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Launch of the Air Force Strategy 2017-2027 – Alexandra McCubbin
On 27 February, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies officially launched ‘Air Force Strategy 2017-2027’, a vision for the Royal...
Feb 28, 20174 min read
Coming soon to a city near you? Autonomous “taxi-drones” – Editorial
The likely introduction of driverless, autonomous “taxi-drones” in major cities may have implications for the military An EHang 184 taxi...
Feb 23, 20173 min read
US Marines seek to destroy enemy drones – Jeff Schogol
US Marines fighting in the Middle East are using a variety of methods to counter the growing threat of cheap, commercial-off-the-shelf...
Feb 20, 20172 min read
Fighting in Megacities – Major John Spencer
It is widely accepted that military forces increasingly are going to have to fight in vast, dense urban areas. US Army Major John Spencer...
Feb 13, 20176 min read
Australian Defence needs an Office of Robotics – Alan Stephens
If, as the eminent strategist and military historian Edward Luttwak has argued, the people in our armed services define themselves...
Feb 7, 20174 min read
The economics of air power – Alan Stephens
Economics is almost always a factor in warfare; in the case of advanced air power it is an imperative. 100 million-dollar baby: An RAAF...
Jan 30, 20174 min read
Dogfight: Start-ups take aim at errant drones – Jeremy Wagstaff & Swati Pandey
A boom in consumer drone sales has spawned a counter-industry of start-ups aiming to stop drones flying where they shouldn’t, by...
Jan 24, 20174 min read
Innovation versus “Platformitis” – Alan Stephens
Are Western defence forces obsessed with platforms at the expense of technological innovation? According to a recent history of the US’s...
Jan 19, 20173 min read
Taking a step forward on drones – Tim Jones
Western defence forces need to do more to counter the emerging threat of COTS drones A COTS drone being tested by the US Army Cyber...
Jan 16, 20174 min read
Putting F-35B on the Canberra Class LHDs: The Debate Continues – Steve George
This year’s opening article revisits the F-35B debate sparked by Jenna Higgins’ post from December 2016. Steve George’s...
Jan 9, 201710 min read
“Ten Propositions Concerning Armed UAVs”: a review – Alan Stephens
Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper detailed the government’s intention to acquire armed unmanned aircraft within the next decade. A...
Dec 19, 20163 min read
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...
Dec 14, 20166 min read
Is ‘A’ really better than ‘B’? – Jenna Higgins
‘Flexibility is the key to air power’ is one of the favourite clichés of the professional airman. In this post, Flight Lieutenant Jenna...
Dec 6, 20163 min read
Of Self-Destructive Inertia and Turboencabulators: The Rationale for The Central Blue
Today, 2nd December, marks three months since The Central Blue published its first post. Though the start has been modest (25 posts...
Dec 2, 20166 min read
Trudeau’s folly: Canada’s new ‘interim’ fighters – Christopher Cowan
When we discuss the politics of air power it is generally in the context of its employment, not its development. The F-35 appears to have...
Nov 29, 20164 min read
Red Team: How to Succeed By Thinking Like the Enemy: A Review – Jason Begley
The term ‘Red Team’ has made the transition from its origins within military war-gaming to the lexicon of both government and business....
Nov 22, 20165 min read
A Day Without an ATO – Chris McInnes
The Air Tasking Order (ATO) is the cornerstone of modern air power command and control: If you’re not on the ATO, you don’t fly. But...
Nov 18, 20167 min read
Strategy: Key Thinkers: A Review – Travis Hallen
The study of strategy is a daunting undertaking. Not only must students wade through the dense tomes of the strategy masters but they...
Nov 15, 20165 min read
Air Power and the Challenge of Professional Military Education – Ross Mahoney
The Royal Australian Air Force is experiencing a renewed focus on Professional Military Education and Training (PMET). Not only are...
Nov 11, 20167 min read
Looking beyond conflict: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance in Humanitarian Assistance
The demand for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets has grown exponentially in recent years, as commanders...
Nov 8, 20164 min read
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