Dr Robbin Laird, Multi-Domain Operations in Australia’s Maritime Strategy: The Army, Navy, and Air Force Orient Their Efforts, 29 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) The focus of the April 11., 2024 Williams Foundation seminar was on multi-domain operations in support of a maritime strategy. But each service focuses primarily on a particular domain and sees its role in terms of a maritime strategy from their perspective. What then really does multi-domain mean from the

Dr Robbin Laird, Aligning Airpower Capabilities with Australia’s Maritime Strategy, 26 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) At the April 11, 2024 Williams Foundation seminar, the former head of the Air Warfare Center and now Director General for Air Combat Capability, Air Commodore Ross Bender, addressed the way ahead for the RAAF in dovetailing with the new strategic focus of the Australian government. Bender noted that the RAAF although closely partnered with other al

Dr Robbin Laird, Conceptualizing Australia’s Maritime Strategy and Shaping a Government Approach, 24 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) I followed up with Jennifer Parker on April 19, 2024 with regard to her presentation on how to conceptualize Australian maritime strategic interests and strategy. We focused on how she conceptualized the strategy and the needed approach as much wider than a focus on ADF capabilities. We discussed the need for reforming the Australian

Dr Robbin Laird, Shaping Space for Autonomous Systems in the Operating Force: The Case of the Loyal Wingman, 23 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) In the re-direction of Australian defence underway by the Labor government, a key challenge will be to make progress in the three to five years ahead for the ADF and the nation in meeting the growing global threats, while investments are being made to shape a different force down the road. In such an effort, shaping a space

Dr Robbin Laird, Air Power in Australia’s Maritime Strategy, 21 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) This was the title of the presentation by Chris McInnes, a noted Australian airpower and defence analyst, to the April 11, 2024 Williams Foundation Seminar. He provided an overview of how airpower made unique contributions to Australian defence by providing rapid strike options throughout the Australian areas of interest. McInnes highlighted air power’s ability to provid

Dr Robbin Laird, Mike Pezzullo on the Strategic Shift For Australian Defence, 21 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) Australia as do all liberal democratic societies face significant limits on what they spend or what they can mobilize for defence. But with the changing strategic situation in which power is diffused globally, multi-polar authoritarian movements and states are aggressively pursuing their diversified agenda, and the global “rules-based order” is not only

Dr Robbin Laird, Shaping a Way Ahead for Australian Maritime Strategy, 20 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) The Williams Foundation Seminar held on April 11, 2024 focused on how multi-domain operations could enable Australia to more effectively execute an effective Australian maritime strategy. But such a discussion pre-supposes that Australia has a maritime strategy and a fairly clear sense of what its maritime interests are which need to be protected. The governmen

It is with great sadness that we advise the passing of Errol (Mac) McCormack Air Marshal AO (Retd). Errol was born in Bundaberg in 1941...

Dr Robbin Laird, Multi-Domain Operations in the Maritime Domain: The Significance of Digital Interoperability, 16 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info The April 11, 2024 Williams Foundation Seminar focused on multi-domain operations in support of maritime security and defence. The progress made as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been building a fifth generation enabled force needs to be continued in the years ahead. What is at stake is building an effective kill w

Dr Robbin Laird, What does a 21st century defence strategy look like for Australia in a multi-polar authoritarian world?, 16 April 2024...

Dr Robbin Laird, The Future is Now for the ADF: Shaping Space for Maritime Autonomous Systems, 15 April 2024 Link to article...

Dr Robbin Laird, Working the Sustainability Piece in Australian Defence: The Case of Munitions, 10 April 2024 Link to article...

Dr Robbin Laird, Multi-Domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy: The April 2024 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 13 April 2024 Link to article ( Defense.info The first of two seminars of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation in 2024 was held on 11 April 2024 at the National Gallery of Australia. The seminar was entitled, “The Multi-Domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy”, and the aim of the seminar was identified as follows: “To examine th

Dr Robbin Laird, Managing Trade-Offs in Force Structure Development, 13 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) When a nation is...

Financial members are invited to attend our Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunches. Dates for 2025 are Tuesday 25 February 2025...

Dates for 2025 are Financial members and Defence personnel are invited to attend our Williams Foundation Conferences. Thursday, 22 May...

Chris McInnes, Thinking CAP: air superiority and Australia’s defence, 10 December 2023 A misunderstanding of air power is distorting...

Dr Robbin Laird, The Strike Enterprise and the Royal Air Force, 3 Oct 2023 Link to article (Defense.info) Storm Shadow – Take off Warton...

Dr Robbin Laird, Deterrence and Multi-Domain Strike: The Perspective of PACAF 8 Oct 2023 Link to article (Defense.info) I have had the...

Dr Robbin Laird, Final Report, 8 Oct 2023