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During my September trip to Australia, I had a chance to sit down with the CEO of Penten, Matthew Wilson, along with my colleague John Blackburn, to discuss the role of Australia defence industry in direct defence of Australia.
“Penten is an Australian owned, multi-award winning, cyber technology business.
“We offer unique, sovereign capability to deliver new defence and security technologies for the future fight. Our advanced hardware and software products and services support government and defence clients with Secure Mobility, Applied AI and Tactical Communications Security solutions.
“Our aim is to deliver world-leading security technologies to realise digital advantage for the nation Our work is dedicated to enabling the modern warfighter and policy maker with information to deliver advantage.”
The interview focused largely on his assessment of the digital defence and security domain because logically that is where is business operates.
We started with a discussion of the core book which analyzed the contribution of U.S. industry in win winning World War II. Freedom’s Forge by Arthur Herman laid the conditions under which the government worked with industry to create an arsenal of democracy.
As Wilson noted: “The book provides a look at what is required to mobilize an industrial base. What financial incentives are required? What approach be government is required? If industry is to make smart investments to build and support an arsenal of democracy how to do so?”
And shaping an arsenal of democracy either starts with or includes securing the digital domain.
Here Perry argued that Australia is making strides in the right direction. “It’s taken us a little while to try and get norms of behavior established concerning what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable within the cyber realm.
“But one of the things I’m actually quite proud of from Australian perspective is that Australia – both government and industry –has accepted the need to support the policy development in that space.”
Wilson noted that such an effort is crucial to operating in the “gray zone of conflict” which Australia operates within with China and others.
“But now the challenge is changing.
“The truth of matter is, the last 20 years, we’ve been in conflicts that we haven’t needed to consider the interruption of the digital supply lines as a core defence and security challenge: it was not going to happen, and it didn’t happen.
“Now it is a core element for the defence and security of the Commonwealth.”
“And in this domain, we have to think not only about the first strike.
“It’s about what a sustained conflict looks like in the digital domain”
This falls in the domain of robust defence of national infrastructure as part of the direct defence of Australia.
But what about the defence materiel necessary for Australian defence?
Wilson assessed the challenge as follows: “When you think about cyber resilience for us it is slightly different to the way that others who would rely on their own industrial base alone to produce the material to be able to fight effectively.”
Such defence materiel will exist only in alliance team concept for Australia. “
We’re on a team, and you need to make a contribution to the team; you’ve got to pick your places we can make those types of contributions.
“My genuine belief is that this is a space where Australia can create some industrial capability that it can feed back into the allied combined effort to create an arsenal of democracy.”
Wilson felt there was a need a comprehensive approach to thinking about a way ahead for the arsenal of democracy.
“We need to think of how can mobilize industry and not just the defence industry narrowly considered.”
Dutch, German and Norwegian soldiers took part in exercise Spartan Arrow in Chania, Greece.
The exercise took place from late September to early October 2022. In the span of two weeks, the exercise focused on the integration of the participating nations’ ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems.
These ground-based defensive systems contribute to the integrated shielding of NATO’s territory.
Brendan Sargeant, my late friend and colleague, and a noted Australian defence strategist, underscored the importance of strategic imagination when reshaping defence and foreign policies when entering a new historical era, such as we are doing right now.
“A country will possess a strategic imagination which will have evolved over time in response to the influence of geography, history, culture, and the many other tangible and intangible forces that go to create a community and its vision of itself. A country’s strategic imagination is a living thing, dynamic and evolving in contact with the world, and full of contradictions. In those rare moments in a country’s history where a genuine choice must be made and action taken, a country’s strategic imagination becomes most visible.”
Clearly, this is such a time for the Nordic countries as Finland and Sweden join NATO and Denmark sheds its restrictions on working defence issues within the European Union. I had a chance during the recently held Euronaval salon held in Paris to meet with Nordic colleagues to discuss the challenge and way ahead for Nordic defence cooperation and integration going forward in the new historical epoch.
Fortunately, my colleague Rear Admiral (retired) Nils Wang was attending and I had a chance to discuss his take on how one should think about the “new” defence geography of a Nordic defence that included both Sweden and Finland in NATO.
He started by underscoring that “for the first time in our lifetimes not only do the Nordic countries share common values but will work within a common defence alliance. Although Sweden and Finland over the years cooperated more fully with NATO countries, they will now be fully integrated into NATO defence planning. That means they will look at their capacities compared with other NATO countries in order to have the right balance in the region.”
“Now one needs to think in terms of defence of the North of Europe from Iceland to the Finnish and Norwegian borders.
“How do we build capacities which can operate throughout this entire region and deliver the kind of defence and crisis management effects that can deter Russia or for that matter Chinese intrusions into Nordic economic, security and defence concerns?
“This means as well that the Baltic Sea becomes a NATO sea, and the Nordics and their NATO allies can focus on how operational reach from the Baltics into the North Atlantic can best be generated and deterrence best served.”
Wang highlighted “that seen from the whole of region perspective, we will have different foci for different countries within the region seen as a whole. Finland which shares a long land corridor with Russia is and will continue to focus on their capabilities to manage any border threats. But now they can look back to the rest of the Nordic region and to other NATO allies to provide strategic depth for them.
“And if one looks at the western end of the Nordic defence region, there is Iceland. They are located in the middle of the GIUK gap. Iceland is focused on this area in terms of hosting NATO forces for North Atlantic defence, and not like Finland on the Eastern flank of NATO.
“Sweden is geographically behind Finland, but consider themselves a front-line state in a security environment where the Baltic states and the Baltic Sea are key regions facing directly the Russian threat. To deal with these challenges, Sweden will need to rework, and to use your words, reimagine how their maritime forces can provide for their defence and fit into a wider Nordic/NATO framework. The Swedish Navy is structured to operate in the Swedish archipelago relying on the land-based air defence umbrella. I think that the Swedish Navy needs to operate further at sea in the new strategic setting with more organic air defence on their ships and maybe even use these weapons to create geographic depth in the national air defence.”
“With regard to Norway, they share a common border with Russia and are the Northern Flank of NATO in that sense. Their ground-air forces are focused on this part of their defence challenge while their Navy and Air Force are focused on the Kola Peninsula and how best to contain the Russian Northern Fleet.
“Denmark is likewise focused on that threat from the Kola Peninsula but as well with regard to the Baltic Sea. We are working with the U.S. Second Fleet and the Allied Joint Forces Command in Norfolk to work the defence in depth challenge as well.
“We need to protect the basing and staging areas within Denmark with the kind of air defence systems crucial to do so. We are a bridging nation as the Kingdom of Denmark embraces Greenland and the Faroe Islands which are part of the reinforcement for Northern Europe from North America requirements in times of crisis.”
He then summed up how to look at the new defence situation facing the Nordics as they work towards enhanced integration.
“When one talks about Nordic military cooperation, it’s not enough to talk about one country cooperating with another country.
“One needs to go deeper and to find out what are they cooperating about. It will be air force cooperation for some countries; it will be land forces cooperation for other countries; and it will be naval cooperation for all of the Nordic countries, whether focused on the Baltics, the Kola Peninsula or into the North Atlantic and the GIUK gap.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. William Hock, the assistant director of operations assigned to the 354th Operations Group DET 1, sits down for an interview detailing the history, purpose, and behind-the-scenes operations of RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1.
Exercise participants featured the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Air Force, NATO AWACS and other units from across the U.S. Air Force.
U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268, perform maintenance on the internal weapon system of the MV-22B Osprey at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Hawaii, Feb. 16, 2022.
VMM-268 performs regular maintenance on their aircraft so they can be ready in a moments notice when called upon.
During my visit to Euronaval on October 20, 2002, I had a chance to talk with Tuija Karanko, the Secretary General of the Association of Finnish Aerospace and Defence Companies. I will highlight what the Association does and focuses upon in the appendix to the interview, where I will republish an article by Ms. Karanko focusing on that question.
What I focused with her was her perspective on Finland come into NATO and how that impacted both Finland and the Alliance. Finland is one of the most serious states about defense in Europe; it did not abandon direct defense for the away game in the Middle East, nor did it abandon conscription or comprehensive security.
Indeed, Finland provides leadership by example for much of the rest of the Alliance including the United States. Indeed, coming from Australia where I spent the month of September and discussed throughout the month the challenge of focusing on the direct defense of Australia, many of the capabilities which Finland has built are relevant for shaping Australia’s way ahead, most notably comprehensive security.
Our discussion indeed started with Ms. Karanko underscoring that Finland was a net contributor to Western defense and security, not a free rider. “We never abandoned the direct defense of Finland in the post-Cold War period. We have a general conscription service and polls regularly indicate that more than 80% of Finns stand ready to defend their country. This is in our DNA as a nation.
“We are a small country of 5.6 million citizens, but we focus on comprehensive security. Our defense approach encompasses the private sector and the ability to mobilize society and our economy in times of crisis. We are very concerned to defend our critical infrastructure as part of our comprehensive security approach.”
We then discussed how Finland and its defense industrial capabilities might intersect with the wider Alliance as Finland became a member. Naturally, now that Finland would be a member of NATO new opportunities to work across European and transatlantic industry were opening up.
She certainly is aware of the challenges to do so but felt that Finland brought several advantages to the table in terms of its defense industrial products and capabilities. Finland builds very robust equipment which can work in harsh conditions. It builds stockpiles of its supplies as well. And designs its equipment to be used by conscripts which means mobilization is facilitated by ease of use of Finnish equipment.
If a society is to mobilize, having only complex high-end equipment will make it difficult to do so. Given the Finnish approach to defense and comprehensive security, Finland has built equipment designed to support a citizen force along with high-end equipment such as the F-35.
She noted: “Our equipment needs to rugged. It needs to be capable of heavy use with a very long lifecycle. We are focused on the training side and the logistical side as a key element for the operation of our forces. A key question guiding or equipment approach: how quickly can you used the equipment and with how few people does using it require?”
She highlighted as well the core competencies of Finland in the communications field and the priority which securing something like a 5G network in a crisis is for the performance of a nation in defending itself. In my own interviews with regard to exercises in Norway as well as operations in Ukraine during the war, the ability to use secure civilian communication networks both for ISR and C2 have been clearly evident.
We Finns are famously modest, but Finland is, according to many international rankings, one of the world’s top countries. We are consistently ranked in the global top 3 in terms of education, innovation, professionalism, security and trustworthiness. For the past two years, Finland has even been named the happiest country in the world!
Finland is a country at the forefront of high-level technologies and digital solutions. This is also the case with Finnish defence industries. Finnish defence and aerospace companies are market leaders in our chosen systems and technologies. These include armoured wheeled vehicles, turreted mortar systems, certain C4ISR/C5, systems, and logistical solutions.
Most Finnish defence companies are privately owned SMEs. They invest significantly in R&D, ca. 15% of their annual turnover. Apart from being acknowledged internationally for producing high-quality, premium products with long life-cycle performance, the companies excel in their methods of utilizing technology and combining so-called civilian technologies into military systems.
The Finnish climate sets demanding requirements for defence technologies. Everything must function reliably in an arctic environment as well as in summer’s heat and autumn rainfalls – and be NATO interoperable. We do excel in snow-how, but most of our products are used in the most demanding environments and crisis management operations around the world. The volume of exports varies annually from 40 to 60 % of companies’ turnover.
Military Security
In Finland, a viable and competitive domestic defence industry is a fundamental element of credible national defence. Finnish technology expertise plays a vital role in the entirety of the defence system providing in-country capabilities (military security of supply).
Finland is also an open market for defence goods. Despite high-level technological expertise and skills, Finland’s own defence industrial capacity is focused on certain specific areas and, therefore, we have chosen to procure many major systems and platforms from abroad.
Military security of supply means that Finland must sustain the necessary industrial and technological competence and autonomy. That includes maintaining and tailoring critical systems so that their independent use can be guaranteed in all conditions.
The Finnish defence industry is integrated into the Finnish defence system in many ways. A major part of army, navy and air force maintenance has been outsourced to domestic companies, which act as close partners to the Defence Forces. The Finnish Defence Partnership model relies on companies carrying out their responsibilities, at all times, to secure military capabilities. We believe that the proper level of military security of supply can only be maintained through competitive defence companies with processes, systems, products, services and partnerships to match.
AFDA
The Association of Defence and Aerospace Industries, AFDA, represents Finnish companies within defence, aerospace and security. AFDA has ca. 130 member companies. It is a member of ASD – AeroSpace and the Defence Industries Association of Europe. AFDA also represents the Finnish companies at EDA, NATO and Nordic fora.
AFDA works in close cooperation with the Finnish Defence Establishment and other security authorities in Finland. AFDA is your point of contact for defence business in Finland. We can support you in networking with Finnish companies and in understanding the business environment in Finland.
At the September 28, 2022 Williams Foundation Seminar, the Chief of the Australian Navy, VADM Mark Hammond, noted that: “I have spent much of the past 83 days as Chief of Navy working to build strong relationships in Canberra and importantly with my counterparts from Fiji, Indonesia, the UK, France, Japan, India, Singapore, Canada, the United States, South Korea, and Thailand – just to name a few. I have been six countries in the last eight days and am pleased to hold a strong relationship with the French Navy and ADM Vandier, who has generously closed the book to our previous commercial relationship and is focused on our enduring strategic partnership.”
And several stories published by the ADF since August of 2022 have highlighted the working relationship with France.
On 27 August 2022, in an article by Captain Taylor Lynch, the engagement with French soldiers from New Caledonia was highlighted:
Soldiers and officers from the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia (FANC) have arrived at Gallipoli Barracks to begin training with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, for Exercise Peronne.
Following their mandatory two weeks of quarantine, the FANC contingent of 28 received a warm welcome from local Indigenous elder Uncle Desmond Sandy, who performed a Welcome to Country ceremony.
Familiarisation training at 6 RAR soon began, so they can integrate with Alpha Company and the rest of Brisbane’s 7th Combat Brigade on Exercise Diamond Dagger.
FANC Contingent Commander Captain Paul said he was eager for his soldiers to learn in an environment completely foreign to them, in a country which has fought side by side with France since World War I.
“The aim is to work together with 6 RAR’s Alpha Company to see how they work, show them our procedures, and work together to improve,” Captain Paul said.
“We are good soldiers, we’re very happy to improve ourselves on Exercise Diamond Dagger.
“The environment is new, none of us have been here before, it’s a new field training area, a new ‘enemy’, but I’m confident we will be able to work well alongside Alpha Company.”
Uncle Desmond Sandy talks to French soldiers and members of 6 RAR during a Welcome to Country ceremony. Photo: Corporal Nicole Dorrit
Commanding Officer 6 RAR Lieutenant Colonel Richard Niessl said the FANC contingent were eager to take advantage of their time in the Australian bush.
“They’re young, they’re energetic, they’re motivated, they’re keen to be here, they’ve got the same level of enthusiasm for being in Australia as we would have if we had the opportunity to go to France or New Caledonia,” LTCOL Niessl said.
“This week they’ll do their integration with Alpha Company, including training on the vehicles, weapons training, some physical training sessions, so we can commence Exercise Diamond Dagger next week.
“We’ll do the field-based integration over the next few weeks.”
LTCOL Niessl said combined training with the FANC was important.
“The most important thing is that we strengthen our relationship with the French Armed Forces, we build stronger connections, develop our interoperability, and learn from each other,” he said.
“Strengthening the connection between our two nations is vital, so when we do need to work together in the future, the foundations are already in place.
“The FANC contingent have been excellent, they fit in perfectly, and they’re very eager to learn.”
On 23 August 2022, an article focusing on cooperation with the French air and space force was published:
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF) rendezvoused over the Coral Sea on 17 August 2022.
Following the FASF’s deployment from France to New Caledonia, travelling over 16,000kms, Dassault Rafale fighters and a Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft were greeted by RAAF No. 6 Squadron EA-18G Growlers between New Caledonia and Australia.
Commander Air Combat Group, Air Commodore Tim Alsop, said the meeting highlights the strength of the continued engagement between the two nations, and the ability to deploy air combat capability at short-notice.
“The FASF conducted a rapid 36 hour deployment to New Caledonia with Dassault Rafale aircraft and a Multi-Role Tanker Transport,” Air Commodore Alsop said.
“The capability to rapidly deploy with a small but potent force demonstrates the RAAF’s ability to project power and respond efficiently at short notice.
“It was a fantastic opportunity for our Growler aircraft to join the French Dassault Rafale aircraft for the last leg of their journey to Australia.”
Australia and France’s continued defence relationship is driven by shared values and an ongoing commitment to regional stability within the Indo-Pacific region.
Air Commodore Tim Alsop said both nations are committed to further enhancing engagement and interoperability.
“We are committed to ensuring a stable, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, and will continue to work closely with our coalition partners.”
French and Australian forces have come together again during Exercise Pitch Black 22 in the Northern Territory which will run until September 8.
And finally in the RAAF’s official newspaper published on 27 October 2022, the cooperation on air tankers was highlighted during Exercise Pitch Black 2022.
FLTLT Rob Hodgson 33SQN recently had the privilege of hosting a French Air Force Airbus Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), and personnel from both countries took the opportunity to strengthen mutual ties and professional development through collective training.
The French aircraft was based out of RAAF Base Amberley as part of a commitment to Exercise Pitch Black 22.
Both services are equipped with the Airbus A330 MRTT, known as the KC-30A in Australian Service and as the Phenix in French Service.
The French deployment coincided with 33SQN conducting cabin manager ground training as part of an upgrade program. All cabin managers must complete the training prior to commencing flying training.
Crew Attendant with 33SQN CPL Ryan Massingham helped facilitate the collaboration with the French Air Crews.
“The cabin manager training involved multiple scenarios, implementing a wide variety of emergency procedures such as preparing for an emergency landing or reacting to an on-board galley fire,” CPL Massingham said.
The timeliness of the visit pro- vided the opportunity to involve the French Air Force cabin crew members in the training.”
The French crew members observed how ground training evolutions and scenarios were conducted. They also provided feedback to 33SQN crew attendant instructors on how the French complete their scenarios and procedures.
“The French Air Force crews operated to a high level of professionalism and we both gained a lot through our interactions during their stay,” CPL Massingham said.
“They were also very inviting to our crew attendants, allowing us to observe how they conducted business.
“This wasn’t limited to just ground based activities as we had a mutual inter-fly agreement, so we were able to learn from each other in an airborne environment.”
As the launch operator of the air- craft type, the RAAF has built up an enviable level of expertise in the operation of the Airbus A330 MRTT.
The success of the aircraft in operational use has since led to its acquisition by a number of other nations including France, the United Kingdom, Singapore and South Korea.
And, most recently, in a 7 November 2022, a story by Sgt. Matthew Bickerton, focused on army training for the two forces:
Leeches, snakes, and a ‘velociraptor-like’ bird greeted soldiers from the French Armed Forces in New Caledonia in Tully, while training with the Australians from October 17-28.
They also encountered giant white-tailed rats, big lizards, beetles, swarms of ants and a cassowary – a large bird known for attacking humans with its dagger-like claws.
Private Thimeo, a squad leader from the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, said the cassowary was such a curiosity, but they were told to stay away from them.
During training soldiers discovered all sorts of critters that bit, stung and sucked.
“We had leeches all over our ankles, wrists, neck and tummy,” he said.
“We pulled them off using a lighter, salt, and the issued insect repellent, which is what the Australian soldiers recommended.”
The French soldiers trained with the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, taking part in camp searches, attacks, jungle living, ambushing and counter ambushing.
Private Thimeo said for most of the French soldiers, it was their first-time combat training in the jungle.
“The difference here is that it gets super-hot, then in an instant it just rains,” he said.
“We’re forced to adapt how we fight and communicate in the field.”
French Armed Forces in New Caledonia soldier Private Thimeo, left, climbs over a vertical tyre obstacle during Exercise True Grit at the Tully training area, Queensland. Photo: Sergeant Matthew Bickerton
The training ended in a resilience exercise called True Grit.
This involved a bear pit, stretcher carry, bayonet assault course, blindfolded weapon assemblage, a memory game, and an obstacle course.
Traversing ropes upside down on the obstacle course was challenging, Private Thimeo said, but found the bear pit to be a welcome cool down during the physically demanding activity.
Sections competed for the fastest time, with the French coming out on top.
Featured Photo: Corporal Ryan Massingham, a KC-30A Crew Attendant with No 33 Squadron, conducts Cabin Manager Training with a French officer of the French Armee de L’air at RAAF Base Amberley on 8th September 2022. The Armee de L’air stationed an Airbus Multi-Role tanker transport at RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland, during Exercise Pitch Black 2022. Credit: Australian Department of Defence.
In a November 2, 2022 articled by the Australian Department of Defence, the cooperation between the A330MRTT air forces was highlighted.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) have signed an arrangement formalising their cooperation in air-to-air refuelling.
Air Vice-Marshal Darren Goldie, AM, CSC, Air Commander Australia and Lieutenant General Park Ha Sik, Commander, ROKAF Operation Command signed the agreement in September 2022.
The arrangement acts as an opportunity for alignment in procedures for air-to-air refuelling and to help further promote interoperability between the forces of Australia and the Republic of Korea.
RAAF regularly conducts training and exercise activities with ROKAF, with the conduct of aerial refuelling a key component of collaboration between the two.
Air Vice-Marshal Goldie said the agreement was an important step forward in enhancing the partnership between the two air forces.
“This helps further ensure that our two air forces can support one another in the skies, during exercises and training activities and on any future operations,” Air Vice-Marshal Goldie said.
“The transfer of fuel when required to sustain and prolong our presence in the air is critical to our aircraft being able to successfully project air power.”
Lieutenant General Park Ha Sik said the agreement would contribute to the expansion of the two air forces’ area of air operations and to the enhancement of the combined operational capability.
“As strategic partners, various collaboration between the two countries should take place in the future,” Lt Gen Park said
“This implementing arrangement will be the ironclad foundation for the development of the military cooperation between Australia and the Republic of Korea.”
The deployment of a ROKAF KC-330 tanker to Australia for Exercise Pitch Black was the most recent refuelling interaction between RAAF and ROKAF.
The featured photo: Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II and Republic of Korea Air Force KF-16U Fighting Falcon aircraft conduct air to air refuelling with a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport and a Republic of Korea Air Force Multi-Role Tanker Transport in the skies around Darwin as part of Exercise Pitch Black 2022.
