Search Results

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 and commissioned as a RAAF pilot in 1963. He was assigned fast jet and completed tours in South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Borneo) on the F-86 Sabre, Vietnam on the Canberra bomber, US on the F-111A and US on the RF-4C Reconnaissance Phantom. Errol had a distinguished career in the RAAF, commanding at squadron, wing and Air Force levels and retired from the RAAF as Chief of Air Force in May 2001. After retiring he was a Board Member and consulted for many local and foreign companies dealing with Defence. AIRMSHL McCormack was the inaugural Chair of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation and was instrumental in founding the organisation. A service will be held for Errol at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul, RMC Duntroon, on Monday 22 April at 1330h. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation in Errol's name would be appreciated - https://foundation.petermac.org/donate

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 web enabled force which is built on a digital integration effort to allow the ADF to get best results from its deployed force in the operating area of significance. We have just seen a real-world example of what this means as the Iran attack on Israel was deflected by a kill web force of sensors and shooters spread across a coalition in support of the defence of Israel. I highlighted this future in a piece I wrote in 2012 and published in The Proceedings entitled the long reach of Aegis. That piece was focused on how F-35 integration with Aegis would yield significant results in defense capabilities. And when I visited the HMAS Hobart in Sydney Harbour, I was reminded how important a common combat system is for integration across a coalition and one’s ability to shape digital integration across a multi-domain force. After a visit to HMAS Hobart in 2018, this is what I wrote: The ship introduces a new level of combat capability into the Royal Australian Navy in which the ship’s reach is significantly greater than any previous ship operational in the Aussie fleet because of its Aegis Combat system. It is a key building block in shaping an integrated air-sea task force navy in that the capabilities onboard the ship can contribute to an integrated C2, ISR and strike grid in which the evolving capabilities of the ADF can cover a wider area of operation in the waters surrounding Australia or in service of missions further abroad. As Rear Admiral Mayer noted during an interview I conducted with him while he was Commander of the Australian fleet: “We are joint by necessity. “Unlike the US Navy, we do not have our own air force or our own army. Joint is not a theological choice, it’s an operational necessity.” What clearly this means is that the future of the Hobart class is working ways to operate in an integrated battlespace with land-based RAAF F-35s, Tritons and P-8s among other air assets. Their future is not protecting the carrier battle group, as the Aussies have no carrier. Rather, their future is “to provide air defence for accompanying ships in addition to land forces and infrastructure in coastal areas, and for self-protection against missiles and aircraft.” The skill sets being learned to operate the ship, notably the workflow on board the ship, in terms of the use of data, ISR and C2 systems, working situational awareness throughout the work stations onboard the ship, are foundational for other ships coming to the fleet. With the coming of the Brisbane, the HMAS Hobart will no longer be a single ship but the lead into a class of ships. And with the Australian decision with regard to its new frigates which will leverage the Aegis combat system capability as well, the HMAS Hobart has become the lead into a whole new approach to how the Australian fleet will shape its combat networks as well. The importance of continuing to build integratability across the fleet was emphasized at the seminar by Liam Catterson in his presentation. He is a former Royal Australian Naval officer who served on the Hobart and operated the Aegis combat system. He is now with Lockheed Martin Australia. In his presentation he highlighted the significance of the Aegis Combat System for fleet and ADF integrability with the U.S. Navy and Australia’s other core maritime allies, Japan and South Korea, all of whom operate Aegis and F-35s. Catterson underscored the following: It is important to note that the current fleet of three Hobart-class DDGs are interoperable with the Aegis equipped platforms of the USN, and other Aegis equipped coalition partners, such as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Republic of Korean Navy. This point was best illustrated through the first operational deployments within the Indo-pacific supporting 7th fleet activities, becoming a integral platform in the INDOPACOM theatre as opposed to previous deployments. This can be attributed in part to Aegis being as much a fighting philosophy as it is a Combat Management System, melding the concepts of a layered defensive posture, through depth of fire, sensor optimisation, autonomy and integrated fire control through Cooperative Engagement Capability. Without a CMS, a warship ceases to be that; no longer an instrument of deterrence. Without an interoperable CMS, a warship is a well-informed target and a potential hindrance to the joint force. This is a critical distinction when considering the acquisition of any future classes of surface combatants. The density of VLS cells in an Aegis destroyer is force projection however it is the Aegis Combat System that makes it a force multiplier. Slide from Catterson’s presentation to the Sir Richard Williams Seminar 11 April 2024. I had a chance to follow up with Catterson in a meeting at his office in Canberra on 15 April 2024. We discussed the way ahead with the digital backbone of a kill web force and the contribution of the common combat system built around Aegis for the Australian fleet and its integration with those of its allies in the region. We started by discussing how the Aegis combat system enabled significant interoperability across the allied forces in the Pacific. As Catterson noted: “One of the key things about the Aegis combat system operating across the Indo Pacific is that it provides a strong backbone of interconnectivity and interoperability from Australia all the way through the north through to Japan, and then across the Sea of Japan to the Republic of Korea as well. “The Aegis combat system provides a common language across the Indo Pacific fleets allowing for the for the fleets to deploy and operate together and to conduct combat operations in a coherent manner.” Liam Catterson attending the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar April 11, 2024. I then raised a key question. When one mentions the Aegis combat system at a seminar like we had at Williams, one might think that it is special pleading for a specific company, in this case Lockheed Martin. But over the years the combat system has changed dramatically and it is clearly the US Navy driving the development with Lockheed a close partners, but it is essentially a US Navy combat system today. Catterson provided an explanation of this development. “One of the strengths of Aegis is it was developed by the US Navy, and it has been a strong customer holding corporations to account to deliver what they wanted. Lockheed has been fortunate to be in lockstep with the US Navy, but it’s the US Navy driving these changes for it allows them to embark on the next generation of an integrated combat system for the fleet. This will enable them to operate as a system of systems to allow for interoperability, but also to enable cost effective and rapid roll out of developmental changes.” He closed with this thought which is very relevant to the future development of ADF multi-domain capabilities: “One of the strengths of the Aegis program is leveraging the operational experience from not only the U.S. but also other Aegis users as well. This allows for upgrading the fleet in a spiral development process. And this allows countries to remain in lockstep with each other. This means that integration costs are spread out over different partner nations in that manner.” Also, see the following: https://www.williamsfoundation.org.au/post/looking-back-and-looking-forward-shaping-a-way-ahead-for-the-integrated-networked-dr-robbin-laird https://thediplomat.com/2014/06/would-you-like-an-f-35-to-go-with-your-aegis/ https://ndupress.ndu.edu/JFQ/Joint-Force-Quarterly-72/Article/577488/forging-a-21st-century-military-strategy-leveraging-challenges/ https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA498159.pdf

Dr Robbin Laird, What does a 21st century defence strategy look like for Australia in a multi-polar authoritarian world?, 16 April 2024 Link to article (Defense.info) The answer is that it does not look like the defence strategy which has been followed throughout most of the post-war period. The threat envelope is quite different. There is no American and Western managed rules-based order dominating the world. There are diverse authoritarian movements and states which follow their distinct interests but play off of one another. As one analyst has put it: “But the end of the Cold War has led to the atomisation of threats – many of these threat groups possess weapons and backing from powerful regional states that in some cases make them as capable as state-based actors. “Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Middle East, where improved military capabilities are combined with an ideological zealotry that makes normal cost-benefit calculations underpinning deterrence redundant. This makes it very difficult for Washington to achieve the type of deterrence on which long-term regional stability is often based.” And the direct threat to Australia is broad and not narrowly focused on what the Australian Defence Force can do. A sustainable force and a resilient Australia are beyond the scope of narrowly considered defence investments in a ready force. They are all of government and all of society challenges. At the Williams Foundation Seminar held on April 11, 2024, the former Australian Secretary of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzullo, clearly underscored how different the era into which Australia and its allies had entered compared to the previous one. As he put it in his presentation: “What might this mean for Australia and specifically the Australian defence enterprise? Defence planning is rightly focused on a wide range of contingencies. With very little notice the Australian Defence Force could be called upon to undertake rapid deployments into the nearby arc of small states. While necessary and important, such ventures would only be marginally relevant to today’s great issues of war and peace. The same could be said of vital operations in support of distressed communities in the wake of natural disasters. “Given long lead times, defence also has to focus on complex capability and programming issues, especially as related to the planned force of 2035 and beyond.” But he cautioned that the threats in front of Australia now needed to drive a re-set in efforts that considered the engagement of the society in its own defence, not just crafting hypothetical future force structures. And he quite correctly warned against the danger of shaping Potemkin long range capabilities that may never arrive in time to make a difference. He focused much of his attention on the need to engage whole of government in working with economic leaders in shaping a way ahead for a more resilient Australia that could support a sustainable ADF along with core allies working with Australia as a strategic reserve both to deter and to prevail in crisis situations. Mike Pezzullo presenting at the Williams Foundation seminar on April 11, 2024. He underscored: “The most important question is whether a nation at large has the structures, capabilities and above all, the mindset and the will, that are required to fight and keep fighting to absorb, recover, endure and prevail. These cannot be put in place or engendered on the eve of the storm. “Now as a practical suggestion to focus relevant effort, we should consider modernizing the earlier practice from the 1930s and and then again from the 1950s of the preparation of a war book. The war book of those times were guides on what would need to be done and by whom, in the event of war. Preparing a new war book would help to focus the national mind.” He clarified his suggested approach as follows: “A new war book would deal with the entire span of civil defense and mobilization which would be required to move to a war footing, consisting of a range of coordinated plans. Some would deal with critical infrastructure protection, and national cyber defense. Other plans would deal with the mobilization of labour and industrial production covering supply chains, industrial materials, chemicals, minerals, and so on. “Sectoral plans would address the allocation, rationing and or stockpiling of fuel, energy, water, food, transport, shipping, aviation, communications, health services, pharmaceuticals, building construction resources, and so on and so forth. “They would also be plans for the protection of the civil population covering evacuation, rapid fortification and or shelter construction, and for augmenting police fire, rescue and ambulance capacities, and also dealing with social cohesion, border security, domestic security and public safety. “Lessons could be adapted from international experience, especially Ukraine and Israel, as well as from domestic experiences such as natural disasters, and the COVID pandemic noting however, that war is different.” In short, 21st century defence is not narrowly focused on the ADF and long range investments in a future force. All one has to look around you and find the activity of the multi-polar authoritarian world and the end of the American-led “rules-based order” to understand the future is now. How best to shape a way ahead in terms of augmented capabilities in short to mid-term and engage the nation in its own defence for the longer term is really the challenge.

Contact us ​ PO Box 5214 Kingston ACT 2604 ​ Tel: 0416 117 291 info@williamsfoundation.org.au ​ Catherine Scott Business Manager admin@williamsfoundation.org.au (Part time, generally Mondays - please indicate if the if the matter is urgent when making contact) ​ ​ Contacting The Central Blue team Should you wish to submit a post to The Central Blue, please send it to the editors at thecentralblue@gmail.com ​ For further information about submitting to The Central Blue, see the Submissions page .

Grants Scheme Coming soon

Competitions Dr Alan Stephens Air Power Literary Prize A core objective of The Sir Richard Williams Foundation is to encourage informed discussion and debate on future air power capability. Accordingly, the Foundation is committed to supporting our future leaders and the development of their ideas. One way in which this has occurred has been through submissions to The Central Blue, an online forum encouraging informed discussion on air and space power, and the related force design issues affecting Australia. A foundational member of The Central Blue, Dr Alan Stephens has a long history of supporting this cause. Previously a lecturer at UNSW, RAAF historian, adviser in federal parliament on foreign affairs and defence, and a member of the RAAF, Dr Stephens has published and lectured extensively. In 2008 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his contribution to Royal Australian Air Force history and air power strategy. In partnership with The Central Blue, The Williams Foundation has awarded a regular prize of A$500 for the best essay or article discussing the author's perspectives on a theme determined by the Central Blue Team. These winning essays or articles have then been published on The Central Blue forum.