Talking Joint Professional Military Education – Mick Ryan
The Central Blue interviewed Major General Mick Ryan, Commander Australian Defence College (ADC) about his thoughts on the importance of ...
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- Nov 4, 2018
- 4 min
A Central Blue Debrief with Air Commodore Joe ‘Vinny’ Iervasi
We debrief Air Commodore Joe ‘Vinny’ Iervasi on what lies ahead for Australian airmen. Our debriefs consist of eight standard questions and
- Sep 23, 2018
- 6 min
Finding the Cognitive Edge – Chris McInnes
Chris McInnes explores the role of cognition in warfare and asks whether we understand the types of cognition needed in the future, and what
- Sep 2, 2018
- 6 min
Preparing to Fight for the Skies Part 1 – Robert Vine
02 September 2018 Since the end of the Cold War, Western air operations and training have been built on wresting control of the air over target areas from a defensive adversary to enable follow-on operations. But what if the adversary sought to expand their freedom of action in the air while simultaneously repelling Western efforts to do the same? In this two-part series, Robert Vine examines whether the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) force structure and training regimen i
- Aug 19, 2018
- 7 min
#jointstrike Thinking to Deter – Andrew Hoffmann
19 August 2018 On 23 August 2018, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation is holding a seminar on #jointstrike to discuss the imperative for an independent deterrent. The aim of the seminar is to build a common understanding of the need for an independent joint strike capability to provide Australia with a powerful and potent deterrent and a means of demonstrating strategic intent. In the lead up to the seminar, The Central Blue will be running a series in order to generate discu
- Aug 17, 2018
- 7 min
#jointstrike Cold War Perspectives – John Conway
17 August 2018 On 23 August 2018, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation is holding a seminar on #jointstrike to discuss the imperative for an independent deterrent. The aim of the seminar is to build a common understanding of the need for an independent joint strike capability to provide Australia with a powerful and potent deterrent and a means of demonstrating strategic intent. In the lead up to the seminar, The Central Blue will be running a series in order to generate discu
- Mar 23, 2018
- 11 min
Education for 21st Century Aviators – Randall Wakelam
Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that
- Feb 28, 2018
- 9 min
#highintensitywar and the Realistic Training Paradigm: Red Flag and Aerial Warfare – Brian Laslie
28 February 2018 Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that examine the requirements of high-intensity warfare in the 21st Century. These articles provide the intellectual underpinnings to a seminar on high-intensity warfare being held on 22 March by the Williams Foundation in Canberra, Australia. In this article, Dr Brian Laslie discusses the introduction of Exercise Red Flag by
- Feb 25, 2018
- 12 min
#highintensitywar and the Enduring Legacy of Operation Bolo – Tyson Wetzel
25 February 2018 Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that examine the requirements of high-intensity warfare in the 21st Century. These articles provide the intellectual underpinnings to a seminar on high-intensity warfare being held on 22 March by the Williams Foundation in Canberra, Australia. In this article, Tyson Wetzel examines the enduring legacy of Operation Bolo, an ope
- Feb 18, 2018
- 4 min
#highintensitywar: A series introduction – Editors of TCB and From Balloons to Drones
18 February 2018 During 2017, a major war on the Korean Peninsula became a distinct possibility. As the rhetoric over North Korea’s nuclear program heated up, the preparedness of Western militaries to engage in a major war, and the likely cost of such a conflict became regular features in the news cycle. This has had the effect of transforming discussions of a major state-on-state war in Asia away from abstract, Thucydides-inspired notions of a China-United States conflict, t
- Feb 4, 2018
- 11 min
A Central Blue debrief with Air Marshal Errol McCormack AO (Retd.)
n the second Central Blue debrief, we talk with former Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Errol McCormack (Retd.) about his Air Force career
- Nov 12, 2017
- 4 min
From Fourth to Fifth Generation: Enter the F-35A Lightning II — Brian Weston
This is the third in a series of posts by Air Vice-Marshal Brian Weston (Retd.) describing the RAAF’s transition through five generations of fighter aircraft. In this post, Weston outlines how the RAAF plans to transition from the F/A-18A to the F-35A without the loss of combat capability. Australias first Lockheed Martin, F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter on its inaugural flight on 29 September 2014. [Image Credit: Lockheed Martin] Following the earlier RAAF fighter t
- Oct 22, 2017
- 5 min
Personnel Recovery: Prudent Insurance for a Fifth Generation Force — Andrew Fisher
The execution by Daesh of a downed Jordanian F-16 pilot in 2015 highlighted the importance of personnel recovery in combat zones. In this post, Andrew Fisher argues that the Australian Defence Force can already take steps to develop a personnel recovery capability that will provide the force with an insurance policy for its people and capability. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin Nobody likes paying for insurance. We all believe that ‘it
- Sep 10, 2017
- 4 min
A Second Generation Force: The RAAF’s Transition from the Avon Sabre to the Mirage IIIO
The arrival of the RAAF’s first F-35A will see a generational shift in Australia’s air combat capability. But this is not the first time that the RAAF has undergone a significant generational shift in capability. In this post, Air-Vice Marshal Brian Weston (Retd.) reflects on the experience in transitioning from first to second generation fighter aircraft in the 1960s. With the fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II waiting in the wings and time soon to be called on the venera
- Jul 23, 2017
- 6 min
Learning from Exercise BROLGA STRIKE — Emily Chapman
Military exercises provide an opportunity to observe how Defence doctrine is put into action in the field. Here, Flight Lieutenant Emily Chapman provides lessons and reflections from her participation in the Tactical Air Control Party on Army’s Exercise BROLGA STRIKE. Exercise BROLGA STRIKE was the 3rd Combat Brigade’s Combined Arms Training Activity (CATA) conducted over the period 01 Jun – 16 Jun, including a Live Fire Exercise (LFX) component. Almost 3 000 personnel deploy
- Jul 16, 2017
- 6 min
An ISR Force by Design — Paul Hay
This week saw the Australian Defence Force (ADF) undertake its largest amphibious landing since the Second World War as part of its largest and most complex joint and combined exercise, Talisman Sabre. In this post, Wing Commander Paul Hay argues that the Government’s investment in airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities presents the Air Force and the ADF with unprecedented opportunities to enhance land and littoral operations. But, he argues
- May 5, 2017
- 6 min
Preparing Air Force’s ISREW Airmen — Paul Hay
The Air Force’s exploitation of its suite of advanced capabilities will hinge on a highly-skilled and agile workforce. In this post, Wing Commander Paul Hay argues that non-commissioned personnel will provide the majority of the needed breadth and depth, and that optimising this workforce to meet future demands requires a different approach to training and management. The recent arrival of the EA-18G Growler and P-8A Poseidon aircraft heralded the introduction into service of
- Dec 14, 2016
- 6 min
Chicken and Egg: Progressing Air-Land Integration – Nathan Thompson
One of the key ways of improving air-land integration in the Australian Defence Force is through the conduct of effective joint exercises. In this post, Squadron Nathan Thompson identifies some of the barriers to effective air-land integration and proposes a solution through the adaptation of existing Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force’s single-service focussed exercises. The Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are very different organisation
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