Robbin Laird, Author at Second Line of Defense

Beyond Crimean Annexation: The Russians Look to the Wider Mediterranean

Posted on March 9, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

03/09/2015

2015-03-09 By Stephen Blank

One year after the Russian occupation of Crimea we are beginning to see the see some of the consequences of the militarization of Russian policy.

It is not an aberration but part of a larger policy.[i]

The most recent examples of an expanded policy into the Mediterranean are the recent announcements of a Russo-Cypriot military agreement giving Moscow rights of entry to the ports of Cyprus and the discussion of using an air base in Cyprus for so called humanitarian interventions.”[iii]

Since Moscow has defined its wars against Georgia and Ukraine as constituting humanitarian interventions and has asked Serbia for a base at Nish for the same purpose the implications of this agreement and the ongoing discussions concerning the air base at Paphos immediately become apparent.

In remarks to Russian news agency Tass, the Cypriot leader (l) voiced "deep gratitude" to Russia for its economic help (Photo: kremlin.ru) — In remarks to Russian news agency Tass, the Cypriot leader (l) voiced “deep gratitude” to Russia for its economic help (Photo: kremlin.ru)

This deal also has political implications in demonstrating that Moscow can make the most consequential agreements with EU members and suggesting its ability to break the EU’s tenuous united stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine.[iv]

Beyond Cyprus Russia has announced that it will sign a military cooperation agreement with Egypt to define “the long-term vector of our collaboration in the military field.”

Thus this document sums up the arms sales agreement reached earlier with Egypt and an agenda for future expansion of bilateral military ties.[v]

According to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Moscow has in mind specific contents of this agenda pertaining to the fight against terrorism.[vi]

Russia has been using this rubric of cooperation in the anti-terrorist struggle to promote and signal its deepening military interventions and presence in Central Asia and it is likely that in regard to Egypt and other Middle Eastern states where this slogan is being promoted it will mean a substantially enhanced Russian military presence.[vii]

One form of such a presence is a planned Russo-Egyptian naval drill in the Mediterranean and a joint rapid-reaction forces drill ostensibly against terrorists later this year.[viii]

Another such manifestation is the arms agreement between Rusia and Egypt whereby Egypt will receive $3.5 Billion worth of MiG-29 fighters, anti-tank systems, air defense systems and attack helicopters.[ix]

Moscow evidently wants a renewed presence in Alexandria and even Montenegro to have permanent bases on the Mediterranean on top of the base at Taurus in Syria and the new agreements with Cyprus.

Indeed, the new Egyptian government has said they were ready to franchise Russia to build a military base either in the Red Sea or the Mediterranean.[x]

Since “power projection activities are an input into the world order,” Russian force deployments into the greater Middle East and economic-political actions to gain access, influence and power there represent competitive and profound, attempts at engendering a long-term restructuring of the regional strategic order.[xi]

Although the agreement with Cyprus does not technically constitute a base it amounts to much the same thing, another regional port of entry for purposes of sustaining Russian power projection missions throughout the Levant.

The existing agreements with Cyprus and with Egypt clearly mark major steps towards the realization of Russia’s pre-established objectives for its permanent Mediterranean Squadron (Eskadra).

Specifically, this Squadron’s “presence will allow Russia “to secure shipping access to the Suez Canal and extend its influence in the Middle East.”.[xii]

The accord with Cyprus also presents interesting potential problems to Turkey.

What remains unclear is how Turkey – a major Russian economic partner and a NATO member – will react if Greek Cyprus becomes a key logistical node for the Russian navy in the Mediterranean.

Ultimately, however, Moscow doesn’t need much from Turkey beyond its treaty-based access to the Mediterranean; Ankara, by contrast, genuinely needs Russian natural gas and Turkey’s role in NATO imposes sharp limits on its ties to Russia anyway, as does Cyprus’ EU membership.[xiii]

This material strengthening of Russian capabilities in the Black and Mediterranean Seas is, however, part of a larger global strategy that has gradually taken shape concurrently with the occupation of Crimea and of other parts of Ukraine.

https://www.ceoe.udel.edu/blacksea/geography/index.htm l — https://www.ceoe.udel.edu/blacksea/geography/index.htm

At the same time as Moscow was first occupying Crimea, Shoigu proclaimed on February 26, 2014, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced progress in talks with eight governments to establish a global network of air bases to extend the reach of Russia’s long-range maritime and strategic aviation assets and thus increase Russia’s global military presence.[xiv] ”

Shoigu stated, “We are working actively with the Seychelles, Singapore, Algeria, Cyprus, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and even in some other countries. We are in talks and close to a result.”

Shoigu cited Russia’s need for refueling bases near the equator and that “It is imperative that our navy has the opportunities for replenishment.”[xv]

And in May 2014, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov announced that Russia is negotiating to establish support facilities in unspecified Middle Eastern countries, although we can guess that Syria, Cyprus, and Egypt are the most likely ones.

These moves show why Russia’s domination of the Black Sea is critical for power projection into the Mediterranean and Middle East.[xvi]

Thus Russia’s activities in and around the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean comprise parts of a larger, even global anti-American and anti-NATO ambition where naval forces and contingencies play a significant role.

In a recent speech the CINC of the Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov referred to the Navy’s “ocean strategy” and the large-scale procurement campaign underway to realize this vision.[xvii]

According to Chirkov, the aim of this strategy is “to ensure the state’s interests and he security of its maritime economic activity in the various regions of the seven seas.”[xviii]

Clearly the aspiration is for a global ocean-going naval capability.

While the first mission might be homeland defense, naval task obviously will far transcend that requirement which is all the Russian navy could effectively do after 1991.

And along with the invocation of this strategy Chirkov outlined a program to build the capabilities and infrastructure necessary to sustain it: a new carrier, nuclear powered destroyer, frigates and corvettes, and air capabilities.

Russia will supposedly deliver 50 or more ships to the Navy this year, including submarines as well as multipurpose corvettes and frigates.

Meanwhile the Russian air force and Navy will get over 200 airplanes and helicopters in 2015 as well.[xix]

According to Chirkov the carrier is not only to provide a platform for airplanes or aerial vehicles of all kinds but also to fight as a part of a combined arms approach if necessary.[xx]

Adm. Viktor Chirkov. /RIA/Novositi The defense minister has ordered us to form a task force that will operate in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis." — Adm. Viktor Chirkov. /RIA/Novositi “The defense minister has ordered us to form a task force that will
operate in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis.”

But here it is necessary for us also to look at the Russian UAV program which has clearly been spurred on by our extensive use of UAVs.

Russian analysts grasp that UAVs have become one of he most important categories of weapons for use in naval contingencies for ships of the main classes, even, if possible for carriers just as we are doing.[xxi]

One possibility is to deploy UAVs on board ships that need to use their weapons to provide air support and thus make them independent of support from coastal aircraft..

In anticipation of anti-ship; activities all the way up to attacks on carriers and carrier battle groups using long and medium anti-ship missiles based on surface ships, submarines, naval aviation aircraft, and perhaps coastal batteries the UAV is essential to provide accurate target detection and conduct reconnaissance while evading the enemy’s anti-air assets..

Similarly UAVs are essential to provide reconnaissance support for combating enemy light forces operating in littoral areas or conducting landing operations.

Third the UAV can detect enemy aviation groups at distances beginning at 600-700KM and help integrate the combined arms anti-air operation.[xxii]

In other words, Russian naval planning does not restrict itself to areas around the Russian littoral (including Crimea) but is thinking as well beyond the confines of anti-terrorist operations to include large-scale combined arms operations against NATO and the US at sea.

Moscow’s new position in the Black and Mediterranean Seas facilitates the acquisition of the flexibility Moscow and its navy need to conduct or prepare for a wide range of contingencies from small-scale operations and noncombatant evacuations all the way up to large-scale combined arms missions.

Accordingly as a result of Moscow’s Ukrainian campaign NATO must step up its naval and air capabilities as well as ground and air capabilities.

We cannot let the Black Sea become a closed Russian lake or permit the Mediterranean to become, as it was during the heyday of the Cold War, the cockpit of strategic rivalry between NATO and Russia, both armed with nuclear weapons.

But it is a mark of our strategic neglect that only now has awakened to the threat implicit in Russia’s Ukrainian campaign.

Notes

[i] Stephen Blank, “The Black Sea and Beyond: Naval and Strategic Consequences of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” Forthcoming

[ii] Matthew Bodner, “Crimea Annexation Boosts Russia’s Deep Space Capabilities,” Moscow times Online, March 5, 2015

[iii] Sami Kohen, “Russian Influence in East Mediterranean, “Istanbul, Milliyet Online, in Turkish, February 28, 2015, Open source Center, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Central Eurasia, February 28, 2015

[iv] Paul J. Saunders, “Cyprus Port Deal Gives Russian Navy Alternative to Tartus,”, Al-Monitor, www.al-monitor.con, March 3, 2015

[v] Moocow, TASS, in Russian, March 3, 2015, FBIS SOV, March 3, 2015

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Stephen Blank, “Russian Military Policy in Central Asia,” Paper Presented to the Conference Assessing the Capabilities of Central Asian Armies, Central Asia Program, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., January 12, 2015

[viii] Moscow, Interfax, in English, March 3, 2015, FBIS SOV, March 3, 2015

[ix] “Russia, Egypt to Hold joint Naval Drill in Mediterranean,” RT, March 3, 2015, www.r.com

[x] “Egypt Turns to Russia to Buy $4 billion Weapons Supplies,” Middle East Monitor, November 9, 2013, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/africa/8246-egypt-turns-to-russia-to-buy-4-billion-weapons-supplies-; Theodore Karasik, “Arms to Egypt, From Russia With Love,” Al-Arabiya, November 20, 2013, http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2013/11/20/Arms-to-Egypt-from-Russia-with-love.html; “Government refuses Russia’s request to set up a military base in Montenegro,” Independent Balkan News Agency, December 20, 2013, http://www.balkaneu.com/government-refuses-russias-request-set-military-base-montenegro/

[xi] Henk Houweling and Mehdi Parvizi Amineh, “Introduction,” Mehdi Parvizi Amineh and Henk Houweling, Eds., Central Eurasia in Global Politics: Conflict, Security, and Development, International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill, 2004, p. 15.

[xii] Saunders

[xiii] Ibid.

[xiv] Bruce Jones. “Russia searches for strategic airbase partner” HIS Jane’s Defense Weekly. March 4, 2014 http://www.janes.com/article/34916/russia-searches-for-strategic-airbase-partners.

[xv] Ibid.

[xvi] Moscow, Interfax, in English, May 20, 2014, FBIS SOV, May 20, 2014; Stephen Blank, “Russian Strategy and Policy in the Middle East,” Israel Journal of Foreign Relations, VIII, NO. 2, May 2014, pp. 9-25

[xvii] Moscow, Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, in Russian, March 2, 2015, FBIS SOV, March 2, 2015

[xviii] Ibid.

[xix] Ibid; Moscow, Interfax-AVN Online, in Russian, February 3, 2015, FBIS SOV, February 3, 2015

[xx] FBIS SOV, March 2, 2015

[xxi] Konstantin Sivkov, “The Russian Navy’s Drones: What Kind of Unmanned A3rial Vehicles Does the Domestic Navy Primarily need,?” Moscow, VPK Voyenno-Promyshlennyi Kuryer Online, in Russian, October 30, 2013, FBIS SOV, November 3, 2013

[xxii] Ibid.

Another aspect of the seizure of Crimea of note is upon deep space capbilities.

Another factor in this enhancement of Russian capabilities that is not commonly understood is that by occupying Crimea Moscow has also substantially enhanced its capability to monitor deep space strengthening its capability to maintain communications and keep track of the International Space Station but also other vehicles traversing deep space, including satellites.

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia's space program lost control over the Crimean deep space communications station to Ukraine. Credit: Wikipedia — With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia’s space program lost control over the Crimean deep space communications station to Ukraine. Credit: Wikipedia

Moscow has already announced its intentions to upgrade these facilities beginning in 2016.[ii]

Historically Russia’s occupation of the Crimea and of Ukraine has permitted a vast enlargement of Russian capabilities and ambitions towards the entire Eastern Mediterranean basin comprising both the Balkans and the Middle East and current events beyond the ongoing buildup in the Black Sea show that Russia is re-enacting this history.

Stephen Blank is Senior Fellow American Foreign Policy Council

For another discussion of the issues raised in this article see the following:

http://www.russia-direct.org/analysis/west-doesnt-see-russia-naval-threat-mediterranean-0

http://sldinfo.wpstage.net/connecting-the-dots-russia-shapes-a-military-infrastucture-for-influence-in-the-mediterranean/

Italian Air Force 32nd Wing RPA Engagement in Task Force Air Djibouti Concludes

Posted on March 8, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

03/08/2015

2015-03-08 The Italian Air Force deploys a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Wing, namely the 32nd Wing.

The 32nd wing of the Italian Air Force, operates the remote controlled aircraft known as Predator, and completed their first tasking with the EU Naval Force in September 2014.

According to a September 2014 story:

The Italian Predator team, which is based in Djibouti, carried out a successful 11 hour check test flight and was able to highlight its effectiveness in carrying out long-range surveillance and reconnaissance patrols.

In the coming months the remote controlled aircraft will be used to monitor the seas off the coast of Somalia where pirates have been known to operate and give an early warning of a possible attack.

As is the case with EU Naval Force warships and Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft, the remote controlled aircraft can also be used to monitor the safety of World Food Program vessels as they transit the Indian Ocean.

More recently, the 32nd Wing deployed with Task Force Air Djibouti within the frameowrk of the EUNAVFOR mission in the Horn of Africa has concluded.

Italian Air Force 32nd Wing at Djibouti. Credit: Italian Ministry of Defense

According to a story published on the Italian Ministry of Defense website on March 3, 2015:

Task Force Air deployed to Djibouti on 6 August 2014. It has operated within the framework of EUNAVFOR mission “Atalanta”, the European Union counter-piracy operation implemented in the Somali Basin and Horn of Africa to protect merchant and World Food Program ships.

Various European countries provided naval and air assets to the Operation which, over the last 6 months, was implemented by Combined Task Force 465 under Italian lead.

Italian Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft, provided by AF 32nd Wing, have been employed for over 300 flight hours in information collection, surveillance and reconnaissance activities within the framework of Task Force Air Djibouti. The mission’s objective was to protect Navy and merchant ships in transit in the Gulf of Aden from piracy threats.

RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) intrinsic capabilities allow conducting high-value operational missions. This time, Line-Of-Sight and Beyond Line-Of-Sight modes were used. The latter involved personnel and vehicles from Amendola Airport (Italy) via satellite connection, while the former was managed on a local basis by air crews stationed in Djibouti.

The Coming of the F-35C and the Evolution of Carrier Strike Power: An Interview with Jim Gigliotti, Lockheed Martin Navy Program Manager

Posted on March 7, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

03/07/2015

2015-03-03 By Robbin Laird

After having visited along with Ed Timperlake CVN-78, Fallon and having talked with Rear Admiral Manzir, the head of Naval Warfare, I had a chance to sit down with Jim Gigliotti during my plant visit to Fort Worth in late February 2015.

Gigliotti is Director, F-35C and Navy Program Manager. Gigliotti is an experienced retired Naval Officer who started by flying A-6s in the 1980s, and finished his Navy career as the Executive Assistant to the Commander, US Joint Forces Command. He previously served in several sea-going command positions including command of the Aircraft Carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

Ed Timperlake and I have focused on the coming of the F-35 within the context of the evolution of transformation approaches of the various U.S. services as well as partner nations. For the Navy this means that the F-35C is part of the overall evolution of the fleet in reshaping distributed operational capabilities or in the words of senior Navy Admiral’s “distributed lethality.”

As Vice Admiral Tom Rowden, Commander of the US Naval Surface Forces put it earlier this year:

I want to follow up on my remarks about the future of our Surface Force using the concept of distributed lethality. Distributed lethality is the Surface Force’s contribution to the CNO’s first tenet—Warfighting First—by taking a long, hard look at our Force’s strengths and weaknesses, and thinking through how best to maximize the former and mitigate the latter.

This is a relatively simple yet powerful idea. By applying the principles of distributed lethality, the Surface Force can help sustain and extend America’s competitive advantage in power projection against a growing set of sea-denial capabilities. Distributed lethality is the most effective and efficient method of capitalizing on the Fleet we have today, and the one planned for the immediate future. We simply need to make better use of the ships we have today, and think differently about how we equip and employ them.

We anticipated distributed lethality as a concept in many earlier pieces, such as my own Proceedings article on the long reach of Aegis or in Ed Timperlake’s presentation to the Air Force Association, which discussed the concept of Aegis as my wingman for the combat air force.

The broader point is simply put: the F-35 is a facilitator and enabler of a crucial evolution of the naval fleet, namely, enhancing, facilitating, and shaping 21^st century distributed operations, and shaping a 21^st century version of what the US Navy did earlier to deal with long range threats to the carrier battle group, perhaps even re-vitalizing what the Navy used to refer to as the “chain saw” approach in dealing with emerging long-rang threat capabilties.

A layer of defenses facilitated the operation of the carrier with combat aircraft at the outer edge, which provided several opportunities to defeat air-breathing threats to the carrier or to deal with subsurface threats as well.

http://www.sldforum.com/2012/04/enabling-the-asian-pivot-aegis-is-my-wingman/

The discussion with Gigliotti highlighted the cross-cutting processes of US Navy fleet innovations with the coming of the F-35C.

MOJAVE DESERT, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2014) A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Dust Devils of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., conducts an interoperability test event with a Navy F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft over the Edwards Air Force Base test range with the Mojave Desert below. The two aircraft engaged in a series of electronic exchanges to ensure that communications and sensor information could be passed effectively between platforms. The F-35C is the Navy's variant of the joint strike fighter, designed to operate at sea on aircraft carriers and is scheduled for initial deployment in 2019. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin by Matt Short/Released) — MOJAVE DESERT, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2014) A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Dust Devils of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., conducts an interoperability test event with a Navy F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft over the Edwards Air Force Base test range with the Mojave Desert below. The two aircraft engaged in a series of electronic exchanges to ensure that communications and sensor information could be passed effectively between platforms. The F-35C is the Navy’s variant of the joint strike fighter, designed to operate at sea on aircraft carriers and is scheduled for initial deployment in 2019. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin by Matt Short/Released)

Question: What is the impact of the F-35C on distributed operations?

Gigliotti: One has to understand that distributed operations have always been crucial to carrier operations. In what we used to call “chain saw”, F-14s would operate at the outer edge of the Carrier Battle Group (now Carrier Strike Groups or CSGs) and provide initial carrier defense capabilities for the battle group.

When Aegis ships and newer, better surface-to-air missiles came to the fleet we began to morph how we conducted such operations, but it was distributed operations none the less.

For strike operations against land-based targets, there was dedicated level of coordination that took place in the 90s in which Tomahawk missiles and Carrier-based aircraft were folded into complex, integrated operations.

Witness what happened during and after Desert Storm. The strike group was widely separated in order to best place ships and aircraft for most effective employment. The only time the various ships in the carrier battle group were together in one place was for the photo op.

Clearly, with emergence of new threats and build-up of state actors in specific regions, the carrier battle group may need to re-shape some variant of a 21^st century “chain saw” approach.

The E2D and the F-35, working closely with the F-18E/F and enhanced Aegis capabilities are central pieces to shaping such an approach.

The idea is to move rapidly information and assets around the battle-space in order to efficiently and decisively assign the right platform with the right capability or weapon to neutralize the threat.

What we’ve always needed in the fleet is the ability to securely move a lot of decision-quality data around the battle group so we could make quicker, faster, decisions to negate enemy reaction or employment time. That’s what it is all about.

It’s about controlling time domains.

How do I control time domains? I either have to go real fast, or I have got to be delay detection or interpretation of intentions i.e be stealthy, or I have got to control information flow. In reality we need to do all three.

But what we’re trying to eventually do is to control the time domain to our advantage.

We want to be able to determine when we could employ weapons and actually expand our own force engagement envelopes both in terms of time and distance while decreasing an adversary’s ability or opportunity to engage.

The more time I have to react, the less time he has to react, the advantage accrues to me. I do that with again, speed, stealth, and data movement.

The more I can distribute the faster I can move that data the more I can build the situational awareness (SA) the more advantage I have to employ my weapons.

It chains like that, that’s how I view it.

We’ve conducted distributed ops for a long time, but with airplanes like E2D coming online the F35 moving that data we will be able to operate at a different level of capability.

Question: The F-35C and the E2D will help the Navy to extend the reach of the carrier from a defensive point of view, but it unlocks enhanced strike capabilities as well.

How do you view this process?

Gigliotti: In Desert Storm, the USAF leadership rightly complained that USN strike aircraft spent an inordinate amount of time defending the carrier as opposed to providing ramped up sortie generation rates against Iraqi targets.

Of course, that is why the Army puts Patriots around U.S. bases and the USAF dedicates airplanes in a CAP role as well.

What the E2D and the F-35C, working alongside F/A-18s and EA-18Gs, do is to unlock more offensive capabilities from the strike force.

The F-35 was developed to operate unsupported in high-threat environments and is therefore designed with the inherent capability to gather, process and disseminate a significant amount of data by itself or by working in conjunction with other F-35s.

It can also work closely with other air wing and joint assets, and this is where the true value of the aircraft comes in.

It is an information sump.

The F-35 collects a lot of information across multiple spectrums in order to provide the pilot a fused picture of the battlespace.

While the intended use is for the aircraft itself, certain pieces of information can be shared with and amongst other F-35s and even the amongst the strike group.

If that information can be properly shared among the rest of the strike group and air wing, the F-35 helps make the entire strike group more effective and, in turn, does the same for the F-35.

By expanding the SA available for fleet defense, the numbers of assets which can be devoted to strike operations can be enhanced. Of course, it is scenario dependent, but you’re going to have more flexibility to be able to proportion forces for offensive operations in the future.

The F35 is unequivocally going to make the carrier strike group as a whole, not just the aviation side, better.

I think the E2D has already gone in that path working with Aegis ships and the Super Hornet. I think the F-35 will help take it to the next level

Question: The F-35 is entering the Navy at a time when the Navy is shaping a more synergistic force, and the operational concept of Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFCA) is clearly designed to do this.

What is your view of the contribution of the F-35C to NIFCA?

Gigliotti: For me, I prefer to speak of NIFC or Navy Integrated Fire Control.

It does not have to be anti-air.

It can be anti-surface as well.

What you are focused upon is a more effective ability to pair the right weapon from the right platform with the right targets in a timely fashion.

Clearly, an airplane like the F-35 will be a key part of that process.

An airplane like the F35 specifically because of the ability to get in and do things, not necessarily completely undetected, nothing is invulnerable, is going to provide more options for how we can build an integrated fire control network.

Again, the task is optimally to pair weapons against targets and engage those targets faster.

Question: When we spoke to Admiral Manazir about the extended reach with the F-35 brought to the fleet, a key consideration is the global fleet of F-35s.

With MADL able to connect the F-35 and create the possibility of an integrated air fleet, the ability of the carrier to tap into that fleet expands carrier capabilities and enhances the carrier’s contribution to the joint or coalition force.

How do you look at this process?

Gigliotti: There are a couple of ways to look at it.

If we look at the Marine Corps-Navy team, its integration and lethality will go up with the introduction of the F-35.

The Marines will fly F-35Bs from amphibs and F-35Cs off of carriers.

They will integrate both planes. And the operation of the F-35Bs off of the amphibs will send data to the carrier-based F-35Cs, Navy or Marine, thereby expanding the mission flexibility and lethality of both types of ships and strike groups.

In fact, Vice Admiral Tom Rowden, Commander of the US Naval Surface Forces, clearly is looking at the USMC F-35Bs as a key asset for the overall contribution to what he refers to as distributed lethality.

There is a real partnership emerging there that will affect the Navy’s future.

Imagine a pair of F-35s flying off the North Coast of Australia and operating with the RAAF whose F-35s are then part of an integrated air operation, which can be in support of an Australian operation, or a jointly declared common objective in the region.

Question: The next decade of airpower innovation will be quite interesting.

The first appearance of the F-35s will undoubtedly do what one Typhoon pilot referred to as the F-22 contribution to the Typhoon – make it more lethal and survivable.

But it will take time to unlock all of the advantages which an F-35 fleet can provide.

What is your perspective on the process?

Gigliotti: I think that is a good way to look at it.

The plane will have an immediate impact when it enters service but until the war fighters get their hands on it and wring it out, we will not know what the jet’s full impact is going to be.

The captains and the lieutenants who are flying this airplane are uncovering things that we didn’t think about in design.

And they’re going to discover all kinds of new ways to do distributed ops missions or to employ the aircraft in more lethal ways that weren’t even envisioned when this aircraft was designed.

Just like with any new airplane, the discovery curve will be steep with regard what we can do with the aircraft once we get to the fleet.

And as security limitations are sorted out, the cross-learning among the various international partners working with the US services will unlock even greater operational capabilities.

But in general this program will not realize its full capability from a military employment standpoint until we find a way to get the pilots in the room, regardless of Service or what flag they’re wearing on their left shoulder and say, “Okay… how did you do this? What did we learn? How do we do it better?” Just like any fighter mission, training or real-world operation, the debrief may be the most important part of the flight.

We need to be able to pull the right and best ideas out of the cockpit, or out of the Combat Information Centers on our Carriers and Aegis ships for that matter, in order to rapidly realize and expand what the aircraft will bring to the fleet as whole.

For additional pieces on the coming of the F-35C to the fleet see the following:

https://sldinfo.com/expanding-the-reach-of-the-integrated-strike-group-leveraging-fifth-generation-capabilities/

https://sldinfo.com/shaping-an-s-cubed-combat-revolution-preparing-for-the-coming-hypersonic-cruise-missile-threat/

https://sldinfo.com/the-evolving-future-for-naval-aviation/

https://sldinfo.com/shaping-a-21st-century-approach-to-tron-warfare-2/

https://sldinfo.com/the-arrival-of-the-cvn-78-the-ships-captain-talks-about-the-way-ahead/

https://sldinfo.com/catching-lightning-f-35c-on-the-nimitz/

https://sldinfo.com/the-coming-of-the-joint-strike-fighter-and-defense-transformation/

The video above shows the F-35C Lightning II carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter conducting its first arrested landing aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) aircraft carrier off the coast of San Diego, November 2, 2014.

Credit: Fleet Combat Camera Pacific

11/3/14

The photos in the slideshow provide various shots of operations aboard the USS Nimitz in early November 2014.

The photos are credited to Naval Media Services.

The Australian International Show Concludes: Plan Jericho Launched

Posted on March 7, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-03-07 The video wrap up to the Australian International Air Show published by the Australian MoD on March 1, 2015 highlights events.

At this year’s Avalon Air Show, the RAFF has officially released its transformation plan.

According to a story on the RAAF website published on February 23, 2015:

The Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown AO, today released a strategy to transform Air Force for the future.

Releasing Plan Jericho in Melbourne ahead of tomorrow’s Australian International Airshow at Avalon, he said that the much-anticipated plan will set Air Force on a path of transformation for the future.

“In the next ten years, the Royal Australian Air Force will have one of the most advanced aircraft fleets in the world.

This will make our Air Force operations fundamentally different.

“We cannot be complacent, by thinking that simply having the next generation of aircraft technology, will create an advanced Air Force.

The E-7A Wedgetail is already in service, and the F-35A Lightning II, P-8A Poseidon and EA-18G Growler are only a few years away.

“These aircraft will bring more data and situation awareness than ever before.

We need to be able to share this information across aircraft platforms through networking, and enable good decisions without being overwhelmed by the high volumes of data.

“We need to work across Defence, to create integration with Army and Navy’s technologies to deliver the best possible options for Government from these advanced aircraft.

“We need to transform ourselves into a truly integrated, networked force that can realise the potential of this technology, and maintain our position as masters of the air domain,” Air Marshal Brown said.

Plan Jericho is not the ‘final plan’ for the future.

Plan Jericho is the first step for Air Force to meet the challenges of the future.

More work will continue in 2015, to further develop the three themes – Harness the combat potential of an integrated force; Develop an innovative and empowered workforce;andChange the way we acquire and sustain capability.

Some of the outcomes that will flow from pursuing these themes will be the creation of an air warfare centre, development of new operational concepts and tactics and a greater focus on experimentation and testing.

“We cannot ignore the need to transform the Air Force to maintain our position at the leading edge of air power.

The changes we make under Plan Jericho will allow us to maintain our ability to deliver air power for Government, when and where it is needed.”

Plan-Jericho-Booklet

For a RAAF video outlining the Plan Jericho approach see the following:

http://www.airforce.gov.au/plan-jericho/?RAAF-CrI57877JHUU/bo9YoJ64qWYIO7G/14Q

In addition to the Plan Jericho launch, Nigel Pittaway of Defense News highlighted these developments as well:

Other bits of news released at Avalon 2015 included:

As the RAAF begins its transition under Plan Jericho, the Airbus KC-30A multi-role tanker transport will undergo certification of its fly-by-wire aerial refueling boom system during 2015.

A decision is expected on the purchase of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton during 2016.

Long lead items for the first Boeing P-8A Poseidon are under production and the first aircraft will be delivered in 2017.

The first Lockheed Martin F-35A joint strike fighter will arrive at the end of 2018.

The show also marked the public debut of the Royal Australian Navy’s Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, now being delivered to replace aging S-70B-2 helicopters.

It also featured a Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk, which flew directly into Avalon from Guam.

This marked the first time that a Global Hawk had landed at an Australian civil airport and the first time the UAV had visited an international air show.

Significant Increase In Air Defense Efforts by Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Posted on March 7, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-03-07 According to the February 2015, Japan Defense Focus published by the Japanese Ministry of Defence, there has be a significant increase in scrambles by the ASDF in 2014 compared to 2013.

And the cause?

activities_01

No surprise here: incursions by the Russians and the Chinese.

The ASDF scrambled 744 times by the end of the third quarter of FY2014. It marked a major increase of 181 times compared to the same period of previous year.

The breakdown by countries and regions was 50% against Chinese aircraft, 49% against Russian aircraft, and 1% against other aircraft although the countries and region include supposition.

The ASDF scrambled 371 times against Chinese aircraft, an increase of 84 times compared to the same period of previous year. The MOD made 13 cases public as peculiar flights of Chinese aircraft, including the long distance flight from the East China Sea to the Pacific during the third quarter.

The ASDF scrambled 369 times against Russian aircraft, an increase of 58 times compared to the same period of previous year. The MOD publicized 2 cases as peculiar flights by Russia during the third quarter.

There was no air intrusion during the period. Scrambles against Chinese fighter aircraft and Russian reconnaissance aircraft were outstanding in frequency, compared to other types of aircraft of each country, although this includes estimation.

The period of this data is from April 1st, 2014 to December 31st, 2014

Japan Defense Focus, February 2015

The Next Step in the UK A400M IOC: Delivering First Operational Payload to Cyprus

Posted on March 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

03/06/2015

2015-03-06 Recently an Atlas A400M of the French Air Force flew to the United Arab Emirates to deliver cargo to the French military.

According, to the FAF:

The A400M demonstrates a bit more each day its extraordinary capacity for projection.

It can fulfill this type of mission without stoping over in the course of the mission as is necessary with the Transall C-160 or the Hercules C-130.

It has been deployed on several occasions during operations and it supports the armed forces engaged in external theaters of operations and can both ease logistical flows of supplies while providing cost savings operationally.

Now the Royal Air Force has used its initial A400M to deliver cargo to Cyprus to support operations.

A400M 'City of Bristol' arrives at RAF Akrotiri on the evening of Tue 3 Mar on its first operational flight while still undergoing experience trials prior to working up to full operational readiness. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2015 — A400M ‘City of Bristol’ arrives at RAF Akrotiri on the evening of Tue 3 Mar on its first operational flight while still undergoing experience trials prior to working up to full operational readiness. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2015

According to the Royal Air Force in a story on the RAF website dated March 5, 2015:

The A400M Atlas, the Royal Air Force’s newest airlift aircraft, delivered a cargo of vital freight into Cyprus this week on its first operational mission as it prepares for initial operational capability later this year.

The aircraft, ‘City of Bristol’, flew into RAF Akrotiri delivering operational freight, making this training flight also Atlas’ first operational tasking. In the Captain’s seat on this historic flight was 24 Squadron pilot, Flight Lieutenant Jamie “JJ” Jackson.

He said: “This flight was incredibly significant for the RAF demonstrating the capability of the aircraft and that we are able to use it to support operations even before we are declared operational. Once we were airborne the aircraft performed well throughout all phases of flight and was great to fly.”

Destined to replace the C130 Hercules, the Atlas is a significantly larger aircraft that has been designed to project tactical air mobility capabilities at range, direct to the point of need. Wing Commander Simon Boyle, Officer Commanding 70 Squadron, said:

“This task illustrates how we are developing the use of the aircraft in this early period. We have been able to support defence operations whilst continuing to grow the experience of our Force’s aircrew instructors, before they begin to train the crews destined for 70 Squadron later this year.”

The aircraft’s load consisted of a variety of freight. Speaking at the Atlas’ UK base at RAF Brize Norton, Simon added:

“The delivery of operational freight is central to the mission of the Atlas Force. This is an important step towards the declaration of an initial strategic Air Transport capability on Atlas in RAF service, and bodes well for 70 Squadron becoming operational as the front-line Atlas squadron later this year.”

Also taking part in the aircraft’s first operational flight was 70 Squadron’s Senior Loadmaster, Master Aircrewman Ian Price. He said:

“Given Akrotiri’s pivotal role as a staging post for the RAF, this trip has provided a fantastic opportunity for us to work alongside the movements team here as we continue to develop our understanding of the impressive payload capabilities of our new aircraft.”

Currently, 9 A400Ms have been delivered to four different air forces.

The A400M Arrrives in Polynesia

Posted on March 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-03-06 On March 2, 2015, the A400M Atlas touched down in French Polynesia.

a400m-vu-par-un-casa-survol-des-iles_article_pleine_colonne

Currently, the French forces use two CN-235s to provide the means to link up with the five Polynesian archipelagos.

There is a French Air Force detachment of 190 at Tahiti’s Faa’a airfield.

The flight from New Caledonia to French Polynesia allowed the crew to validate the airport of Wallis as a landing site for the Atlas in the region.

Air transport is a crucial means to link the French forces in a dispersed part of the world.

Obviously, an airlifter like the A400m can perform a key role in support of French and allied forces in the region.

RAF Typhoon Transitioning to Close Air Support: Participating in Exercise Western Zephyr

Posted on March 6, 2015 | by Robbin Laird

2015-03-06 The Tornado is being phased out in favor of the Typhoon.

To do this, will require the Typhoon subsuming the close air support role of the Tornado.

The key to achieving this transition is the incorporation of all of the weapons currently deployed by the Tornado being integrated by Typhoon, which will have been achieved by 2020.

In an exercise with the USAF, the RAF is working its Typhoons in both the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

According to a story on the RAF website published March 5, 2015 about Exercise Western Zephyr:

Dubbed Exercise Western Zephyr, the Typhoon FGR4 multi-role aircraft operated by 6 Squadron are working closely with the F-22 Raptors of the USAF 94th Fighter Squadron to further develop the interoperability and integration of the RAF and USAF’s most capable fighter aircraft.

The RAF Commander on the exercise is Wing Commander Jim Walls. He said:”Western Zephyr is proving to be the challenging and demanding exercise we expected and one which will be hugely beneficial to both 6 Squadron and Typhoon Force as a whole. Training of this nature alongside our allies is essential if we are to keep the RAF at the forefront of combat air power.”

Typhoon participating in Exercise Western Zephyr. RAF/MOD Crown Copyright 2015

The Typhoon aircraft originally deployed to the United States in early January to participate in Exercise Red Flag at the conclusion of which eight aircraft flew to Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia . They were supported by an RAF Voyager which transported both personnel and support equipment in addition to refueling the Typhoons en-route.

The weather on arrival in Virginia was in stark contrast to Nevada ;the eastern seaboard is experiencing its worst weather in living memory. Continuing snowfall and freezing temperatures, which has seen RAF engineers digging aircraft out of deep snow and ice, has however not disrupted the generation of daily training sorties.

The senior engineering officer on 6 Squadron is Squadron Leader Alex Hunter who said: “The weather here is a stern challenge even for a squadron from RAF Lossiemouth in the north of Scotland . I am very pleased at how both the aircraft and personnel have performed, a demonstration of the ability of Typhoon Force to operate in extreme climatic conditions.”

The exercise commenced with tactical intercept training, RAF air crew operating in concert with Raptor pilots to further develop and enhance the ability of Typhoon to operate with the fifth-generation Raptor. The training is also deemed vital for the development of tactics and procedures ahead of the introduction into front-line service of the UK ‘s own fifth-generation aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II in 2018.

As the three week exercise progresses its size and complexity is steadily increasing and now includes a variety of other aircraft including E-3 Sentry,F-15 Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet and T-38 Talon acting as enemy aggressors.

The nature of the training missions has also progressed to include close air support sorties which see RAF crews working with USAF Joint Tactical Attack Controllers to strike ground targets using Paveway IV precision guided munitions guided by Litening III targeting pods.