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.
2017-04-24 According to a piece published on April 24, 2017 by defenceWeb, the UN plans to cut its air logistics spend.
Moving assets by air is by far the fastest way to get them where needed but it is expensive as evidenced by UN figures which show the world body spent close on $750 million from 2015 to 2016 on flights.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the use of aircraft provided essential logistics and military enabling capabilities but their “significant cost implications” means more cost effective solutions have to be found.
The instruction to heads of field missions from Secretary-General António Guterres is to “systematically analyse and adjust the composition of their air fleets and to seek alternative solutions to be more cost effective”.
The world body currently deploys 58 fixed wing and 157 rotary-winged aircraft in 12 peacekeeping missions and six special political missions.
Immediate changes including reducing fleets, limiting passenger movement to essential needs and cutting the number of non-mission passengers travelling on UN flights. A reduction in the number of “special flights”, for which no further detail is provided, is also recommended.
The cost reduction effort on flights will be led by the UN Department of Field Support, responsible for logistical support to the departments of Peacekeeping and Political Affairs.
The change in flight policy is part of the UN Secretariat’s “ongoing review of costs and the use of resources provided by member states”.
South Africa is a member state and has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the world body that sees it currently supplying eight helicopters to MONUSCO, the single largest UN peacekeeping mission. Three of these are South African designed and manufactured Rooivalk combat support helicopters which have earned high praise while in service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and five Oryx medium transport helicopters.
Republished with permission of our partner defenceWeb,
I first met Air Commodore Chipman when he was leading the initial Plan Jericho movement.
He now has become Director General of Capability Planning in the RAAF and is now faced with the challenge of infusing the forward thinking represented by Plan Jericho into actual capabilities.
And doing so clearly is about shaping the evolving force into a more integrated direction.
Plan Jericho is a compass not a road map; but now is working the challenge of shaping programs to move down the direction where the compass is providing some guidance.
And it is clearly not easy.
Notably, with the RAAF introducing new platforms across the board, weaving those into a comprehensive capability, let alone an integrated one, is very challenging.
Slide from Presentation by Air Commodore Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar, April 11, 2017
In his remarks to the Williams Foundation seminar on force integration, he underscored the importance of generating key thrusts within force development that allow movement in the right direction.
In my interview with him, he underscored that one of the problems is clearly ensuring platforms stay on track, such as the F-35 transition effort which is under his office’s responsibility.
His office also has responsibility for the missile defense program discussed at Williams.
He highlighted that the challenge of generating a future direction comes into conflict with program management.
“The biggest danger, is that as things crop up, and one particular project has a crisis, a financial crisis or something that jeopardizes what government has approved you to achieve, then you get focused in on solving that problem at the expense of thinking more broadly about our strategic direction.”
He sees a key ahead as shaping a community of 21st century operators who have a shared perspective on shaping joint effects as the strategic direction.
Effective joint force design is essential, but it won’t deliver an effective joint force in the absence of greater collaboration in the operational community.
He saw the Air Warfare Centre and its service counterparts as a key locus where shaping such a community of thinking and interest in shaping a way ahead for building a joint force.
Slide from Presentation by Air Commodore Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar, April 11, 2017
“I don’t own the Air Warfare Center, but I think what I can do is start to influence the goals that we set for the Air Warfare Center so that we start to drive the kind of collaboration we need to integrate Air Force, and the Australian Defence Force.”
And clearly there needs to be practical cases or thrusts within program development which can provide the push necessary for greater program design for integration.
“We need to have broad enough of a perspective so that we can drive programs towards joint outcomes.
“For example, it will be crucial to bring E-7, with F-35 and air warfare destroyers into a common decision making space so that we can realise built in capabilities for integrated air and missile defense.”
“And that needs to be informed by shaping a common perspective with the USN and USAF as well.
“Let’s take integrated air missile defense as an example, because the project part of that at the moment within Air Force is Air 6500, a project that I’m responsible for.
“We’ve received strategic guidance that we should be interoperable with the U.S. in their Pacific theater.
“We need to put a little bit more definition to that. What is our vision for a theater air missile defense system between Australia and the U.S.?
“We need to integrate our platforms with a clear view of how to maximize our working relationship with the USN and USAF as a key driver for change as well.”
Air Commodore Robert Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar on Force Integration, April 11, 2017
He emphasized the need in effect for practical steps forward at the tactical levels as key drivers for change as well.
“The force is clearly innovating tactically and we need that innovation to be informing ways to reshape integrated capabilities going forward.”
For example, the RAAF is looking at a new UAV to add to the force, and the Air Commodore saw that as best done by shaping and leveraging the creation of the ISR hub at RAAF Edinburgh.
And any new UAV should emerge from the integrated P-8/Triton efforts from that hub.
“Our new platforms need to plug into a common organization that is thinking broadly about the mission rather than simply buying a new UAV and handing it to the common organization.
“Platform acquisition in future clearly will need to be informed by integrative innovations and the 21st century network of warfighters, as you put it.”
And the RAAF needs to find ways to prepare and promote disruptive change.
In part that will be done by shaping a community, which has confidence in its ability to promote change and work towards a joint effect from any acquisitions going forward.
“Predicting the future accurately is hard. What we need is to develop confidence in our ability to adapt quickly as the future changes and evolves in front of us and to be able to respond to those changes.
“It is about creating organizational capacity and confidence to be able to respond to an evolving future.”
The Jericho project team is now working on ways for the RAAF to understand and anticipate disruptive change.
They are focusing on a concept called disruptive thinking. We are working with the private sector and with academia to find pockets of excellence able to come up with new ideas and new ways of using fielded technology to help with defense’s mission.”
He articulated where he would like the RAAF to be able to position itself in the future.
“I would love to see Air Force become earlier adopters of technology. I think at the moment we wait until technology is too mature before we bring it into service.
“We live in a region where competitors are clearly innovating rapidly.
“If we’re able to bring ourselves forward on that technology acceptance curve, I believe that would be a really good outcome for us.”
On board the U.S.S. San Diego all briefings are complete and mission execution is all that remains.
Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) gather their steroid induced rucks and pack into the tight confines of the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). 3 crew, weapons, support equipment and up to 21 Marines in each AAV. It is tight quarters among team.
The smell of diesel fills the air, the clang of metal on metal and slapping of water on the well deck speaks “go time.”
On cue, the ramp, and all hatches of the AAV close tightly and the vehicle is readied for launch.
Launch? Yes, launch into the deep blue sea off the back of the San Diego with as much grace as 29 tons on tracks can muster.
Any apprehension (and there must be some) is masked by focus on the mission at hand.
We are United States Marines, and this is what we do.
This is the defining mission set for Marines. Amphibious Assault. This forcible entry from the sea recalls revered Marine battles of the past; Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Okinawa – fought in conditions we cannot know.
Marines immortalized, their qualities of valor and determination to fight through to the finish now awakened in the hearts of this generation of US Marines.
96419random1.05.0
Today’s mission; Gain a beachhead, assault and secure a village with a mixed hostile/civilian population, capture a high value target and secure intelligence.
Location; Red Beach, Camp Pendleton, CA.
The exercise is the culmination of PMINT (PHIBRON – MEU INTegration). The PHIBRON (AmPHIBious SquadRON) consists of the U.S.S. America (LHA-6), U.S.S. San Diego (LPD-22) and U.S.S. Pearl Harbor (LSD- 52), otherwise known as the “America Amphibious Ready Group” (ARG).
The 15th MEU is about 4 months deep in their 6 months of deployment workups.
Previous phases of the workups focused on individual skills followed by unit skills and included exercises such as Realistic Urban Training (RUT) (see previous articles on the 15th MEUs workups Part One & Part Two). PMINT is the stage when the ARG/MEU force integrates as a cohesive team, US Marines and US Navy.
Lt. Col Richard Alvarez, Executive Officer of the 15th MEU explained, “the most challenging thing we do is integrating all the assets, making them work as a team.
Leaving the ship, coming to shore.”
The amphibious assault represents the culmination of PMINT and the transition to the final two months of workups before the ARG/MEU deployment this summer.
The U.S.S. San Diego draws relatively close to shore and the ramp at the rear of the well deck draws down.
Go time.
One after another the AAVs “launch,” almost disappearing in the water before bobbing up to “float height.” Even still, they sit deep in the water ensuring a low profile if targeted. Two waves, one of 5 the other of 6 AAVs are formed. Quick math, and it is clear, hundreds of Marines are incoming.
Overhead the 15th MEUs Aviation Combat Element (ACE) is represented by VMM-161 UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters.
The Venom drops its nose making simulated rocket runs on… us. The Vipers gun turret swivels from side to side – pointing at… us. If the battlefield were real, the outcome of those looks – the last record in your memory bank.
It is tempting to jump to the conclusion that a battlefield scenario would include a massive Naval bombardment and airpower strikes – but it is not that simple.
The operational situation would define support levels.
On the table, everything from that Naval bombardment and fierce air attack to soften up the shore – to a stealthy approach in the dead of night.
The full extent of the ACE (not utilized in this specific exercise) provides even more options such as; distributed assault utilizing MV-22Bs where hundreds of Marines can land hundreds of miles inland and CH-53E Super Stallions can sling support equipment to positions of tactical advantage.
As the exercise progresses we see those very MV-22Bs and CH-53Es land in an adjacent area down the beach from the village.
The amphibious assault is just one of 13 mission sets the MEU is “certified” to execute during their deployment.
The forward deployed, rapid responding, broadly capable ARG/MEU provide the combatant commander with incredible flexibility and capability.
Even if not mission utilized, their mere presence offshore sends a strong message of deterrence.
The AAVs approach the shore and move quickly from the waves, to the beach and on to predefined positions flanking the village. Within moments Marines burst from the confines of the AAVs and move forward with purpose under their own notional covering fire. This assault quickly becomes Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT), it is dangerous and dynamic.
Marines must carefully assess surroundings, dynamic threats, and make life and death decisions in an instant.
Around any corner, in any number of buildings the Marines confront notional combatants both in uniform and civilian clothing utilizing a variety of weapons. In cases hostiles “play dead” only to open fire as Marines close, or use civilians as human shields.
Throughout the exercise trainers identify issues real time and miss steps or misfortune generate notional Marine injuries that subsequently require team support, medical attention and evacuation.
With the battle raging in the heart of the village “High Speed, Heavy Lifting” Assault Hovercraft -(officially “Landing Craft Air Cushion” vehicles (LCAC)) glide ashore to unload numerous Light Armored Vehicles (LAVs) and High Mobility Multi Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs – generally known as Humvees).
Soon, the village is teaming with Marines. AAVs, LAVS, HMMWVs with devastating firepower create a perimeter around the village to defend from counter attack.
Alvarez emphasized that this specific training event mimicked real world scenario, “it puts Marines in a place where they must differentiate and make decisions.”
The workup period is high tempo and relentless. Repeated exposure to intense “real world scenarios” discipline Marines physical and mental skills to respond like muscle memory when on mission.
With PMINT behind them, the final two months of workups remain.
1st Lt. Maida Zheng, Public Affairs Officer of the 15th MEU indicated the next stages as the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) where the ARG/MEU will exercise assigned mission essential tasks ensuring they are fully prepared for the Certification Exercise (CERTEX).
Upon successful completion of CERTEX, the 15th MEU will be officially certified for their Western Pacific (WESTPAC) / Central Command (CENTCOM) deployment with the America ARG.
Regardless where the ARG/MEU sails and what crises (if any) they are called to confront, Americans can be certain the Marines of the 15th MEU are well prepared and will get the job done.
Second Line of Defense expresses gratitude to; Lt. Col Richard Alvarez, Executive Officer of the 15thMEU; 1st Lt. Maida Zheng, Public Affairs Officer, 15th MEU; BLT 1/5 and the entire 15th MEU; the support team from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and the U.S.S. America ARG.
Todd Miller focused on the workup and the assets used in the workup, but the evolution of the ARG-MEU which is already underway will see a sea change in capability as new aviation assets are added to the MEU.
As Miller explains:
Given assets and training the MEU is more capable than it has ever been.
Yet the Marines are not standing still, they have a host of new capabilities and assets being adopted or incoming that will bring increased capability and lethality.
LHA America Class of Amphibious Assault Ships; This 2017 deployment with the 15th MEU is the first deployment for the U.S.S. America (LHA-6). This new class of amphibious assault ship replaces the well deck with substantially more space and resources for supporting Marine Aviation operations.
Lt. Col Richard Alvarez, Executive Officer of the 15th MEU explained that “there is no downside impact on the MEU, all the required amphibious assets are located on the U.S.S. San Diego (LPD-22) and U.S.S. Pearl Harbor (LSD- 52).
The upside is the potential to carry more MV-22Bs, CH-53Es, AH-1Zs, UH-1Ys and fixed wing assets, AV-8Bs or in near future, F-35Bs.”
The aviation centric model will provide the ability for “aviation driven amphibious assaults, or military operations” that can take place hundreds of miles inland.
An ideal capability to; Insert; execute missions against terrorist or high value targets; and exfiltrate.
F-35B; The capabilities of the F-35B represent a quantum leap in fixed wing capability for the US Marines.
F-35Bs supporting the MEU replace three airframes (EA-6B, F/A-18 & AV-8) and bring the capabilities within the ARG/MEU.
CH-53K; The King Stallion recently realized Milestone C and is approved for low rate initial production (LRIP).
The King Stallion provides up to 3 times the lifting capacity as well as a larger cabin to carry specific loads internally and scores of additional enhancements.
The capabilities open significant operational options moving Marines, artillery and/or equipment from ship to shore.
AAV-SU; The Amphibious Attack Vehicle Survivability Upgrade is underway and provides increased survivability against IEDs, as well as numerous additional upgrades.
RQ-21A; The RQ–21A Blackjack is a small tactical unmanned aircraft system (STUAS) that meets the requirements of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps (USMC).
The RQ-21As standard payload includes an electro-optic imager, mid-wave infrared imager, laser rangefinder, infrared (IR) marker, and automatic identification system (AIS) receivers. Additional payloads are available. *
MAGTF Digital Interoperability (DI); DI positions every platform a sensor, shooter, electronic warfare node and sharer, able to move information throughout the spectrum across the battlefield at light speed. All marine aircraft will be digitally linked with MAGTF and ship C2 across multiple waveforms.*
MAGTF Electronic Warfare (EW); Each platform carries EW payloads to provide persistent, organic and distributed EW & cyber capabilities (such as the Intrepid Tiger II precision EW pod). *
WASHINGTON: America cannot apply Buy America provisions on a widescale basis and buy the best weapons, no matter how much President Trump and his team may feel otherwise.
It’s a simple as that.
All the competitors for the Air Force’s next-generation trainer, the T-X, include enormous amounts of foreign content, some including the aircraft. The biggest weapon system built for the US military, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, includes enormous amounts of foreign content.
The F-35’s complex wiring bundles are done by a Dutch company. An Australian company builds vertical tailpieces. BAE, a British and American company, builds major portions of the plane.
Check out the graphic below by BAE Systems to see what they do. There’s even a Memorandum of Understanding between Australia, Denmark, Italy, Holland, Norway, Turkey, the UK and the U.S.A about the production, sustainment, and follow-on development of the F-35 that guarantees certain rights to the program’s original partner countries.
ANALYSIS
As those examples make clear, the world is really too interconnected to put America First in defense trade without harming American interests. American defense supply chains are inextricably tied to Europe, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
I don’t mention Canada because it is legally part of the US defense industrial base and is not subject to regulation. It was missed by many, but the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act added Australia and Britain to the US industrial base, so their companies also would not be subject to whatever the review finds.
One source familiar with the issue says Britain and Australia were added to fend off the worst effects of a Buy America crackdown that was already being discussed.
The global nature of America’s defense industrial base is the bedrock on which President Trump’s move to consider applying Buy America provisions to the Defense Department will probably crack. The Executive Order, signed Tuesday in a lackluster ceremony in Wisconsin, decrees a 150-day review requiring agencies asses how well they follow Buy American laws and decide whether they are issuing too many waivers.
Australias first F-35A Lightning II aircraft 01 and 02 on transit to the Australian International Airshow in Avalon. The Australian Defence Force is proud to be part of the 2017 Australian International Airshow, with displays showcasing the latest military aviation assets and technology.
Also, the Commerce Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative will consider the World Trade Organization Agreement and related documents to decide if they are cramping our ability to Buy American.
Here’s the only mention of defense in the EO: “In order to promote economic and national security and to help stimulate economic growth, create good jobs at decent wages, strengthen our middle class, and support the American manufacturing and defense industrial bases, (emphasis added) it shall be the policy of the executive branch to maximize, consistent with law, through terms and conditions of Federal financial assistance awards and Federal procurements, the use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States.”
Rep. Duncan Hunter’s father tried to push Buy America provisions when he presided over his first National Defense Authorization Act.
It was a bad idea then, agreed everyone from Sen. John Warner, then chairman of the Senate Armed Services, to a senator named John McCain, the powerful Aerospace Industries Association, and a host of analysts and other lawmakers.
I know because I covered that debate.
Hunter and his few legislative allies lost that fight, utterly and completely — outmaneuvered and out-argued and, well, just out-thought.
A fellow named John Hamre, then Deputy Defense Secretary and now head of the hefty Center for Strategic and International Studies, commissioned a Defense Science Board study on globalization published in December 1999 that everyone involved in this debate needs to read as a primer.
The estimable Don Hicks, former Defense Undersecretary for research and engineering, wrote the report, with much help from international defense consultant Frank Cevasco and a host of others, including gentlemen named Ash Carter, Frank Kendall and Bill Schneider (who had the unique perspective of having served at the State Department and on the Defense Trade Advisory Group, of which he is still a member).
The most basic tenet of the DSB report:
“DoD once depended upon, and could afford to sustain, a dedicated domestic industrial base for the development, production and provision of its equipment and services. Today, the ‘U.S. defense industrial base’ no longer exists in its Cold War form. Instead, DoD now is supported by a broader, less defense-intensive industrial base that is becoming increasingly international in character.” That has only accelerated, as Carter made clear by creation of the DiUX network, the Rapid Capabilities Office and other innovation initiatives he championed while SecDef.
“The complex and often politically motivated statutes underlying the FAR and DFARS often restrict DoD’s ability to purchase some foreign products or products containing certain foreign material. Many of these (Buy America) statutes were be designed to protect the U.S. defense industrial base and U.S. suppliers of certain commodities from foreign competition.” (Our shipbuilding industry is a particularly intriguing example, I note.)
The report notes the persistence of Buy America pressure and makes clear the authors think such restrictions were something to be overcome, not embraced: “Attempts to increase DoD’s waiver authority have received limited political support because of the powerful constituencies represented in the governing statutes. On the positive side, however, most defense trading partners, including most NATO countries and selected others, have reciprocal procurement agreements with the U.S. Government that result in a waiver of the Buy American Act of 1933. The United States has such agreements with 21 countries and is in various stages of negotiations with several others, including some of the new NATO partners.”
If anything, the trends identified in the 1999 globalization report have only accelerated. Trying to redirect the flow of technology, capital and innovation is only likely to slow things down, add costs, deny us crucial technology and, perhaps most importantly, really irritate our close allies.
Editor’s Note: This is an element of the turning point facing President Trump.
Either he wishes to invest in legacy systems or accelerates buying the new platforms and transforming the force into a truly world class high intensity fighting force.
And to do that Buy America poses barriers which simply make no sense and will add unnecessary costs to a force already having difficulties to accelerate transformation.
And indeed our closest allies are working with an operating the SAME new platforms which we are and we are in the process of learning together how to operate those systems in a fundamental defense transformation process.
And already we have dragged our feet because of past failures to grasp what foreign technologies even Americanized can deliver.
Why are the Aussies operating advanced battle management systems and tankers and we are not?
Why do the Brits deliver an advanced closed proximity weapon in combat systems which is the weapon of choice in the battles in the Middle East (Advanced Brimstone) and we do not?
Protectionism does not make sense in the face of allied global supply chains and cross learning.
We need to get on with accelerated modernization and not wallow in the past.
Indeed, instead of protecting military depots for a 20th Century military, we need to get on with 21st century global sustainment systems.
Buy American or lead global military transformation for a cutting edge US military.
2017-04-22 The MOD has negotiated a new £1.4 billion contract for the Royal Navy’s new attack submarine, the sixth in a total fleet of seven, which will protect the UK’s new aircraft carriers and nuclear deterrent.
The submarine, named Agamemnon, is part of the Astute Class, the largest, most advanced and most powerful attack submarines ever to enter service with the Royal Navy. The submarines are being built by BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, which employs around 8,000 people in its Submarines business, with thousands more working in the UK submarine supply chain.
The new contract guarantees a better deal for the UK taxpayer and for the Armed Forces, with an incentivised contract arrangement that will help to save money and demands the best possible work from industry.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
“This latest investment means we are well on our way to completing our fleet of Astute submarines. These are the most advanced submarines ever operated by the Royal Navy and are already providing unprecedented levels of stealth and attack capability across the world.”
“Backed by a rising defence budget and a £178 billion equipment plan, Barrow will remain the hub of our submarine build programmes providing high skilled jobs for years to come.”
Construction of the 7,400 tonne, 97-metre long Agamemnon began in 2012, and is well underway in the Devonshire Dock Hall at Barrow, alongside Boat 5 – Anson – and the yet-to-be-named Boat 7. Their sister submarines, HMS Astute, Ambush and Artful are already in service with the Royal Navy, contributing to operations around the globe.
Rear Admiral Paul Methven, Director Submarines Acquisition for the Submarine Delivery Agency, said:
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon with BAE Systems apprentices inside Devonshire Dock Hall where HMS Agamemnon is under construction. Picture: Michael Vallance, BAE Systems.
“The signature of this contract secures another world-class nuclear submarine for the Royal Navy. These are the most technologically advanced submarines we have ever operated, offering much greater firepower, better communications and more advanced stealth technology than their predecessors.
“Today marks another significant milestone for the Astute programme, that demonstrates the UK’s ability to deliver complex engineering projects, providing a fleet of submarines which will protect the UK’s interests around the globe.”
Featuring the latest nuclear-powered technology, the Astute Class submarines can circumnavigate the world submerged, manufacturing the crew’s oxygen from seawater as they go. They also have the ability to operate covertly and remain undetected in almost all circumstances despite being 50 per cent bigger than the Royal Navy’s current Trafalgar Class submarines which are being replaced by the Astute Class.
Will Blamey, Managing Director of BAE Systems Submarines, said:
“Securing the contract for the sixth Astute class submarine is a significant milestone for BAE Systems and the result of many years of hard work by our highly skilled workforce. The Astute class submarines are amongst the most highly capable and technologically advanced in the world and we’re immensely proud to build them for the Royal Navy.”
Alongside work on the Astute Class, BAE Systems is also the industrial lead for the Dreadnought programme, the Royal Navy’s next generation of nuclear deterrent submarines.
In an article published on the UK MoD website, and published on April 21, 2017:
Around 60 Royal Navy and Royal Marines are currently taking part in a five-month French naval deployment to the Indian Ocean and Far East, aboard French assault ship FS Mistral.
The arrival of UK maritime personnel in Ho Chi Minh City further strengthens the UK’s Defence relationship with Vietnam, and while docked, UK sailors and marines, alongside French colleagues, will meet with personnel from the Vietnam People’s Navy to compare national maritime operating procedures and exchange experiences.
Two Royal Navy Merlin Mk3 helicopters are also embarked with France’s annual Jeanne d’Arc naval deployment, which will include port calls in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan, Guam and Australia.
UK Royal Marines onboard Jeanne D’Arc. Credit: UK Ministry of Defence
Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mike Penning said:
“Alongside French forces, our world class Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel are flying the flag for Britain in Vietnam, one of our important partners in the region.
“This deployment continues to show the flexibility of our Armed Forces to work with our partners, particularly with France, and contribute to international maritime security.”
The UK continues to work globally alongside Vietnam, both of our countries contributing personnel to the UN peacekeeping mission South Sudan.
Additionally, the UK regularly carries out Defence Engagement with Vietnam, and last year a Royal Navy dental team deployed as part of Pacific Partnerships 16, a multinational capacity building exercise led by the US. This year a small team of Army medics will travel to Vietnam to take part in Pacific Partnerships 17.
During the Jeanne d’Arc deployment, UK maritime personnel will also take part in multilateral amphibious exercises. This reflects our commitment to exercise at the highest levels with close partners in the Asia Pacific region, including Japan and the US, and demonstrates the UK’s ability to operate seamlessly alongside French forces in particular.
On April 11, 2017, the Williams Foundation held its latest seminar examining the emergence of a fifth generation force in Australia.
This seminar was different in that the impact of the new platforms on air, sea and land transformation was already discussed in detail in earlier seminars.
This seminar then proceeded with the question of how one would build by design more integration into such a force, rather than doing so after the fact.
As noted in an earlier piece regarding the seminar:
The Williams Foundation has been a thought leader in bringing together the key players in the Australian military as well as allies to shape a way ahead for the integrated force.
Now the Foundation is hosting a conference on April 11, 2017 in Canberra which will explicitly address the key challenge of how to develop such an integrated force with a key case study being the way ahead to build an integrated missile defense capability built into the force.
After the seminar, I had a chance to sit down with John Blackburn and to discuss the challenges and way ahead in designing an integrated force rather than cobbling together platforms into a force, which is, integrated piece meal after the fact.
Question: The seminar looked at a very tough issue.
US services are individually looking at service integration, rather than force integration.
The seminar explored how one might design in joint force integration.
Could you describe the approach used in the seminar, which might will anticipate how this would be done in practice?
Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) John Blackburn at the Williams Foundation seminar April 11, 2017
Blackburn: The hypotheses were put together as a set of questions to give a focus for the discussion, and each of the presenters were asked to do two things.
“One was to talk about their particular area and how it’s going to be a part of integrated force, but secondly, just test the hypotheses, or propose other ones if they thought they were better.
“If we can agree a simple list of hypotheses, then we’ve got a really good starting point upon which to design the force.
“If we can’t, we end up having an argument right down in the technical detail levels.
“That was the intent.
“The other different thing about this seminar was that I was able to meet with the three service representatives and the joint staff together to discuss what we were trying to achieve, what the hypotheses were, what the question sets were, and so the presentations you saw from the three services and from the VCDF here, were not people just coming into a seminar and giving their separate views.
“They actually set down as a team and discussed it, to make sure the way they were looking at the problem and what they were going to present was coordinated, and to some degree integrated.
“This normally doesn’t happen at seminars.
“People get invited, and they all come up with a set of PowerPoint slides that usually their staff has produced for them, and they all give the standard story.
“That didn’t happen in this case.”
Question: For sure, what you usually get is what Piaget referred to as parallel play?
Blackburn: That is right and we wanted here was serious consideration of how we might actually design an integrated joint force to get the full combat effects which force modernization could deliver.
“In this case, we chose one stars to make the presentations.
“Why did we do that?
“You can see clearly that our Service Chiefs have a very strong future focus. However, when you get Service Chiefs, or very senior officers, making presentations, everyone sits there and listens, but the folks who have to design the future force and lead the teams that are doing it are the one stars and the colonels, the O-6s.
“What we were trying to provide for the 240 people in that room was a conversation at peer level. In other words, it’s peer-to-peer interaction that we were after, to help them exchange ideas.
“It also is a really good way to set up networks, because not too many people are going to go ring up the Chief of the Service after a seminar and say, “hey, I want to ask you about your question.” It’s not that hard to ring up one of the one stars who had a conversation and say, “I heard what you said; however, …”
“There were some pretty important messages that came out from those one stars that showed they were thinking deeply about the issue and talking to each other about it.
“That’s the way to get an integrated force.”
Question: When we’re talking about a 21st-century integrated force and why that’s important, a lot of people’s minds go back to the network-centric warfare days, and that’s not what we’re talking about.
You clearly are not talking about connecting platforms after the fact and calling that integration.
How do you see the difference?
Blackburn: Let me go back to the difference between the two. I was head of strategic policy at the time we worked with Admiral Cebrowski after he launched the NCW discussion. He told us “NCW is an idea which we are just getting out there. If 40% of what I’m saying ever comes true, that’ll be a fantastic result, because it’s an idea.
“The reality is, we’re never going to be totally network-connected. It’s not going to happen. It’s like saying you’re going to have unlimited bandwidth and everybody can actually connect without the adversary disrupting those networks. You’ve got to start with the idea. You’ve got to get people talking about it and to get the language out there into the debate.
“Now where we’re at now is moving to the next stage, of applying a bit of thrust as one of the speakers said, getting on with building this integrated force and not just talking about it.
“We see elements of force integration in the United States, but the integration there is by each Service.
“There’s integrated force happening within Navy with NIFC-CA.
“The USAF is looking at their future, Aerospace 2030 concepts.
“We have to follow the ideas in the U.S. but take one step further.
“Because we’re small, we might be able to take the step straight to JIFC-Australia, Joint Integrated Fire Control for Australia.
“We want to learn from the U.S., follow it closely, but actually take a step which is hard for the U.S. to do because of its size, and that’s go truly integrated by design across the whole of the joint force.
Editor’s Note: AVM (Retired) Blackburn led a study on Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) to explore the boundaries of how design from the outset of integration for the force might proceed.
According to a piece on the Williams Foundation website:
The Williams Foundation conducted an Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) study between Sep16 and Feb17 to explore the challenges of building Australia’s IAMD capability and the implications for the Department of Defence’s integrated force design function.
The study was focussed at the Program level of capability.
The study incorporated a visit to the US for a month to explore the IAMD challenge with United States Defense Forces and Agencies, think tanks and Industry. The initial study findings were then explored in Australia in three Defence and Industry workshops on 31 Jan17 and 1 Feb 17, using a Chatham House model of unattributed discussions.
Many of the statements made in this report are not referenced as they are derived from these Chatham House discussions and associated meetings.
IAMD is a highly complex issue; comments made in this report should not be construed in any way as being critical of the IAMD approach of the Department of Defence. This report cannot account for the full complexity of the integrated force design process that is being addressed within Defence; however, it may offer some value in providing suggestions based on the study findings.
This study would not have been possible without the support and assistance of several areas within the Australian Department of Defence, the US Defense Department, Industry and think tanks. The Williams Foundation deeply appreciates the support of the IAMD Study major sponsors, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Thanks are also due to Jacobs in funding the services of Dr. Gary Waters who provided valuable support in the research for the study and in the production of the workshop notes.
This report represents the views of AVM Blackburn (Retd), the IAMD Study lead. This study report is intentionally high level and brief; in the author’s experience, long and detailed reports are rarely read by senior decision makers.
During my visit to the United Kingdom in March 2017, I had a chance to visit RAF Marham.
My host for the visit was Captain Nick Walker of the Royal Navy and we had the opportunity to view the various buildings in progress on the base as well as to receive a briefing from Commander John Butcher, the Chief of Staff at the Lightning Force Headquarters, and the commander of the first F-35B squadron to operate in the United Kingdom, which arrives next year.
Captain Nick Walker, Royal Navy, presenting at the Williams Foundation Seminar on Air Sea Integration, Canberra, August 10, 2016
I also received a briefing and had a chance to discuss the standup of the infrastructure with the impressive team supporting the establishment of the F-35B at Marham.
There is a staff of 17 at the Lightning Force headquarters supporting the operational standup with nine specifically focused on the infrastructure aspects.
They are busy simply in order to have the base ready next year to receive their first contingent of F-35Bs from their current base, which is in the United States.
The base will have a fully operational, training and support capability.
Training, maintenance and various centers are being stood up.
At the heart of the effort will be the National Operations Center in which logistics and operations are collocated and the U.S. will have personnel in this center as well.
According to Wing Commander Butcher: “Within the National Operating Center, you essentially have two main functions. There’s what we’re calling the Logistics Operating Center, and the Lightning Force Headquarters.
The 21st Century Dambusters Squadron. Credit: Daily Express
“The two of those together create the National Operating Center. Within the Logistics Operating Center, or the LOC, you have some very key elements of the Lightning project team that are currently based out of Abbeywood.
“The people who are doing the engineering supervision, the acquisition of the facilities, acquisition of the parts, the management of the supply chain, many of these will move to Marham and will sit alongside key industry partners.
“We have as well the Lightning Force Headquarters built within that same facility. Now if you plug in the USAF into that as well, which is our plan right now, then you have a very joint UK F-35 outlook with regard to the entire enterprise.”
There are multiple synergies involved with the F-35 and the standup of the Marham Air Base.
The first is the synergy from America to the United Kingdom and back again.
The UK has operators at Pax River, Edwards, Eglin and Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station.
17 Squadron at Edwards is a Test and Evaluation squadron and because the F-35 is a software upgradeable aircraft, tests will be a fact of life as the capabilities of the aircraft evolve over time, and the Brits are well placed at Edwards to be participants in this process. It should also be noted that the Dutch are on the ground floor with the Brits in this process as well as the Aussies.
The UK and the USMC are fully pooled at Beaufort with Marines flying British planes and vice versa. While there the Brits use the US Navy logistics system to support the F-35B whereas at Edwards they use the British system, so are learning how to work within both systems.
The Eglin engagement with the Canadians and Australians involved is with the reprogramming lab. “In effect, this is the apps center for the evolution of the software,” according to Commander Butcher.
According to Wing Commander Bucher, the build up at Beaufort will continue until mid-2018 when personnel will gradually transfer to Edwards or other facilities in the United States or come back to the UK.
“We will peak out at about 200 persons at Beaufort. We will bring 9 of our jets back next summer and five more later in the year.”
All of these bases are key elements in the UK element of the F-35 global enterprise.
The planes coming from Beaufort will provide the standup for the first RAF squadron. 617 squadron will be stood up next year as the Brits move from Beaufort to Marham.
The second synergy is between the standup among bases and lessons learned.
Marham is being stood up and generating operational lessons learned back to the United States, both in terms of the U.S.’s standup of its own bases abroad and at home, and, notably in terms of shaping a new operational dynamic for RAF Lakenheath.
The USAF F-35s at Lakenheath can become integrated into the operational, training and support elements in the UK as well, shaping a new approach for the USAF as well.
As Wing Commander Butcher underscored the possibilities:
“We want to take forwards everything that we’ve done in the pooling and implementation agreement in the United States, and try and see how we can transpose that into a UK model.
The Dambusters Squadron, 1943.
“We’re looking to have jets taking off, F-35A’s taking off at Lakenheath. Well, what if they have an issue and they need to land in Marham. Rather than take the time to move people, spares etc from Lakenheath up to here, what’s to say that we couldn’t conceptually have some maintainers from 617 Squadron repair the jet, sign off, send it flying again.
“Lakenheath is going to be busy base with the closure of Mildenhall. Increased efficiencies working with us would make sense.
“Could we potentially have F-35As operating out of Marham on a daily basis?
“How do we organize hot pit operations on each other’s base?
“One can easily see how that could buy you a lot of combat flexibility, in terms of how you might do maintenance operations.”
The Dambusters Squadron, 2017. Credit: Daily Express
Commander Butcher noted that in the working group with Lakenheath, a 06-level maintainer is embedded in the UK Lightning Force Headquarters.
“He’s come in to do the interim scoping for how we might integrate the USAF into the Lightning Force headquarters facility, in particular the National Operating Center.”
Embedded in this synergy is a close working relationship with the USMC as well which can be seen at Beaufort or on the LHAs preparing for F-35B operations.
There is also a close working relationship between the new carrier community in the UK and with the US Navy as many UK officers have trained and operated aboard US carriers learning the US approach to the use of carriers, and shaping their thinking as well with regard to shaping their own approach to carrier operations with the F-35B.
The third synergy is between the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
The UK is standing up a Lightning Force, not a RAF or Royal Navy force. The first two squadrons are being established on a 58/42 basis between RAF and RN pilots.
The first squadron, which will start the move from Beaufort in mid-2018 with full IOC by the end of 2018, will be badged as an RAF squadron and headed by an RAF officer (Wing Commander Butcher) who will be then relieved when the time comes by a RN officer.
And for the next two years, the squadron will work on integration with the Queen Elizabeth class carriers.
Credit: Aircraft Carrier Alliance – Queen Elizabeth Class at sea (CGI)
According to Wing Commander Butcher: “We are focused on the defense product, not the service one when it comes to the Lightning Force. It is important to do our business as a Lightning Force.”
The second front line F35B squadron, 809 Squadron, will establish at Marham and badged as a Royal Navy squadron with a RN officer in charge who could then relieved when the time comes by an RAF officer.
The fourth synergy is building the base while the three Tornado squadrons are operationally involved and on a busy schedule supporting RAF operations worldwide, notably in the Middle East.
This means that Tornado infrastructure not only needs to be maintained but not leveraged in any way until those squadrons leave Marham.
This means that the next Marham base Commander Group Captain Townsend will be charged with standing up the base for F-35Bs, the squadron arriving in two parts, and keeping the key strike function of Tornado operational until the very end.
It can be disruptive but the ops tempo of the base is the key determinant of the effort; not simply erecting new buildings for a new aircraft.
The fifth synergy is between the base and the new Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers.
The new carriers are coming on line concurrently with the base becoming operational and sea trials and preparing for the integration of the F-35 with the new carriers.
And this base will provide a key element of shaping the outreach from the UK into Northern Europe as well as Norway, Denmark and the Dutch Air Forces come on line with their F-35s as well.
From Presentation by Captain Walker, Royal Navy, at the Williams Foundation seminar on Air-Sea Integration, August 2016
In other words, standing up the base at Marham is part of a significant strategic effort by the UK and at the heart of shaping 21t century approaches to deterrence.
When joined with what is happening from Lossie, to Iceland to Norway with P-8s, the upgrades to Typhoon, which will make it a core complement to the F-35B fleet and the reshaping of the ISTAR fleet at RAF Waddington, major changes are coming to the UK air and naval forces.
The rebuilding program itself is extensive.
Virtually all of the runways need to be repaved. And the modifications of the hangers would be so significant for the F-35, that it was preferable to tear down buildings and build new ones to house the new force.
As the head of the Project Anvil project put it: “This is one of the few projects I’ve been involved with where we have actually demolished buildings, cleared the site, and built new buildings rather than simply refurbishing old ones.”
The team implementing Project Anvil as it is called underscored that the schedule is demanding to get it done in time the arrival of the jets and the standup of the squadron. The focus of the effort currently is on what is called the FOA, namely, Freedom of Action enablers for the squadron – the runway, the maintenance and finishing center, the Integrated Training Center and the National Operating Center.
And the second phase of Project Anvil can only start after the Tornados leave Marham and preparations for the second squadron can put in place.
The team has worked hard to ensure that the capability can be delivered on time.
One example was working with the planning authorities in the region for the upgrades of the power grid necessary to support the F-35s. By providing information on very timely basis, the planning authorities were obtained and the project kept on schedule.
And all of this is being generated in a time of profound political change within NATO and in terms of the threats being faced by NATO. Clearly, an effective standup of capabilities at Marham and their integration into a broader defense effort is crucial for the defense of the United Kingdom and for its core NATO allies.
Captain Nick Walker provided a good overview on the challenges and the opportunities inherent in setting up a new joint base at Marham with the coming of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers.
“I think there is fantastic opportunity with the restructuring of MARHAM to create a truly world-class F35 facility. The investment in the infrastructure, particularly the National Operating Centre and maintenance facilities, will place MARHAM right at the fore of F35 operations and make it the hub in Northern Europe. Only Italy, with its Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility at Cameri will come close to what MARHAM can offer.”
Computer Generated Image of the outside of one of the facilities which is being built at RAF Marham, Norfolk, as part of a programme of works to prepare the station for the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II fleet in 2018.
“And the fact that we are building it from new rather than modifying existing buildings really does present great opportunities to make the structure both future proof but more importantly design it from the outset to support multi-national F35 operations.”
“On the carrier angle, we have a similar opportunity. The UK is buying F35Bs, which are designed to operate from ships as well as land bases. The UK has determined to regenerate a carrier strike capability at the core of its power projection capabilities, and therefore we have purposely opted for an embarkable F35 variant.
“The carrier was then designed specifically to support F35B operations – the ‘aviation flow’ around the aviation, Carrier Strike Group and Intelligence planning and maintenance spaces has been very carefully thought through to ensure the best possible service and most efficient flow for the embarked squadrons.”
“Given that the design is now fixed and the nature of carrier construction means there is little scope for future alteration, we should take the opportunity to design the infrastructure at RAF MARHAM to emulate as far as possible the embarked flow and processes.”
“The F35B squadrons will spend a good proportion of their time embarked, and making the transition from ashore to afloat as seamless as possible just makes sense. The ‘shock’ of embarking is therefore reduced, processes are familiar rather than alien and the whole experience of taking squadrons to sea will be more efficient, safer and easier to manage.”
“It helps to make flying to and from the carrier as natural as flying at the Main Operating Base – the embarked elements become second nature because the ashore processes resemble them as closely as possible.”
“I accept that you cannot replicate a carrier at a land base, but given the MARHAM infrastructure is being designed from new, it makes perfect sense to build in as much commonality as you can.”
Computer Generated Image of the Maintenance and Finish Facility which is being built at RAF Marham, Norfolk, as part of a programme of works to prepare the station for the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II fleet in 2018.
“A good example is the process of storing, collecting and returning the pilots’ helmets. This is done at a particular point in the pre-flight flow on-board, so it makes sense to have it at the same point in the flow ashore – the process is therefore the same both embarked and ashore.”
“The Lightning Force has looked at the helmet process on-board and will incorporate a similar process at MARHAM. Small things, but they do make a difference and keep the F35B Force aware of, and familiar with, their embarked processes as far as possible while ashore – it makes the return to sea smoother, familiar and safer.”
In short, the rebuild at Marham is at the heart of the modernization or indeed transformation of UK forces and a significant impact as well on allied thinking, including the United States.
Slide from Presentation by Air Commodore Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar, April 11, 2017
Slide from Presentation by Air Commodore Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar, April 11, 2017
Air Commodore Robert Chipman, Williams Foundation Seminar on Force Integration, April 11, 2017
Australias first F-35A Lightning II aircraft 01 and 02 on transit to the Australian International Airshow in Avalon. The Australian Defence Force is proud to be part of the 2017 Australian International Airshow, with displays showcasing the latest military aviation assets and technology.
Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) John Blackburn at the Williams Foundation seminar April 11, 2017
Captain Nick Walker, Royal Navy, presenting at the Williams Foundation Seminar on Air Sea Integration, Canberra, August 10, 2016
Credit: Aircraft Carrier Alliance – Queen Elizabeth Class at sea (CGI)
From Presentation by Captain Walker, Royal Navy, at the Williams Foundation seminar on Air-Sea Integration, August 2016
Computer Generated Image of the outside of one of the facilities which is being built at RAF Marham, Norfolk, as part of a programme of works to prepare the station for the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II fleet in 2018.
Computer Generated Image of the Maintenance and Finish Facility which is being built at RAF Marham, Norfolk, as part of a programme of works to prepare the station for the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II fleet in 2018.