“The airplane was never the only point.” By Robbin Laird. Lt. Col. Chip Berke, one of the first Marine pilots to fly the F-22, used to make a point about the iPhone. When Steve Jobs introduced it, he described three devices in one. Nobody describes it that way now. What proved revolutionary was the ecosystem that grew up around the phone. The same is true of fifth-generation airpower. For two decades, the West argued about the airplane: its cost, its schedule, its software, its place in a procurement ledger. The real subject was how a force fights, trains, sustains, and networks, and how its allies fit together. That subject was much harder to see. So it was much harder to study. My latest article reflects on the years from 2004 to 2018, when I tried to understudy that transformation. It was a role learned by watching the principals perform it, and a subject that was itself understudied. Several lessons stand out: The term “fifth generation” came from Secretary Michael Wynne, who used language to force a break in thinking. Once the custodians of that message left, the “replacement” frame hardened, and a cost debate stood in for a transformation debate. The evidence appeared at the edges: on the USS Wasp during the F-35B sea trials, in the Osprey’s Bold Alligator exercises, in squadrons inventing new tactics. Observers who stayed with the visible event missed the actual one. Some allies grasped the point before the United States did. Australia treated the F-35 as the spearhead of fifth-generation warfare and launched Plan Jericho to change the force around it. Those who treated the aircraft as an occasion for institutional change got a transformation. Those who treated it as a purchase got a purchase. Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn’s roadblocks (the acquisition business model, energy, networks, and weapons policy) read less like a 2018 snapshot than an agenda for the 2020s. None of them is about the airplane. All of them are about the ecosystem that determines whether the airplane matters. That is the lesson for the next transformation, whether autonomous systems, distributed maritime forces, or collaborative combat aircraft. Watch the language. Find the custodians. Study at the edge. Take the fleet and alliance view seriously. Expect the roadblocks to be institutional. The binding constraints are rarely in the thing you are buying. Read the full analysis: https://defense.info/featured-story/2026/10/reflections-on-fifth-generation-and-the-challenge-of-understudying-airpower-transformation/

“The next generation of airpower is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month.” By Robbin Laird. The Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar in Canberra on 1 October was framed around a platform question: does Australia have enough air combat mass? By the end of the day, almost nobody in the room was answering it that way. Operators, industry executives and visiting commanders kept reaching for the same ideas: sustainment, industrial capacity, people, architecture, and a society’s willingness to carry a long fight. My latest analysis tests my argument for regenerative airpower against what was said in the room. The next generation of airpower is an enterprise rather than a platform. The quality that matters most is the capacity to absorb attack, replace losses and keep generating combat effects across a campaign, not just a single engagement. The seminar supported that argument and also sharpened it. The generation labels lose their grip. A fourth-generation airframe with fifth-generation avionics, sensors and weapons is no longer a fourth-generation aircraft in any useful sense. The India–Pakistan air clash of May 2025 showed it: the platforms were comparable and the enterprises were not. The grind is the test. One presenter’s graph of combat effect over time made the case. The height of the curve in the grind is set by industrial capacity, so industrial readiness is a force design question, not just an industry one. Depth is a design choice. That means multi-nodal command and control with no single point of failure, and hardened bases with layered defence. Both have to be paid for before the war. Mass was reconsidered. Several speakers cautioned against framing attritable aircraft as mass built to be spent. Their value is that they can be replaced, and that is true only if an enterprise exists to build, supply, maintain and integrate them. People are the part you cannot surge. The workforce of the enterprise is much wider than the workforce of the squadron. The enterprise extends to the nation. Capability without public understanding and will becomes a Maginot line. The seminar left open questions, including basing, access and the limits of air power. Bases are the part of the enterprise an adversary will target first. But what the speakers described is a different idea of the next generation, and the thing being regenerated is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month. Read the full analysis: https://defense.info/featured-story/2026/10/what-the-williams-foundation-seminar-told-us-about-the-next-generation/

“If the platform is a node, the enterprise is the weapon.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation’s October 1 seminar in Canberra, three sessions on air combat mass and depth said more together than any one of them said alone. Air Marshal Paul Lloyd spoke from the European theatre, where the RAF is resetting its combat air strategy around a war on its own continent. Air Commodore Jarrod Pendlebury and Wing Commander Chris McInnes made the national case for airpower. General Mark Kelly, former commander of US Air Combat Command, and Air Vice-Marshal (Ret’d) Steve Roberton took on what recent wars actually teach. Each stood somewhere different. Each described a different layer of the same problem. Read in sequence, they converge: Control of the air is the foundation, but it is a means. Lloyd shows why airpower cannot be dispensed with. Pendlebury shows why its value to the nation exceeds the air battle itself. Mass has to be affordable, and the economics are the strategy. A $6 million interceptor against an $80,000 drone is not a sustainable exchange. But as Kelly warns, cheap mass is getting better on both sides. Range and depth are the same problem seen from two sides. “If it’s a 500 nautical mile tool for my 1,000-mile problem, I don’t need it.” Connection decides who sees first. In a contested spectrum, autonomy is how a kill chain survives its own severing. And Boyd’s order still holds: people, ideas, things. What emerges is less about the next aircraft than about building an air force that can absorb loss, sustain tempo and regenerate combat power over a long fight across very long distances. Airpower’s next generation will be defined less by a generation number than by whether it is an enterprise that can regenerate. For Australia, that means hard questions. Can sustainment surge by an order of magnitude? Are crews trained for jamming and uncertainty before the first real mission? Can “more options, more places, more often” be turned into measurable requirements? None of the three sessions claimed to answer them. Together, they made clear why they must be asked, and in what order. Read the full analysis: https://defense.info/featured-story/2026/10/five-airmen-on-the-way-ahead-for-airpower/

EVENTS EVENTS Our events are a fusion of unique insights and powerful networking opportunities Our events attract an influential cross-section of Defence leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to share international and local experiences around future force thinking. Whether it be our day-long seminars, or our popular luncheon series, they're proven to be forums that offer focused, sharp insights that generate crucial ideas for the future. Upcoming Events Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch - Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton, AM Tue, 17 Nov More info Book What to expect The Foundation organises a range of events through the calendar year. Find out more about each series and their format. Seminars Errol McCormack Member Lunches Annual Sponsors and Supporters Dinner Errol McCormack Member Lunches The Williams Foundation hosts 4 member lunches annually in Canberra. Keynote speakers include senior military, public officials and industry presenting on a range of current, operational and strategic topics Frequency: Quarterly Attendees: Members and invited VIP guests Cost to members: Complimentary Location: Canberra Registration Details: Essential - places are limited and registrations are on a first in basis Day Seminars The Williams Foundation hosts 2 x one-day seminars per year that link to our strategic outlook framework set by the Board. Frequency: Biannually Attendees: Defence personnel, members, sponsors & invited VIP guests Cost to members: Complimentary for members and Defence personnel Location: Canberra Registration Details: Essential - places are limited and registrations are on a first in basis Annual Sponsors and Supporters Dinner Held annually the Sponsors and Supporters VIP Dinner is a small dinner with senior leaders. Invitations are sent to senior military and Defence leaders, industry and politicians. Frequency: Annually Attendees: Invited VIP guests include senior military and Defence personnel and politicians Access: 1 x place each for Corporate Partners, Sponsors and Premium Annual Corporate Members. Location: Canberra Recent Event Highlights Our events focus on the contemporary issues facing the defence & security of Australia. See a list of our past events at this link and see more detailed proceedings from our past events below. 01 OCTOBER 2026 The Requirement for Air Combat Mass and Depth in the Indo-Pacific This seminar examined how Australia could generate the air combat mass, depth and reach needed to sustain credible deterrence by denial in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific. Building on the “Fight Tonight” theme, it focused on the ability to keep fighting through a prolonged high-end conflict, framing air superiority and survivable long-range strike as essential to the Integrated Force’s freedom of action. The discussion explored how crewed and uncrewed systems, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft, could expand combat capacity, improve survivability and reduce the vulnerabilities of a small fleet of highly capable platforms. The program brought together military, strategic and industry perspectives on force multiplication, building mass with industry, workforce, training and mission rehearsal, alongside the basing, replenishment, logistics and supply chains needed to turn technological advantage into scalable, enduring combat power. Seminar Program 1/12 23 APRIL 2026 Fight Tonight: Exploiting Australia's Strategic Advantage This seminar examined how Australia could convert its enduring “home-team” advantages into credible deterrence and near-term combat readiness, with a particular focus on the “Fight Tonight” challenge in a tightening Indo-Pacific strategic environment. The discussion framed choices across geography, basing, workforce, training, industry, space, munitions, logistics and critical infrastructure, asking how Defence could exploit continental depth, allied integration and the national support base while identifying vulnerabilities that could be exposed in crisis. The program featured contributions from senior Defence leaders, allied and analytical perspectives, and industry speakers, including sessions on combat mass and depth, operational tempo, survivability through dispersal and redundancy, capability acceleration, collaborative combat systems, and preparedness across replenishment, supply chains and infrastructure. Seminar Program 1/8 18 SEPTEMBER 2025 Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance This seminar built on the earlier “accelerating critical capabilities” theme by focusing on combat readiness, responsiveness, and the agility of air power as strategic conditions deteriorate. It highlighted the importance of national resilience and argued that sustained investment in air domain sustainment directly underpinned availability, capability, and readiness - particularly as Defence shifts into NDS Epoch 2 amid inflationary and prioritisation pressures. The day brought together RAAF, Defence, industry and expert voices to examine trends in air defence and strike, industrial mobilisation and exports, synchronisation of space/cyber/electromagnetic effects, and practical command perspectives on being ready to “fight tonight.” Seminar Program 1/5 Event Proceedings PastProceedings Download presentation packs, speeches and other materials from our previous events. Plus, see a Full List of past events here. Reflections on Fifth Generation and the Challenge of Understudying Airpower Transformation “The airplane was never the only point.” By Robbin Laird. Lt. Col. Chip Berke, one of the first Marine pilots to fly the F-22, used to make a point about the iPhone. When Steve Jobs introduced it, he described three devices in one. Nobody describes it that way now. What proved revolutionary was the ecosystem that grew up around the phone. The same is true of fifth-generation airpower. For two decades, the West argued about the airplane: its cost, its schedule, its software, i The next generation of airpower is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month “The next generation of airpower is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month.” By Robbin Laird. The Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar in Canberra on 1 October was framed around a platform question: does Australia have enough air combat mass? By the end of the day, almost nobody in the room was answering it that way. Operators, industry executives and visiting commanders kept reaching for the same ideas: sustainme Five Aviators on the Way Ahead for Airpower “If the platform is a node, the enterprise is the weapon.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation’s October 1 seminar in Canberra, three sessions on air combat mass and depth said more together than any one of them said alone. Air Marshal Paul Lloyd spoke from the European theatre, where the RAF is resetting its combat air strategy around a war on its own continent. Air Commodore Jarrod Pendlebury and Wing Commander Chris McInnes made the national case for ai Generating Combat Mass by Doing More with What You Have “Combat mass doesn’t always require buying more. Sometimes it requires thinking differently about what you have.” By Robbin Laird. At the Williams Foundation seminar on October 1, Air Commodore (Retd) Phil Gordon, a former RAAF Joint Force Air Component Commander who now works at Lockheed Martin Australia, was expected to make the case for more platforms. He set that aside. His argument was that combat mass can come from having more things to call on, or from doing more with Building Mass with Industry: Industrial Capacity Is Combat Power “It’s not an industry problem; it’s a combat power problem.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar on October 1, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Robert Denney of Northrop Grumman made an argument that cuts against how most air forces spend their money. Denney spent 33 years in the RAAF, including as Head of Air Force Capability and Head of Force Integration. He says the tacticians, himself included in his day, have been optimizing the wrong part of the prob Combat Depth, Not Just Mass: Collaborative Combat Aircraft and the Australian Industrial Base “In 1937, John Curtin argued that Australia’s defence must lie in aviation. Ninety years later, the country is having the same conversation with different technology.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar in Canberra on 1 October, a panel on collaborative combat aircraft and Australian industry made an argument that cuts against the popular debate. The popular picture is simple. Buy large numbers of cheap uncrewed platforms because you expect to los 1 2 3 4 5

Event Proceedings Stay up-to-date - presentation packs, speeches and other materials from our previous events are available for download. Conference reports: Dr Robbin Laird, Williams Foundation Fellow, and contributor for Second Line of Defense , produces a conference report highlighting the innovation, challenges and policy implications presented. He also interviews a number of senior Defence personnel to produce a series of smaller topical articles. Reflections on Fifth Generation and the Challenge of Understudying Airpower Transformation “The airplane was never the only point.” By Robbin Laird. Lt. Col. Chip Berke, one of the first Marine pilots to fly the F-22, used to make a point about the iPhone. When Steve Jobs introduced it, he described three devices in one. Nobody describes it that way now. What proved revolutionary was the ecosystem that grew up around the phone. The same is true of fifth-generation airpower. For two decades, the West argued about the airplane: its cost, its schedule, its software, i 3 days ago The next generation of airpower is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month “The next generation of airpower is not an aircraft. It is the capacity to fight night after night, week after week, month after month.” By Robbin Laird. The Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar in Canberra on 1 October was framed around a platform question: does Australia have enough air combat mass? By the end of the day, almost nobody in the room was answering it that way. Operators, industry executives and visiting commanders kept reaching for the same ideas: sustainme 5 days ago Five Aviators on the Way Ahead for Airpower “If the platform is a node, the enterprise is the weapon.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation’s October 1 seminar in Canberra, three sessions on air combat mass and depth said more together than any one of them said alone. Air Marshal Paul Lloyd spoke from the European theatre, where the RAF is resetting its combat air strategy around a war on its own continent. Air Commodore Jarrod Pendlebury and Wing Commander Chris McInnes made the national case for ai Oct 21 Generating Combat Mass by Doing More with What You Have “Combat mass doesn’t always require buying more. Sometimes it requires thinking differently about what you have.” By Robbin Laird. At the Williams Foundation seminar on October 1, Air Commodore (Retd) Phil Gordon, a former RAAF Joint Force Air Component Commander who now works at Lockheed Martin Australia, was expected to make the case for more platforms. He set that aside. His argument was that combat mass can come from having more things to call on, or from doing more with Oct 19 Building Mass with Industry: Industrial Capacity Is Combat Power “It’s not an industry problem; it’s a combat power problem.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar on October 1, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Robert Denney of Northrop Grumman made an argument that cuts against how most air forces spend their money. Denney spent 33 years in the RAAF, including as Head of Air Force Capability and Head of Force Integration. He says the tacticians, himself included in his day, have been optimizing the wrong part of the prob Oct 16 Combat Depth, Not Just Mass: Collaborative Combat Aircraft and the Australian Industrial Base “In 1937, John Curtin argued that Australia’s defence must lie in aviation. Ninety years later, the country is having the same conversation with different technology.” By Robbin Laird. At the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar in Canberra on 1 October, a panel on collaborative combat aircraft and Australian industry made an argument that cuts against the popular debate. The popular picture is simple. Buy large numbers of cheap uncrewed platforms because you expect to los Oct 14 Mass Without Depth Is Temporary “A thousand aircraft orbiting outside an adversary’s engagement envelope do not provide the combat power of a hundred able to penetrate it.” Oct 13 Deterring Whom? Michael Pezzullo and Australia’s Missing National Defence Strategy “Deterrence, absent a grounding in actuality, is dangerous.” Oct 13 Geostrategic Perspectives: Securing Australia in a Fractured World Air power, like every other instrument of defence, is only as durable as the national will behind it. Oct 8 Mass without depth is brittle What does sufficient air combat mass and depth look like for the Indo-Pacific, and is the country building it? Oct 8 Watching Australian Airpower Cross Three Thresholds "Historian of the Seminars", a phrase I've earned the hard way: a decade of notebooks, one Williams Foundation seminar at a time. By Robbin Laird. Sep 28 The Requirement for Air Combat Mass and Depth in the Indo-Pacific "If we're not at the table, we're on the menu" applies to air forces too — except in this case, the table is the sky over the Indo-Pacific, and without it, nothing else survives. Sep 27 Space as a Fight Tonight Domain: Jeremy King on Australia’s Strategic Imperative 'Space as a Fight Tonight Domain: Jeremy King on Australia’s Strategic Imperative' in Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance Proceedings - Paper 5, Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 23 April 2026 By Robbin Laird Jeremy King speaking to the 23 April 2026 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar. At the Williams Foundation Seminar on the Fight Tonight Force held on 23 April 2026, Jeremy King’s, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealan May 2 Training as Combat Generation: The Case for a Systems Approach 'Training as Combat Generation: The Case for a Systems Approach' in Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance Proceedings - Paper 4, Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 23 April 2026 By Robbin Laird Alexander Robinson speaking to the 23 April 2026 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar. One of the more thought-provoking presentations at the seminar came from Alexander Robinson, Sales and Capability Director at Pilatus Aircraft Australia. Robinson opened May 1 From Prototypes to Operational Realities: Australia’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit and the Tasks That Cannot Wait 'From Prototypes to Operational Realities: Australia’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit and the Tasks That Cannot Wait' Interview with Marcus Hellyer, Head of Research at Strategic Analysis Australia By Robbin Laird Alexander Robinson speaking to the 23 April 2026 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar. Australia’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit, the MASU, stands at an inflection point. The period of experimentation and prototype evaluation that has defined the past severa May 1 Air and Missile Defense, Precision Strike, and the Indo-Pacific: Lessons from Ukraine and the Gulf 'Air and Missile Defense, Precision Strike, and the Indo-Pacific: Lessons from Ukraine and the Gulf' in Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance Proceedings - Paper 3, Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 23 April 2026 By Robbin Laird At the Sir Richard Williams seminar held on 23 April 2026 focused on the fight tonight challenge, Justin Bronk delivered a presentation that cut through a great deal of the conceptual noise currently cluttering Western defen Apr 29 From Boutique Concern to Existential Question: Logistics, Sustainment and Combat Power 'From Boutique Concern to Existential Question: Logistics, Sustainment and Combat Power' Interview with Dr. David Beaumont By Robbin Laird During a visit to Canberra in April 2026, I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. David Beaumont, writer at the website ‘The Paper War’ (formerly ‘Logistics In War’), and one of the most persistent advocates for taking logistics seriously as a strategic discipline. For years, Beaumont has argued that logistics and sustainment sit at the Apr 29 Ten Months, Not Ten Years: Mike Pezzullo on Australia’s Strategic Moment 'Ten Months, Not Ten Years: Mike Pezzullo on Australia’s Strategic Moment' in Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance Proceedings - Paper 2, Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 23 April 2026 By Dr Robbin Laird There is a particular kind of clarity that comes from a man who spent four decades inside the machinery of Australian national security and is now, as he put it, “free” to speak. Mike Pezzullo, former Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs an Apr 28 So how to exploit Australia’s strategic advantages? 'So how to exploit Australia’s strategic advantages?' in Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance Proceedings - Paper 1, Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, 23 April 2026 By Dr Robbin Laird ACM (Retd) Mark Binskin AC, Chair, Sir Richard Williams Foundation, opening the seminar on 23 April 2026. The Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar of 23 April 2026 brought together practitioners, analysts, industry leaders and allies to confront a deceptively simpl Apr 26 Navigating the New Normal: A Paradigm Shift in Australian Defence Policy Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Paper #12 By Dr Robbin Laird The contemporary Indo-Pacific security environment presents a fundamental challenge to traditional alliance structures: how can middle powers maintain strategic autonomy while deepening military cooperation with major power partners? This dilemma is particularly acute for Australia, which faces the competing imperatives of economic integration with China, security dependence on the United Oct 5, 2025 Unlocking Military Potential: The Immediate Opportunities in Uncrewed Systems Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Paper #11 By Dr Robbin Laird The recent Williams Foundation seminar on military readiness did not really highlight or provide detailed perspectives on how uncrewed systems could empower the fight tonight force and help drive the ongoing operational re-design process which is becoming a key part of military readiness. Australia finds itself positioned to leverage this technological moment. With sophisticated defence s Oct 3, 2025 Reimagining Maritime Security: Australia’s Collaborative Approach to Uncrewed Systems Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Interview Paper #10 By Dr Robbin Laird Australia faces one of the world’s most daunting maritime security challenges. With 37,000 kilometers of coastline and the third-largest exclusive economic zone globally, the Australian Maritime Border Command must protect an area so vast that traditional approaches simply cannot scale effectively. To put this in perspective, Australia’s maritime responsibility covers more ocean Oct 1, 2025 Rethinking Defence Logistics: The Strategic Imperative for Change Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Paper #9 By Dr Robbin Laird In an era of shifting geopolitical dynamics and evolving security challenges, traditional approaches to defence logistics and industrial cooperation are proving fundamentally inadequate. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has starkly illustrated that modern warfare demands not just superior firepower, but the ability to sustain, adapt, and surge capabilities at unprecedented speed Sep 30, 2025 Beyond Fight Tonight: Building Resilience and Capacity Across Defence and Industry Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #8 By Dr Robbin Laird The ghost of inadequate preparation haunts modern military planning. Mrs. Marion Chapman’s 1949 letter to the Department of Air, lamenting her son’s death in the Pacific War, carries a haunting accusation that resonates today: “he, with others, was so poorly equipped, directed and eventually abandoned.” This stark reminder opened the panel discussion on building resilience Sep 29, 2025 Building Australia’s Defence Industrial Base: The Strategic Imperative for Early Investment and Sovereign Capability Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #7 By Dr Robbin Laird In an era of growing strategic uncertainty, Australia faces a fundamental question about its defence posture: how does a geographically isolated continent-nation sustain military operations when global supply chains fail? Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Robert Denney, now Country Executive for Northrop Grumman Australia, delivered a compelling answer in a recent presentation th Sep 27, 2025 UK Strategic Defence Review 2025: Transforming Air Power for a New Era of Threats Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #6 By Dr Robbin Laird Air Commodore Alun Roberts, Head Air to Air Missiles Royal Air Force, outlined in a virtual presentation to the seminar, Britain’s ambitious defence transformation in response to evolving global security challenges. The United Kingdom’s recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 represents nothing sa paradigm shift in British defence thinking. He argued that is Sep 25, 2025 Learning from History: Australia’s Defence Industrial Mobilization Imperative Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #5 By Dr Robbin Laird In an era of unprecedented global uncertainty, Australia faces a critical question: Can the nation mobilize its industrial base quickly enough to meet emerging security challenges? According to Matt Jones (seen above in the featured photo), Head of Future Business Defence Delivery at BAE Systems Australia, the answer lies not in waiting for crisis to justify action, but in Sep 24, 2025 The Invisible Battle: Synchronizing Non-Kinetic Effects in Modern Warfare Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #4 By Dr Robbin Laird From left: AVM (Retd) Zed Roberton DSC, AM, Professor Justin Bronk, GPCAPT Steven Thornton, LTGEN Susan Coyle AM, CSC, DSM The nature of warfare is fundamentally unchanged — it remains a contest of political will between adversaries. However, the character of how wars are fought has transformed dramatically. In an era where conflicts can be decided before the first missile Sep 22, 2025 Rethinking Military Transformation: From Platform-Centric to Threat-Informed Innovation Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #3 By Dr Robbin Laird The nature of military transformation has fundamentally changed. Where once armed forces could afford to develop new platforms over decades and then figure out how to use them, today’s security environment demands a completely different approach. This shift represents perhaps the most significant change in military thinking since the advent of combined arms warfare itself. Sep 22, 2025 The Air Defence Reality Check: Why Australia Has Less Time Than It Thinks Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #2 By Dr Robbin Laird For decades, integrated air and missile defence has been synonymous with ballistic missile defence, Patriots and Aegis systems standing guard against incoming rockets. But Professor Justin Bronk of the Royal United Service Institute delivered a stark wake-up call at the seminar: the modern threat spectrum demands a fundamental rethink of air defence, and the timeline for p Sep 19, 2025 Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Conflicts Today Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance - Conference Proceedings #1 By Dr Robbin Laird On September 18, 2025, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation held its 2nd seminar for the year which was entitled: “Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance.” I will highlight the presentations at the conference in a series of articles over the next few weeks. I will conclude the series with an article providing my perceptions of what were the major answers Sep 18, 2025 The Imperative for Cost Effectiveness in Multidomain Operations: Final Report - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, The Imperative for Cost Effectiveness in Multidomain Operations: Final Report, 22 May 2025 Link to ebook (Defense.info) Jun 17, 2025 Shaping a Way Ahead for Autonomous Defence Capabilities for the ADF - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Shaping a Way Ahead for Autonomous Defence Capabilities for the ADF by Denial, 17 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) Australian Army Drone Racing Team pilots were presented the Inter-Service Championship Team award by Air Vice-Marshal Nicholas Hogan, CSC – Head of Air Capability, during a drone racing event at the Australian International Airshow 2025 at Avalon Airport. March 3, 2025. Credit: Australian Department of Defence On June 5, 2025, I had a cha Jun 17, 2025 Strategic Transformation for a New Era: Reworking the Australian’s Army’s Role in Australian Defence - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Strategic Transformation for a New Era: Reworking the Australian’s Army’s Role in Australian Defence, 16 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) The Australian Army is undergoing what its leadership describes as the most significant transformation since World War II, fundamentally reshaping itself for an era of great power competition in the Indo-Pacific. This comprehensive adaptation, driven by the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, represents both a strategic Jun 16, 2025 Australia and the Way Ahead with Autonomous Systems - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Australia and the Way Ahead with Autonomous Systems, 15 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) During my visit to Australia in May-June 2025, I have focused significantly on the coming of autonomous systems and how to incorporate them effectively into the Australian Defence Force and for security operations. I have published a new book which looks specifically at the paradigm shift in maritime operations and how maritime autonomous systems are key drivers i Jun 15, 2025 Reshaping Combined Arms Operations: Lessons Learned from Drone Warfare Operations - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Reshaping Combined Arms Operations: Lessons Learned from Drone Warfare Operations, 14 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) We have a growing experience with drone warfare and its impacts. The best way to understand their impact is how they have already re-shaped combined arms operations. Notably when combined with payload revolution and fifth generation warfare operations, as seen in the recent Israeli operation in Iran, drones are becoming a key part of Jun 14, 2025 The Autonomous Revolution: How Australia Could Transform Defense Through Maritime Robotics - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, The Autonomous Revolution: How Australia Could Transform Defense Through Maritime Robotics, 13 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) On May 28, 2025, Michael Shoebridge, Director of Strategic Analysis Australia, and I travelled to Melbourne, Australia to visit C2 Robotics which is described on its website as follows: “C2 Robotics specialises in the rapid development of cutting edge robotics and autonomous systems for Defence applications across the maritim Jun 13, 2025 The Maritime Revolution: How Autonomous Vessels Are Reshaping Naval Strategy - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, The Maritime Revolution: How Autonomous Vessels Are Reshaping Naval Strategy, 12 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) The era of autonomous maritime operations has quietly arrived, moving beyond experimental trials to become operational reality. A recent conversation with Robert Dane, CEO of OCIUS, underscores how autonomous vessels are fundamentally changing naval operations—and why traditional naval thinking must evolve to harness their potential. OCIUS Jun 12, 2025 Training for Modern Airpower Operations: How to Address the Challenges - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Training for Modern Airpower Operations: How to Address the Challenges, 9 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) On June 3, 2025, I had a chance to meet with Air Vice-Marshal Glen Braz, Air Commander Australia, to follow up on his participation in the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar held on May 23, 2025. What I specifically wanted to talk with him about is the key challenges facing training an air combat force which is fifth-generation enabled. As I Jun 9, 2025 Shaping a Way Ahead for the Australian Defence Force in the Context of Global Strategic Transition - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Shaping a Way Ahead for the Australian Defence Force in the Context of Global Strategic Transition, 3 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) At the May 22, 2025 Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar, Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Vice Chief of the Australian Defence Forces, recently outlined the nation’s evolving approach to national security in a comprehensive address. Chipman describes Australia’s security environment as “complex and deteriorating,” with Jun 3, 2025 Australian Army’s Strategic Pivot: Adapting for the Indo-Pacific Century - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Training for Modern Airpower Operations: How to Address the Challenges, 3 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) I had the opportunity to meet with Lt. General Simon Stuart, Chief of the Australian Army in. his office on 19 May 2025. We discussed a specific aspect of the way ahead for the Australian Army, namely its role in Australian littoral operations. In an era where geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region are significant, the Australian Army i Jun 3, 2025 An Update on the Royal Australian Air Force: A Conversation with Air Marshal Chappell - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, An Update on the Royal Australian Air Force: A Conversation with Air Marshal Chappell, 2 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) At the May 22, 2025 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar, Air Marshal Geoff Brown (Retd), former Chief of Air Force 2011-2015), talked with Air Marshal Chappell (current Chief of Air Force since July 2024) about the current state of the RAAF and the way ahead. Air Marshal Chappell emphasized that the Royal Australian Air Force i Jun 2, 2025 The Need to Speed Delivery for the Ready Force and Enabling a More Cost-Effective Future Force - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, The Need to Speed Delivery for the Ready Force and Enabling a More Cost-Effective Future Force, 1 June 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) The second panel during the Sir Richard Williams seminar held on May 22, 2025 was composed of members of the Australian defence industry and was chaired by Katherine Ziesing, Sir Richard Williams Foundation. She posed questions throughout and drove a more integrated discussion than would have occurred otherwise. The member Jun 1, 2025 Air Power and the Challenge of Shaping an Effective Ready Force Which Can Deliver Deterrence by Denial - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Air Power and the Challenge of Shaping an Effective Ready Force Which Can Deliver Deterrence by Denial, 29 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) The first of two panels held at the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar on May 22, 2025 was entitled a “Cost Per Effect” panel. It was chaired by Air Marshal (Retd) Darren Goldie and the panelists were: Air Vice Marshal Glen Braz, Air Commander Australia Professor Justin Bronk. Air Vice Marshal John Haly, Head May 29, 2025 Enhancing the Ready Force: Providing the Optimal Mix to Deliver the Desired Combat Effect - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Enhancing the Ready Force: Providing the Optimal Mix to Deliver the Desired Combat Effect, 28 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) Sustaining and equipping the ready force in dynamically changing operational conditions is a major challenge facing the ADF and those of its allies. A critical metric for evaluating approaches for how to deliver a cost desired effect is simply comparing the use of force packages or what I prefer to call the combat clusters up a May 28, 2025 Budgeting for an Enhanced Ready Force - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Budgeting for an Enhanced Ready Force, 27 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) If the strategic environment is driving an enhanced need to bulk up the capabilities of the ready force, where will the money come from to do so? And just as significantly, would recasting and reinforcing the fight tonight force with new means such as maritime autonomous systems change the approach to future force building? Dr. Marcus Hellyer, Head of Research at Strategic Analy May 27, 2025 Enhancing Non-Kinetic Capabilities in the Ready Force - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Enhancing Non-Kinetic Capabilities in the Ready Force, 26 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) At the 22 May 2025 Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar, GPCAPT Marija Jovanovich, Chief of Staff of the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, underscored a crucial approach for enhancing the combat capability and success of the ready force. This is the ability of deceiving the adversary to the point whereby they simply do not know where best to strike and to not b May 26, 2025 A Blueprint for Action for the USAF: How to Enhance Combat Readiness to Meet the Strategic Challenges Facing the U.S. and Its Allies - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, A Blueprint for Action for the USAF: How to Enhance Combat Readiness to Meet the Strategic Challenges Facing the U.S. and Its Allies, 26 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) The United States Air Force stands at a critical crossroads. After decades of counterinsurgency operations and peacetime bureaucracy, America’s air arm faces an uncomfortable reality: it may not be adequately prepared for the high-intensity conflicts that could define the next decade. May 26, 2025 Putting the Nature of the Military Capability Threat from the Multi-Polar Authoritarian World in Perspective - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Putting the Nature of the Military Capability Threat from the Multi-Polar Authoritarian World in Perspective, 25 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) In assessing how the question of how to balance long-term force development versus the need to prioritize ways to enhance the ready force in the short to mid-term, a critical consideration is the nature and scope of the military and security threat posed by the global players – the multi-polar authoritarian w May 25, 2025 Dr. Marcus Hellyer on Breaking the Autonomous Systems Defence Employment Barrier - Dr Robbin Laird Dr Robbin Laird, Dr. Marcus Hellyer on Breaking the Autonomous Systems Defence Employment Barrier, 24 May 2025 Link to article (Defense.info) On May 22, 2025, I had a chance to talk with Dr. Marcus Hellyer about a key problem which was raised during his presentation yesterday at the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar. Australia faces its most challenging strategic environment since World War II, yet its defense establishment remains locked in outdated thinking that could May 24, 2025

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