By Robbin Laird The argument of my forthcoming report on the nature and impact of the new build Australian OPV program is that the new build OPV is shaping a new template for Australian shipbuilding. And it is one in which the role of the prime contractor is being redefined…
By Robbin Laird In the first part of this article, I posed the question: What does it mean to be a supplier to such an effort in which the prime contractor is tasked to deliver ongoing capabilities and contribute those capabilities across the force, rather than to provide simply capabilities defined…
By Robbin Laird After my visit to Perth and the Henderson Shipyard, I had a chance in Canberra to discuss the new class of OPVs with the senior leadership team in Navy and the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) within the Australian Department of Defence. Participating in the discussion…
By David Beaumont Supply chain security is the concept which encompasses the programs, systems, procedures, technologies and solutions applied to address threats to the supply chain and the consequent threats to economic, social and physical well-being of citizens and organised society. – World Bank, 2009 Deborah Cowen’s book, The deadly life of…
By Pierre Tran Paris - Dassault Aviation, builder of the Rafale fighter jet, plans to re-open April 3. The company is to open nine factories and offices, returning to “minimal” production under strict health conditions in response to the spread of coronavirus across France. The aircraft company posted on its…
By Robbin Laird I have focused in recent months on the shaping of the integrated distributed force as the core outcome of shaping a sixth-generation force. At the heart of being able to do so is to have C2/ISR systems operating on platforms which allow for synergy management, or the…
By Andrew McLaughlin When introducing a new capability, a major factor in its success – or otherwise – is its ability to be successfully integrated with other capabilities. This has become particularly crucial with the plethora of increasingly capable and expensive new generation capabilities coming on board, each of which may have multiple sensors which generate huge amounts of…
By Captain Jarrad Baldwin Three Australian politicians recently experienced what life is like for deployed Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel in the Middle East region (MER). Federal Member of Parliament James Stevens and Senators Hollie Hughes and David Van participated in the ADF Parliamentary Program (ADFPP), visiting the main ADF…
