From the Ready to the Future Force: Key Warfighting Capabilities for the New Strategic Environment

10/05/2024
By Robbin Laird The strategic environment has clearly changed and the level of real world conflict has escalated, whether in terms of major hot wars – in the Middle East and in Europe – or in terms of active gray zone conflicts. The ready force needs to deal with this…

How Does the Ready Force Deal with a Rapidly Changing Operational Environment?

10/04/2024
It is fine to have long-range force structure planning, but what happens when the operational environment is rapidly changing for your operational force? How to adapt the ready force effectively and adeptly in a timely manner? And what consequences does that have for one’s long-range force structure design? The presentation…

The Chief of the Australian Army Explains How They are Dealing with the Simultaneous Challenges of the Three R’s

10/03/2024
In the September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams seminar, we focused on how the force in being can evolve effectively in the near to mid-term as investments are being made in future force capabilities, most notably the new SSNs. This means that the services have to deal with three challenges…

Building Combat Mass: An Air Force Perspective

10/02/2024
By Robbin Laird The panel on combat mass was chaired by the former Air Commander Australia, AIRMSHL (Retd) Darren Goldie who provided an overview to the discussion. AIRMSHL (Retd) Darren Goldie introduced the panel with a clear overview regarding the challenge. This is how introduced the subject: The definition of…

The Force in Being to Protect the Nation: Its More than the ADF’s Role

10/01/2024
By Robbin Laird We focused in the September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams seminar on ways for the force in being to be augmented in the short to midterm. But for the effective defence of Australia as a nation, one needs to expand the notion from a force in being…

The Perspective of Australia’s AUKUS Partners on Shaping the Way Ahead for Airpower

09/28/2024
General Kevin Schneider, Commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces and AVM Mark Flewin, Air Officer Commanding 1 Group Royal Air Force both spoke at the September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar. The first presentation was by a video recording and the second was an in person presentation after…