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2017-01-15 In a story published on the UK Ministry of Defence website on January 20. 2017, the UK Minister of Defence recently highlighted the evolution of the UK’s defence network.
At a meeting with British Defence Attachés, hosted in London, Sir Michael called on the UK’s military diplomats to take advantage of the growing network to deliver security and prosperity for Britain.
In a move which underlined the UK’s global role, Sir Michael last year announced the creation of three new regional hubs for defence engagement.
The new British Defence Staffs for the Gulf, Asia Pacific and West Africa are now established, allowing our personnel to advance the UK’s important defence and security interests in their region. The new hubs will be based in Dubai, Singapore and Abuja.
Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, gives a speech at the Defence Attache and Senior National Representative Conference held in the Ministry of Defence in London.
Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, gives a speech at the Defence Attache and Senior National Representative Conference held in the Ministry of Defence in London.
Britain last year also strengthened its commitment to NATO Allies and European partners by creating new Defence Attaché posts in Albania, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Georgia. In Africa, 2016 saw the UK establish a new Defence Section covering Senegal, The Gambia, Mali and Niger.
The expansion of the Ministry of Defence’s overseas network delivers on a key commitment of the Government’s 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). The SDSR increased the importance of defence engagement overseas, by making it a core defence task.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
“The UK’s 120 Defence Attachés work to protect and advance Britain’s interests abroad, strengthening relationships with our allies and advancing defence and security partnerships.
Britain’s new Defence Staffs are now up and running, underlining our global role, promoting the UK abroad and furthering security and prosperity at home.”
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At the annual gathering in London, Sir Michael outlined his 2017 priorities to the Attachés.
These include:
Pressing home the Coalition’s advantage against Daesh, including pushing the group out of Iraq.
Continuing to strengthen NATO, underlining its position as the world’s foremost defensive alliance.
Demonstrating the UK’s commitment to European and global security.
Editor’s Note: Obviously, fighter deployments supported by global sustainment capabilities such as an integrated tanker (Voyager) and lift force (C-17s and A400Ms) are key tools in this effort.
And the new carriers are viewed as key elements of supporting and integrating with regional hubs as well.
The slideshow above shows RAF Typhoons in a fall training exercise with the Japanese and the photos are credited to the RAF.
A simple news release highlights the evolving USN-USMC combat team as a key step forward in shaping the combat infrastructure for the sea base which can support evolving capabilities for the assault force.
According to a press release from the USMC dated January 6, 2017:
The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit based out of Camp Pendleton, California, assembled as a complete Marine Air-Ground Task Force January 6, to begin pre-deployment training with the U.S. Navy’s America Amphibious Ready Group for the upcoming Western Pacific 17-2 deployment.
Joining the 15th MEU Command Element is 1st Battalion, 5th Marines serving as the Ground Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced) serving as the Aviation Combat Element, and Combat Logistics Battalion 15 serving as the Logistics Combat Element.
“This Navy-Marine Corps team is comprised of some of the most historic units in Navy and Marine Corps history,” said Col. Joseph Clearfield, 15th MEU commanding officer.
“We will honor this lineage by deploying as a strong, flexible, consistent, and responsive crisis response force.”
The 15th MEU’s training cycle will begin with Marine Corps-specific training and progress to full Navy/Marine Corps joint evolutions throughout the six month pre-deployment period, culminating with a Certification Exercise to test the readiness of the America Amphibious Ready Group and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The three ships that will compose the America Amphibious Ready Group are the
USS America (LHA-6), USS San Diego (LPD-22) and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD- 52).
The flagship, USS America, adds a unique aspect to the 15th MEU in that it is the first of its kind to be built with additional air support capabilities, designed specifically to support airborne amphibious assaults.
Commissioned in 2014, USS America will begin her maiden deployment with the 15th MEU and staff of the Commander, Amphibious Squadron 3 embarked.
For its last deployment, while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve; the
15th MEU’s aviation combat element flew 76 sorties and 500 combat flight hours that resulted in 36 strikes against Da’esh positions, equipment, and personnel. In June, the USS Rushmore and embarked Marines rescued a group of Indonesian sailors from a sinking vessel in the Sulawesi Strait.
The 15th MEU provides a forward deployed, flexible force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations in order to support the requirements of geographic combatant commanders.
But what this represents the next phase of the evolution of the long range assault force and its capabilities by the USS America operating as the flagship for the 15th MEU.
The USS America has recently seen the coming of the F-35 to the ship along with the Osprey and will soon see the CH-53K onboard, significantly increasing its lift capability into the area of interest.
Last month, we discussed this process with Col. Wellons, the CO of MAWTS-1.
Question: How does the integration of the F-35 into your operations, change how you think about those operations?
Col. Wellons: A lot of that can be quickly classified but let me give you an example, which does not fall into that category.
Historically, when we could come off of L class ship with Mv-22s, CH-53s, Cobras and Harriers and we then faced a serious AAA or MANPADS threat we would avoid that objective area.
Now we do not need to do so.
It changes the entire concept of close air support.
In Afghanistan and Iraq we have not had prohibitive interference in our air operations.
With double digit SAMS as part of threat areas we are likely to go, the F-35 allows us to operate in such areas.
Without the presence of the F35, it would be a mission that we wouldn’t be capable of executing.
The SA of the airplane is a game changer for us.
Rather than getting input from the Senior Watch Officer on the ground with regard to our broader combat SA, we now have that in our F-35. This allows us to share SA from the pilot flying the airplane and interacting with his sensors. He can share that information, that situational awareness, with everybody from other airborne platforms to the ground force commander in ways that are going to increase our ops tempo and allow us to do things that historically we wouldn’t have been able to do.
The ability of the F35 to be able to recognize and identify the types of prohibitive threats that would prevent us from putting in assault support platforms and ground forces is crucial to the way ahead.
The F-35 can not only identify those threats, but also kill them.
Evolving the capability of the insertion forces rather than simply relying on putting “Walmarts” ashore and conducting combat support from Forward Operating Bases and airbases in contested territory, the sea base provides its own integrated support and operational integrated capabilities.
This force and support integration offshore provides capability for not only force protection but also surprise against enemies who wish to use agility to their advantage.
Donald Trump as candidate has often raised the issue of changing the approach to fighting ISIS.
“I want to be unpredictable.
I don’t want to tell ISIS what I’m going to do to knock the hell out of them.”
“I think we have to be unpredictable,” Trump told CBS News’ John Dickerson in January.
“Our enemies know what we are going to do, whether it is battle, whether it is war, whether it is finance. You have to be somewhat unpredictable.”
PACIFIC OCEAN — An MV-22B Osprey takes off from the flight deck of USS America (LHA 6), November 19, 2016. The Osprey dropped off distinguished visitors and media before the Lightning Carrier Proof of Concept Demonstration. The demonstration is the first shipboard Marine Corps F-35B integration demonstration alongside other Marine Corps Air Combat Element assets. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Cpl. Thor Larson/Released)
On the one hand, he wants to hit Isis much harder.
The approach suggested by the retired Lt. General Deptula, to have a real air campaign against ISIS is certainly a way which force against the adversary could be ramped up and calibrated.
We need to begin with an aggressive air campaign — where airpower is applied like a thunderstorm, not a drizzle; 24/7 constant over-watch, with force used against every move of IS forces and personnel.
We’ve done this before — Desert Storm where the opening 24 hours witnessed over 2.500 aircraft missions focused on a simultaneous attack across the breadth and depth of the entire country of Iraq—an attack from which Saddam Hussein’s forces never recovered.
On the other hand, it is not airpower versus boots on the ground. It is about changing the nature of the ground forces used and how air-ground integration to kill the enemy is conducted.
It is not about putting bases on the ground that ISIS can strike as they can.
The recent attack on Bagram reminds us of the inevitable problem of the land base in contested territory.
Four Americans were killed in an apparent suicide bomb attack early Saturday at Bagram Airfield, the largest US base in Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.
Two of those killed were service members, and two were contractors, he said, adding he was “deeply saddened” by the news.
The explosion also wounded 16 other US service members and one Polish soldier participating in the NATO mission, Carter said in a statement.
The Taliban claimed responsibility in a tweet praising the “strong attack” on Bagram Airfield.
This kill and tweet approach of our terrorist opponents becomes a lot more difficult if you can not find the Americans until they descend upon you with intent to kill.
Forces can be moved around the point of attack to enhance unpredictability while reducing the vulnerability of needed ground forces by relying on insertion forces, leveraging the sea base.
As Ed Timperlake and I wrote in 2014, the new capabilities which the amphibious task forces coupled with large deck carriers provides a variable attack force which can insert ground forces against areas of interest and then withdraw back to the sea base.
ISIS is a rapidly moving target and needs a response that is not measured in the months and years of a return of the US Army to Iraq to re-start training an Iraqi Army which the Obama Administration has already clearly recognized as part of the problem not the solution. The total collapse of the Iraq Army after a decade of US investment is a testimony to failure, regardless of who is at fault in US planning and execution of Iraq Nation Building.
For defenders of COIN, it would have to be explained why time and continued effort would overcome what are clearly deeply rooted fissures within the political texture of Iraq: namely the Sunni-Shite cleavage, the role of Iran and the use of the military by Prime Minister Malki for his own political purposes?
In effect, Maliki has used his Shia-dominated military in ways similar to how Saddam Hussein used his Sunni-dominated military, namely to prop himself up in power and to shape domestic political outcomes to his benefit. Simply changing the name of the leader is not likely to change power realities.
And when the ISIS were able to aggregate forces, the absence of an air enabled ground force, demonstrated a fundamental fact often forgotten: it is not about airpower versus boots on the ground….
If the ISIS forces loses their maneuver ability and their crew-served weapons and armored vehicles, especially tanks, to seize terrain and key choke points, they will be forced back into the cities or be forced hide in small units in the countryside.
If US forces can see them outside of cities they can kill them. City fights should be left to what is remaining of the Iraq Army.
ISIS was well on the way to fielding an Army when the US finally engaged.
Focusing upon what is needed to pulverize military capabilities of ISIS to move rapidly and lethally, can buy some strategic maneuver space to sort out what kind of aid the Kurds might really need to protect their augmented territory within a fragmenting Iraq.
Because the US has the option of leveraging our seabase in conjunction with whatever force capabilities might be shaped to support the Kurds, the US is NOT forced to have agreements with a collapsing regime to influence events. The sea-based force can function as the foundation for a force able to operate without the need for specific territorial agreements on basing with fractious factions of Baghdad.
And when they depart, they do not have to leave their equipment behind which can become later seized by hostile forces and used against the United States and its allies.
As Ed Timperlake highlighted in an article published in 2010, operating from sea bases can allow you both to do power projection and to withdraw when the mission is accomplished. It is about setting objectives and then implementing them with flexible sea base insertion forces.
And such a force allows alignment with evolving strategic objectives.
Bottom line: what can go in from the Sea with a Navy/Marine AF team can also be withdrawn. Allies to whom we owe a debt can be evacuated or protected from the sea.
These possibilities remain important for our current global commitments and operations. And with the 21st century con-ops provided by the MV-22, the Harrier and then the F-35B, the Marines can engage in providing capabilities for such situations.
Off the shores of San Diego last November a new powerful capability was worked which can augment the insertion force and give it a whole new punch, pack and ability to insert and withdraw force.
The USS America with F-35Bs and Ospreys can provide for force insertion and provide the kind of unpredictability in approach but success in operations, which President-elect Trump has highlighted as a key part of the tool box to defeat ISIS.
The USS America is the largest amphibious ship ever built by the United States.
The ship has been built at the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi and departed mid-July 2014 for its trip to its initial home part at San Diego, California and then was commissioned in San Francisco in mid-October 2014. It is now undergoing its final trials and preparing to enter the fleet.
The USMC is the only tiltrotar-enabled assault force in the world.
The USS America has been built to facilitate this capability and will be augmented as the F-35B is added to the Ospreys, and helicopters already operating from the ship and as unmanned vehicles become a regular operational element as well.
The Osprey has obviously been a game changer, where today, the basic three ship formation used by the Amphibious Ready Group-Marine Expeditionary Unit can “disaggregate” and operate over a three-ship distributed 1,000-mile operational area. Having the communications and ISR to operate over a greater area, and to have sustainment for a disaggregated fleet is a major challenge facing the future of the USN-USMC team.
With the coming of the F-35B to the USS America, the tiltrotar-enabled force adds significant capability. This can work a couple of different ways.
The ship can hold more than 20 F-35Bs, but more likely when F-35Bs are being featured would have a 16 F-35B flying with 4 Osprey combinations. The Ospreys would be used to carry fuel and or weapons, so that the F-35B can move to the mission and operate in a distributed base. This is what the Marines refer to as shaping distributed STOVL ops for the F-35B within which a sea base is a key lily pad from which the plane could operate or could move from.
Alternatively, the F-35B could operate as the ISR, C2 and strike asset to work with the rest of the assault force. The beauty of the F-35B for the Marines is that it allows them to operate off of an amphibious ship with a plane which can do C2 or provide forward leaning ISR.
In other words, the F-35 working with an Osprey-enabled insertion force operating off of the USS American could well re-define the meaning of Close Air Support (CAS).
Ed Timperlake and I highlighted an opportunity not taken by the current Administration when it came to the possibility of saving the Christians from ISIS.
The USMC can easily setup a TEMPORARY FOB for 22nd MEU with their MV-22s somewhere in Kurdistan to conduct missions into Iraq proper to rescue Christians and eliminate any ISIS fanatics in the way in the process and then leave.
USS Bush CBG could provide a real combat punch when ISIS mass their forces-or SOCOM/CIA identifies isolated groups.
The French in Mali underscored the point that it was not about COIN; it was about eliminating concentrated forces of the adversary, purusing as possible and then leaving.
This is not about long term occupation and training; this is about the only tiltrotar enabled assault force coming to the aid of the Kurds and Christians, setting up a forward operating base that can influence events in the Nineveh plain, helping move threatened minorities to Kurdish protection, working with those SOF in country, and returning aboard ship.
The U.S. has insertion forces able to engage and withdraw, rather than setting up long-term facilities and providing advisers as targets.
Put bluntly, the new President will have the means to change how the battle is fought which need not repeat the mistakes of the last decade of land wars.
Insertion forces are a key tool set and with the changes in how amphibious task forces operate and with the coming of a whole new capability associated with the USS America, the sea base is adding to its capability for the insertion of force into a vector of assault, destroy and withdraw.
Changing the nature of the force being used against ISIS and reshaping the operational compass against a mobile force which likes to pop up across the region can meet its match – there is no place you can hide that we can not come and find you and kill you.
The new President clearly has the intent; and with some creative rethinking and combat innovation has the means.
The slideshow highlights a long range raid exercise enabled by the Osprey as a key element.
U.S. Marine Corps VM-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162, 2nd Marine Air Wing, Marine Air Group 26, conduct a long range raid as a part of an urban exercise, from Twentynine Palms, Calif. to Yuma, Ariz., Nov. 12, 2016.
The Marines of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 conducted a long range raid in conjunction with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division during an urban exercise, as a part of Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 1-17 in preparation for the upcoming Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force.
Credit: USMC. 11/12/16
Our latest Special Report provides an update on the introduction and integration of the F-35B into evolving USMC operations. With the significant change introduced into the amphibious fleet and for USMC land based operations by the Osprey, the F-35 B is accelerating the transformation of the CORPS into a wide-ranging insertion force able to operate across the range of military operations.
As noted in one of the pieces included in the Special Report:
As Lt. General Davis, the Deputy Commandant of Aviation, put it onboard the USS America:
“We’d always say ‘if its really a bad air to air (A2A) threat, get some additional jets up there, get some more capability.’
I have no pause or hesitation that this jet will dominate in an A2A environment, would dominate in a strike environment, dominate in a CAS environment, and would also do a very nice job in an electronic warfare realm as well.”
Marines. At their mention I suspect most think, “storming the beaches.” Amphibious vehicles first in, troops storm ashore. That capability still exists, but today there is a far greater capability, one that will provide a vexing challenge for any adversary.
Already transformed by the mobility of the Osprey, the F-35B offers a critical upgrade to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) and amphibious assault. The first wave is no longer limited to the beach or uncontested space, it can effectively reach locations 450 miles from the shipborne base – even in contested airspace.
What once came ashore like a wave, now comes as lightning strikes in a violent storm.
Marines on the beach, Marines from behind, and Marines within the adversary’s territory. Marines striking swiftly with maximum effect to deal with high value targets, including terror cells – all with the stand alone capability to do so.
This is the “Aerial Amphibious Assault” Force, and these are the Marines of the 21st century battlespace.
It is a capability the US Marine Corps (USMC) has patiently and steadfastly build towards, and the pieces are coming together;
Integration with the US Navy LHA Class Amphibious Assault Carrier – The USS America & USS Tripoli (under construction). The LHA class offers enhanced dedicated support for Marine aviation assets.
MV-22B Osprey. The Osprey offers extended range and speed for troop insertion, as well as air to air refueling support.
F-35B Lightning II. The F-35B replaces the AV-8B, F/A-18 Hornet & EA-6B Prowler. The aircraft offers exceptional performance Air to Air (A2A), Air to Ground (A2G), Close Air Support (CAS), Electronic Warfare (EW), Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) all with the capability to operate stealthily within contested areas.
CH-53K “King Stallion” When introduced (2019) the CH-53K will provide nearly 3x the heavy lift capability of the CH-53E.
The USS America (LHA-6) is a maritime base which provides unrivaled flexibility.
Park it where you want in international waters. Forward deploy it to a region for any contingency, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is at the ready. The LHA platform is ideal for military operations involving troop insertion, (anti-terrorism activities) where the objective is to infiltrate, accomplish the mission and leave no boots behind on the ground.
The LHA offers the flexibility to adjust mix from heavy jet (F-35B) to heavy tiltrotor (MV-22B) or rotor wing. Utilizing the MV-22B and the F-35B, the USMC can effectively insert troops 450 miles from the ship in under 2 hours.
The platform offers the flexibility to work together with additional amphibious assault carriers (LHD) when amphibious vehicles are desired, as well as with the support of the USN Supercarrier.
Not a replacement for either, the LHA provides flexibility for the military to tailor a force most suitable for the mission at hand.
The photos in the slideshow are from the DTIII testing onboard the USS America in November 2016.
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North European and North Atlantic Defense: The Challenges Return
2017-01-14 According to a story published on December 23, 2016 by Cpl. Aaron Henson, Marines based at Iwakuni, Japan recently exercised their capabilities to employ expeditionary runways.
U.S. Marines with Marine Air Control Squadron 4 Detachment Bravo, Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team, conducted aircraft landing zone training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Dec. 21, 2016.
The training allows the Marine Air Traffic Control Mobile Team, or MMT, to gain experience, practice constructing an expeditionary airfield, and complete training and readiness requirements.
“MMT usually consists of six to eight Marines set to operate in a 72 hour environment by themselves . . . without support,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Chris Swogger, an air traffic control Marine with MACS-4 Detachment Bravo. “If we were in combat we would be able to establish an expeditionary runway. We go out and set up these runways, land and refuel aircraft, which allows us to further push into the country without having to take over airfields or build permanent structures.”
A MMT comprises of a base, pace, chase, reference, navigation aid and communication technician who establish a 60-foot wide and 3,000-foot long runway in remote locations during combat scenarios, medical evacuations or for humanitarian aid.
“The base Marine establishes the front end of the runway and are the ones in control talking to the aircraft,” said Swogger. “The pace Marine runs down the 3,000-foot landing zone and every 500 feet drops off a panel marking. The chase Marine follows the pace and sets up the left side of the runway. And the reference point Marine runs all the way down to the 3,000-foot marker and acts as the in-between for the base and pace, and allows base to line up the runways with the reference point at the far end.”
The MMT Marines conduct this training every three to six months to refine the Marines’ skills, keeping them ready for expeditionary operations while in a garrison environment.
Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 assisted MACS-4 Detachment Bravo while also completing their training and readiness requirements.
“MMT Marines are extremely important to our aircraft landing zone operations,” said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jeffrey Simonson, a KC-130J pilot with VMGR-152. “They are able to set up the strip to resemble what would be seen in a real world scenario. The runway we use in Okinawa does not provide realistic training. The landing strip here in Iwakuni is much smaller, providing challenging and realistic training for the squadron. Each pilot has to conduct this training a minimum of once a year.”
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. George Price, an MMT instructor with MACS-4 Detachment Bravo, assisted directing aircraft to the runway from the ground.
MMT instructors are trained by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, over a six-week period.
“To be an instructor we have to go through MAWTS-1 and participate in a lot of the live-flying training with every type of aircraft the Marine Corps has,” said 1st Lt. Jeremy Graves, air traffic control officer with MACS-4 Detachment Bravo. “We learn our pace counts, how to set up an airfield, controlling aircraft in an expeditionary environment, and we work with all of Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course. It is a big event and a lot of training goes into it.”
Graves said the Marines will be conducting aircraft landing zone training quarterly and did well for their first time conducting this training on the air station.
On 5 January 2017, NATO’s Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission entered its 43rd rotation since its beginning in 2004.
After four months of leading the mission, France handed over the symbolic key to the Baltic Airspace to the Netherlands at the traditional ceremony held at Šiauliai Air Base.
The Royal Netherlands Air Force will now safeguard the skies over the three Baltic NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia until the end of April 2017 for a regular term of four months.
The ceremony was once again attended by high ranking civilian, military and political guests – amongst them the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Raimundas Karoblis.
Mirage 2000-5 de l’Escadron de Chasse 1/2 “Cigognes” en vol dans le ciel de Lituanie dans le cadre de l’Opération Baltic Air Policing 2016.
The Netherlands led the mission once before in 2005. In 2014 they augmented the mission out of Malbork Air Base in Poland, which was a temporary third BAP air base to enforce the mission after Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
“It’s good to be back in Šiauliai after 12 years to perform the Air Policing once again to protect the Baltic States,” said Major Gert, Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Detachment. “A task we gladly perform for the next four months to demonstrate NATO unity,” he added.
With their rotation completed, the French Air Force has now supported NATO’s BAP mission five times, three of which as augmenting nation operating out of Ämari, Estonia and two as lead nation operating out of Šiauliai.
Lieutenant Colonel Isaak Diakité, Commander of the French Air Force Detachment, addressed his hosts for the final time, stating: “We have built some very special bounds between France and Lithuania during these four months and I hope it will continue in the future. Thank you for your support and your friendship.”
Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, thanked the French Air Force for their commitment and solidarity. “It is and will be very much appreciated by the people of Lithuania and the entire Baltic region.
Please be assured that Lithuania will equally stand by your side in the time of need.” he said to the French Airmen. Welcoming the Dutch detachment, he said: “We highly appreciate your valuable contribution to the security and integrity of the whole NATO airspace.”
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The detachment of the Royal Netherlands Air Force will be augmented by a detachment of the German Air Force, operating out of Ämari, Estonia. The German detachment has already been engaged in NATO’s BAP mission for the past for month but will remain in place for a second four-month term until April 2017.
Air Policing is a 24/7 NATO peacetime routine mission that is conducted to preserve the Alliance’s airspace integrity and is not a response to a specific threat.
Some member nations, like the Baltics, who do not have the full range of air defence assets in their militaries, are assisted by Allies providing an Air Policing capability to ensure a single standard of airspace safety and security all over NATO. The BAP mission shows NATO’s determination to provide equal protection to all its members.
All flights of the mission are commanded and controlled from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany.
The operational responsibility rests with the Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), NATO’s single command for all air and space matters, headquartered in Ramstein, Germany.
Story and Photos by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office
2017-01-09 A subtle but important contribution of shaping a global F-35 system is the US services and core allies deploy similar high-end warfighting capability at the SAME time.
This means that there is collective learning of higher end warfare shared across the services and the coalition partners built in.
When we highlighted the S Cubed revolution and underscored how the F-35 can help deal with the coming hypersonic cruise missile threat it might be misread by those who do not grasp that “no platform fights alone.”
The F-35 as a deployed global asset with shared Situational Awareness and with software upgradeability built in can evolve the collective defense capability over time at the high end.
This is a key foundational element, but one which will drive other innovations in the defense domain.
It is not the end of history but the opening of the aperture on shared experience and combat learning for high-end warfare and shaping a foundation for crafting ongoing share concepts of operations going forward for the US with its coalition partners.
Denmark is going to buy the F-35 in large part because of by doing so they can work on collaborative combat learning with core allies also learning how to cope with 21st century threats.
Because Denmark is part of this collective effort, not only do the Danes learn but they contribute as well to the collective effort.
It is a bit like the Three Musketeers motto, “All for one and one for all.”
In the video below, the role of a Danish airman in the evolution of the F-35 is highlighted.
It is not about what the Danes got from the US; it is about what the Danes contributed to the F-35 global coalition, including the US.
When one asks for allies to do more, the F-35 global coalition is staring one in the face.
For our Special Report on Integrating Innovative Airpower: A Report from the Copenhagen Airpower Symposium, see the following:
2017-01-12 Our partner defenceWeb provided an interesting take on the Global Trends Report published each four years by the National Intelligence Council.
By Jonathan Katzenellenbogen, Wednesday, 11 January 2017
The world is becoming more dangerous and difficult to govern with rising tensions between and within countries, growing nationalism and isolationism and slower global growth, says the US National Intelligence Council in its latest Global Trends report, released earlier this week.
Over the next twenty years the report sees the nature of conflict changing in key respects. Conflicts will become more complex and there will be an increasing blurring of peacetime and wartime – “a gray zone”, the report says.
The report warns that China and Russia will feel emboldened and regional aggressors and non-state actors will see openings. Africa will face a rising threat of terrorism and, over the next five years, global economic headwinds and continuing pressures from rapid urbanization and high population growth.
The latest “Global Trends, Paradox of Progress” report focuses on how the changing nature of power is causing increasing stress in countries and among countries. The era of American dominance is drawing to a close, and so might the rule based international order, making international co-operation a lot more difficult, the report argues. Yet global trends, says the report, “also bear within them opportunities for choice that yield more hopeful, secure futures” – hence the paradox.
The Global Trends reports, which are produced every four years for an incoming President, or an incumbent about to start a second term, are an overview of what the US intelligence community thinks will be the big global issues over the next twenty years.
The extent to which this document will influence the new Trump administration is uncertain. It might well take exceptions to warnings about isolationism and the dangers of lack of international co-operation, yet the report has widespread influence in framing thinking about the future.
Among the eight key global trends identified in the report is the change in “How people Fight”. The other big trends are “People”, “How People Live”, “How People Create and Innovate”, “How People Prosper”, “How People Think”, “How People Govern”, and “Terrorism”.
Tensions among major states, terrorist threats, instability in weak states, and the spread of lethal and disruptive technologies mean the last 20 years’ trend of fewer and less intense conflicts appears to be reversing. Technology advances, new strategies, and an evolving global context are “challenging previous concepts of warfare.” This points to conflicts that are “more diffuse, diverse, and disruptive.”
Greater access to weapons and technologies by states, non-state actors such as terrorist groups, criminal networks, and individuals mean many more organizations can engage in war, making conflict more diffuse. That will make for more complex conflicts and erode the distinction between combatants and non-combatants.
Conflicts will become more diverse as they will vary across a wide spectrum that ranges from the use of economic coercion to cyber attacks to information operations to advanced weapons. All this will make it more difficult for governments to effectively prepare for a range of contingencies.
Finally, conflict will become more disruptive as states and terrorists will aim to disrupt critical infrastructure, cohesion in society, and government functions rather than on defeat on the battlefield.
The change in the character of conflict is likely to be marked by the increasing blurring of peacetime and wartime. China views media, legal and psychological forms of warfare – the “three warfares” as important to weakening enemy resolve.
States use of “grey zone” approaches to avoid general war, could mean heightened risk of an inadvertent escalation of conflict or misinterpretation of adversary “red lines”.
Another trend behind the change in character of conflict is the increasing capability of non-state groups to create greater disruption. The ability of Anonymous, the activist hacking group to disrupt is clear, while groups such as Islamic State have demonstrated considerable firepower. Access to 3D printing, autonomous control systems, and computer processors and sensors could allow terrorists groups to create tailored and intelligent weapons.
Also behind the change in the nature of conflict is the increasingly widespread capability to launch stand off and remote attacks with precision guided munitions, cyber capabilities and unmanned air, land, sea, and submarine vehicles. Long-range attack abilities could allow states to control maritime choke points without naval vessels. Cyber will also provide an avenue for long range attacks on political and military command a control. Russian officials have noted that initial attacks in future wars might be made through information networks.
The US intelligence agencies also voice new concerns about the spread and possible use of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. One area of concern of direct relevance to African countries is that at-sea deployment of nuclear weapons by India, Pakistan, and China could in time nuclearize the Indian Ocean. Uncertain ways of managing at sea incidents between nuclear-armed vessels could increase the risk of miscalculation.
The report clearly wants to get the message across that much will depend on how global and regional players respond to the big security challenges. Mitigating and confidence building measures are needed to avert the greater risk of miscalculation, while cooperation is needed to resolve international conflicts.
The reports view of the African future is mixed. Democratic practices have expanded in Africa and public demand for better service is becoming more urgent across the continent. But many African states, “continue to struggle with “big man” rule, patronage politics, and ethnic favouritism.”
Even countries that have made democratic progress remain fragile and prone to violence around elections. Tensions between Christian and Muslim groups could escalate into conflict.
Over the next five years African populations will become more youthful, urban, mobile, and networked, and better educated – and more demanding of a voice. Rapid urbanization will create demands for improved infrastructure and severe water stress for many will be another factor helping push mass migration.
Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Fallon, gives a speech at the Defence Attache and Senior National Representative Conference held in the Ministry of Defence in London.
Mirage 2000-5 de l’Escadron de Chasse 1/2 “Cigognes” en vol dans le ciel de Lituanie dans le cadre de l’Opération Baltic Air Policing 2016.
