17th 2018
The F-22 for the First Time in Spain
Yesterday at the Albacete Air Base, there took place an advanced aerial training exercise, consisting of two USAFE Fifth Generation F22s, a couple of Eurofighter planes as well as some F-18s from the Spanish Air Force.
It was a great opportunity to evaluate the capabilities of the Albacete Air Base and of the Tactical leadership Program (TLP).
The exercise demanded the participation of a 5th generation plane (i.e. the F-22s from the USAF).
Exercises of this sort create an excellent opportunity for instruction and training that allows a successful evaluation of the joint capabilities of the planes- in this case, two of North American manufacture and one of European origin.
Each of them was placed in a demanding tactical environment.
The exercise consisted of two independent missions, both of them placed in the assigned flight zone for their specific purpose….
After the initial takeoff of the two Albacete Air Force Eurofighters, they took part of a mission with one of the F-22s.
During the mission, they carried out different combat maneuvers, in light of the different characteristics of the fighter planes.
At the same time, an F-18 from the 12th Wing detached from Torrejón Air Base in order to meet with the second American F22 and carried out a similar mission.
Next the two Eurofighters from the 14th wing, on a mission of aerial police/enforcement, located a trace corresponding to the F-22 and were able to carry out maneuvers of interception for posterior identification.
Before any sort of offensive action from the fighter planes, they carried out defensive maneuvers and of partner/paired coordination in order to maintain the enemy control zone.
Once the work in each sector was completed, each American F-22 reunited with the assigned pair of Spanish Fighters and went on to land at Albacete Air Base.
The next step is now being taken at Amendola Airbase.
In a story published on December 4, 2018 written by Senior Airman Malcolm Mayfield, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, this next step is described as follows:
AMENDOLA AIR BASE, Italy (AFNS) — Above the mountainous landscape of Amendola Air Base, Italy, F-15C Eagle pilots assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron are training side-by-side with NATO allies from Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium in support of Tactical Leadership Programme 18-4.
The month-long program gives participants a chance to see how others get the job done. TLP builds familiarization and strengthens interoperability within NATO through combined training in the classroom and in European airspace.
“Our methods may be different, but the end goal is all the same,” said an Italian Air Force F-35 pilot assigned to the 32nd Stormo. “We share a commitment to maintaining security and enhancing our air readiness within NATO. Training opportunities like TLP allow us to come together and learn from one another, giving us an edge in the future with a deep partnership to lean on.”
During the course, some pilots noticed more similarities than differences in how each country got things done. TLP is designed to bridge the gaps and help form cohesiveness between allies.
“Building partnerships here will make us more effective in the future,” said a 493rd FS flight commander. “There are a lot of similarities to the way we all operate, and exercises like this help us find those similarities and break down any language or cultural barriers that appear.”
The effectiveness cultivated by the training has molded NATO and allied forces’ flight leaders into the mission commanders of today, creating skilled and competent leaders able to tactically and operationally work within the NATO alliance.
“The program condenses the mission planning process and then adds everything that comes with working with our international partners,” said a 493rd FS flight commander. “We are constantly pulled in different directions and you have to learn how to prioritize and work effectively with the whole team.”
TLP is the focal point for NATO’s Allied Air Forces tactical training. The hundreds of NATO mission commanders developed by the program are able to lead coalition force air strike packages, instruct allied flying and non-flying personnel in matters related to tactical composite air operations, and provide tactical air expertise to NATO agencies.
This event marks the first time the course has been held in Italy, from its normal host location at Albacete Air Base, Spain.
And in preparation for TLP 18-4, the Italian Air Force declared its F-35s to be operational.
In an article by David Cenciotti published by The Aviationist on December 1, 2018, the author noted that the Italian Air Force is the first Air Force in Europe to declare IOC for its first 35-A squadron.
On Nov. 30, 2018, during the media day of TLP 18-4 currently underway at Amendola, in southeastern Italy (the first iteration of the course to integrate 4th and 5th Gen. aircraft), the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) declared Initial Operating Capability with the F-35A Lightning II.
ItAF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Alberto Rosso broke the news:
“Today is an important day for the Italian Air force. With the Initial Operational Capability we are the first in Europe to achieve a real operational capability with a 5th generation aircraft: it means we reached the capability with multiple aircraft, we have crews properly trained to operate the platform and a long term maintenance and logistic support”.
Indeed, the IOC certifies that the first Italian unit, the 13° Gruppo (Squadron), belonging to the 32° Stormo (Wing) based at Amendola, is ready for allied operations.
121822fade1.05.0
As Aeronautica Militare put it in an article published on November 21, 2018 about the TLP engagement in Italy:
“The joint participation of fourth and fifth generation aircraft provides a unique opportunity not only to facilitate standardization of the tactics, techniques and procedures of operating both generation of aircraft, but above all to exercise interoperability between the different generations or the the ability of each system to cooperate, exchange or use information or services produced by the different fighters.
“The F-35 with is capabilities provide an incredible force multiplier and provides technologies which are able to enhance the relevance or capabilities of the other systems currently available in the armed forces.”2
The first slideshow above highlights the 48th Fighter Wing’s participation in the TLP training at Amendola Air base. And that engagement was described in a story published on November 23, 2018 by Senior Airman Malcolm Mayfield .
F-15C Eagles assigned to the 493rd Fighter Squadron are continuously training at Amendola Air Base, Italy, and every sortie puts a toll on the aircraft. The constant dedication and skillful attention of the 493rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit keeps the Eagles in top form for the NATO Tactical Leadership Programme 18-4.
TLP is designed to help pilots develop tactical air expertise and leadership skills, but as a bi-product it gives maintainers a chance to use ingenuity and innovation to provide first-class support hundreds of miles away from their home station.
“Anytime we’re on the road, our job, maintenance wise, is to provide safe and reliable jets for the pilots to accomplish their mission, which here is joint training between some of our allies to develop a NATO mission commander,” said the 493rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit Officer in-charge. “Every new location presents a different challenge in how we get the job done, but the end goal for providing a safe jet for a pilot never changes. What does change is the environment in which we operate in.”
Within the year, the 493rd AMU has supported the fighter squadron on multiple trips to different countries including Iceland and Morocco. Each trip enhances the capabilities of the Airmen who participated, a fact that is clearly visible in their work ethic at TLP 18-4.
“Every TDY you go on is different, and it can be hard to start off,” said a dedicated crew chief assigned to the 493rd AMU. “It could be not having the parts we need on hand, or not knowing how the base operates to get the support we need. Over time you figure out how to acquire some of that on site, what to bring along yourself and how to solve a problem before it becomes one.”
The second slideshow above shows the various units involved on the Italian side during the TLP event.
These photos were provided by the Italian Air Force and can be found here.
The RAAF F-35s on on their way to Williamtown and thereby opening the F-35 Aussie fleet operations in-country.
As the Aussies work out their sustainment approach on the various airbases where the F-35s will operate in normal times as well as crisis times, the F-35 partners of Australia have a significant strategic opportunity — namely, to learn how to do sustained engagement operations working with the RAAF in supporting regional deterrence operations.
The Aussies are standing up a significant support structure in Australia for regional support. As they do so, allies such as the US and Japan can shape an approach to what I would call sustained engagement. With crises to come in which the F-35s will play a key role, the Australians can provide operating locations for allies, without having to base those allies on a long term basis.
This allows Australia its sovereignty but also allows allies like the United States and Japan to gain operational depth which will be crucial for deterrence in the region.
Because they are flying virtually the same aircraft, stockpiling parts and leveraging an expanded sustainment base with the Australian maintainers leading the way for the USAF to move to a new approach to operations which does not require them to operate like Fed Ex flying in resources to then stand up support in a crisis.
The USAF or the Japanese could fly to Australia and be supported by Australian based supplies and maintainers supplemented by Japanese and US maintainers and could operate rapidly in a crisis, rather than engaging in a significant airlift and tanking support set of missions to stand up aircraft in Australia on a case by case basis.
It is not about just showing up; it is about being able to do sustained engagement with a very light expeditionary support structure to establish and operate from a solid operational footprint.
An allied approach towards sustained engagement when married with Aussie rethinking about how to use their geography as well as base mobility creativity would significantly enhance deterrence and operational flexibility in a crisis.
Recently, the Australian National Audit Office provided a look at the current RAAF sustainment approach and gave it a thumbs up but cautioned with regard to the global sustainment piece.
It might make a lot of sense for Australia’s allies to embrace the opportunity to make the global sustainment piece a core strategic effort both for Australia’s requirements but shaping a 21st century approach to deterrence as well.
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has released a report into the ADF’s plans to sustain the RAAF’s fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters.
The audit was commissioned to examine the ADF’s preparations for the F-35A’s introduction to service in light of the imminent arrival and the significant delays and cost increases the program has been through during its development.
Released just five days before the planned official welcome of the first two of 72 F-35As to Australia, the audit report is a generally favourable one, but highlights that some of the sustainment costs of the program remain unknown.
The report summary says the audit criteria were; “Defence has established effective strategic planning and project governance arrangements; and Defence has undertaken effective planning, is achieving progress against relevant plans and effective risk management is occurring for selected capabilities.”
The executive summary states that, “Defence’s preparations to date for the introduction and sustainment of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft into Australian service have been effective with the exception of arrangements for sustainment of JSF aircraft under the Global Support Solution,” with the caveat being, “JSF sustainment cannot be fully costed until the Global Support Solution further matures.”
That maturity is not expected to be realised until after 2020 when the global fleet has achieved a steadier state of commonality and more operators – including Australia – have achieved an initial operational capability (IOC), and the global supply chain has spun up to support higher production volumes.
“Defence has established effective strategic and project governance arrangements to date for the introduction of the JSF into Australian service and its sustainment,” the report adds.
“These arrangements include: plans addressing the transition from the Classic Hornets to the JSF; sustainment arrangements; infrastructure requirements; workforce planning and training; project governance arrangements and procedures for regular engagement with the international JSF Program; and procedures for regular monitoring and reporting on risk, cost and schedule to governance bodies, senior Defence leaders and Defence Ministers.”
For sustainment, the report adds, “Defence is monitoring and managing risks to effective sustainment of the JSF arising from the Global Support Solution including — the availability of spare parts, the development of the Autonomic Logistics Information System, and access to maintenance facilities.
“Defence is constrained in its ability to effectively manage some risks, including access to JSF spare parts due to limited global supply. Not all of the costs associated with Australia becoming a regional hub for JSF aircraft maintenance and warehousing were known by Defence when the project was approved in 2014. This is adding cost pressures to the project.”
With the fiftieth anniversary of “May ’68” this year, many activist groups in France tried last spring to recreate it.
It did not happen then, but a new effort has been launched in the past couple of months to make it happen, although the motivations, conditions and state of the country are rather different today than it was fifty years ago when economic growth was in the background.
France, and Europe as a whole, are indeed facing today a more explosive situation.
The unprecedented violence which burst out in parts of Paris and several cities in the French country last Saturday has stunned many foreign observers. Many non-French analysts simply take the easy road out — they blame such a phenomenon on the fact that revolutions and rioting are a deeply-rooted French tradition.
If there is some historic truth to this because of the well-known 1789 revolution and “May 1968,” the right to peacefully demonstrate is as embedded in the French culture as the right to carry a gun in America.
But the government and the population are not only used to it, but are pretty well organized to cope with it.
What is currently happening in France has a different spin to it and is forcing the Macron government to review a homeland security approach, which has often been criticized as not adapted to the evolving domestic threats over the past three decades.
This is not business as usual as France faces the challenges posed by “urban guerrillas” whose actions and impacts are not limited to France.
November 2018: The “Perfect Storm”
What initially emerged as a spontaneous grassroots facebook rally for a protest against rising fuel taxes – hence the symbolic wearing and appellation by the demonstrators of “Gilets jaunes” (GJ), i.e. the high-visibility (yellow) jackets any French citizen must have in his car and wear by law in case of a breakdown – started with a first series of actions ranging from protests to road blocking on November 17th.
Close to 288 000 people gathered in about 2000 sites across France and caused already that day one casualty and more than 400 wounded due mostly to traffic accidents.
By evening thugs joined the party like they often have done in the past to take advantage of the lack of order to steal, break and set cars on fire.
As of today, after three weeks of protests, the Ministry of Interior figures amount to about 800 wounded and four deaths (none linked to police and rioters direct confrontations, which is a miracle) and is extremely worried about the announced “Act IV” planned on Saturday.
Time as a factor to solve the crisis has been critical as the ownership of the movement by various groups with very diverse agendas has been continuously spreading making it hard to get a grip on as there is no single epicenter of protest and focus.
One can at this point distinguish four types of players in the uprising
First, there are the classic thugs.
These are individuals and groups who are violent and determined to use the chaos to steal and destroy.
They were rather present last Saturday in Paris, some of them coming from the suburbs. They are expected in larger numbers tomorrow.
Second is the political opposition, which sees a combination of the ultraright and the ultraleft.
The more moderate Republican and Socialist Parties are involved as well, but have not encouraged violence.
All of these political parties see however an opportunity to carry their own agenda at the eve of the next European elections, because the movement initially was one which had 80% support of the population. It is still supported but the public opinion has become increasingly worried about the way things haves pinned out of control in many parts of France.
Third, there is the internal radicalization of the movement itself, in which the older generation leadership is being replaced by younger more violent protesters.
Some of the initially calm protesters turned astonishingly violent last week-end due to the knock-on effect of the ignition of confrontation by ultras (left and right), Black Blocs, anarchists and “zadistes” (i.e. militant occupation by anticapitalist squatters of a site to oppose a development project: Initially ‘deferred development area’ (zones d’aménagement différé), ZADs have become ‘zones to defend ‘(zones à defendre) );
Even more troubling, there is also a potential for an internationalization of the movement beyond – and in part because of – its infiltration by international groups.
There is already a contagious impact on some European neighbors (mainly Belgium so far).
Next there is the meddling by foreign actors seeking to put oil on the fire (e.g. Russian Channel Rossiya 1’s newsshow « Vesti » anchorman Dmitri Kisselev accusing the United States to be behind a “revolution” to fight the emergence of a European Army 3
Finally, there is the growing insertion of the migration debate – with its obvious domestic implications -as President Macron is supposed to sign what is referred to as the « UN Marrackech Pact » during next week’s “Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration” 4
Moving from Managing Protests to Homeland Peacekeeping
What this leads to is the demand for the Macron government to deal with what one might call “homeland peacekeeping.”
President Macron now faces a major political crisis, fueled by three key dynamics.
First, the social anger and the now endless list of political demands is the result of decades of benign neglect by past governments on multiple issues (including the growing daily violence encountered in some suburbs against anyone wearing a uniform, such as the firefighters).
Second, as in other Western democracies, the French society is fractured in part because of the impact of the new media and its impact on social cohesion.
Third, Emmanuel Macron and his new party were elected by rejecting the old establishment and on the promise to reform the old political system.
But by getting rid of the traditional intermediaries between the government and the people (i.e. political parties, trade unions, etc.), President Macron is now held personally responsible for all the misery the “GJ” are denouncing and has no buffer, nor legitimate obvious interlocutor, to negotiate with.
There is as well a short-term and long-term key set of issues the French government is facing right now that has to do with the evolution of the use of security forces on the national territory in order to counter unprecedented attacks and violence lead by urban guerrilla professionals.
If one wants to see them in action, last spring’s confrontation during the evacuation of the Zadistes occupying Notre-Dame-des-Landes is the perfect illustration of the preparedness of some of them: use of fire and acid, barricades filled with gas containers, use of drones.5
The lessons learned are there on both sides, except that in the current events, the context is very different and the French security forces – composed of police, gendarmerie as well as forces depending on the Paris Prefecture – could not till now use the same means – such as armored vehicles – given the fear of escalation. This has changed and these vehicles will be deployed tomorrow.
Criticized for his bad assessment and management of Saturday’s events, the Minister of Interior, Christophe Castainer, who just took office last October, testified earlier this week at the National Assembly and recently pointed out the following:
There were 67 000 security forces (75 000 including administrative staffs) mobilized this week-end all over French territory and many bad things were prevented from occurring – like deaths and the burning of some buildings in Paris and in the country. As a result, tomorrow protecting the capital from more planned violence will mobilize 8000 security forces (the double of last week-end) to reach 89 000 total in France.
In Paris, the Champs Elysées have always been forbidden for demonstrations because it is very hard to control with 24 access points and 12 avenues leading to the Etoile platform, where most of the violence occurred. It was allowed this time as a gesture of openness and the security was to be performed according to traditional peaceful meetings’ “fan zones,” in which people must open their bag for weapon’s check.
What happened unfortunately is that, first of all, the need to protect official buildings and national symbols (i.e. the Elysée for instance) froze part of the manpower necessary to block the most violent attacks.
Some in the Police have been suggesting using the military for that kind of “static” mission, as it is done routinely because of terrorist threats.
However, the risk of a military response against its own ‘People” in case of attacks raise another complicated legal and constitutional challenge in France, without mentioning the last resort option of a Martial Law.
Also, diversion tactics were quickly used by violent groups, which kept the security forces so busy protecting lives and defending shops and buildings, that very few peaceful protesters could demonstrate, while the Arch of Triumph was literally “taken” back and forth – and vandalism took place in various parts of the city.
Lessons Learned and Shaping a Way Ahead to Deal with Urban Guerrillas with a Long Reach
There are a number of initial lessons learned and recommendations being discussed by the government.
First, the security forces need a new employment doctrine allowing them to favor mobility and contact and a more offensive posture over their traditional static defensive tactics keeping the rioters at bay.
Second, the means or tools available to the security forces must be revised, as the latter suffered from a major decrease in personnel since 2008, but then, were asked to quickly train new people after the 2015 Bataclan terrorist attacks, without enough human resources, infrastructure and equipment.
The end result has been in the past couple of years an accelerated course of training, with lack of or aging equipment not adapted to today’s difficulties (thugs and ultras are extremely mobile, which is one of the reasons they were not arrested along with the less accustomed rioters in the past weeks).
One has to recall the weight of the gear have to wear as well as the shield’s to realize how difficult maintaining order under heavy pressure is nowadays, with video phones everywhere.
Third, there is a clear need to re-balance priorities within the Police between daily proximity police and law and order and quasi “peacekeeping” missions.
Finally, there is a need for a re-balancing in intelligence gathering essentially focused on anti-terrorism in the past years and not enough on the general evolution of the society, in which “digitalization” has made it harder to connect with the way it could be done in the past.6
These are all issues discussed in the past, but they were never considered priorities till now.
Clearly, the challenge of dealing with this kind of upheaval requires new measures along these lines but there need to be other changes in a “whole of government approach,” notably with regard to judiciary and imprisonment reforms as well in which these tools become more effective.
Editor’s Note: Murielle Delaporte is focusing on the French upheaval but the broader question is the fragmentation within Europe and its foreign, defense and security impact.
From this standpoint, what happens in France will have a broader impact than simply within France itself.
We are entering a period when domestic dynamics are clearly reshaping foreign, security and defense agendas and will require reworking how we assess foreign, security and defense policy in the period ahead, as globalization yields to domestic dynamics and their cross cutting cleavages and linkages.
And as we have argued earlier, greater clusterzation among like minded states to deal with common domestic challenges and to shape foreign, security and defense relationships accordingly.
