News Story: S. Korean military warns of retaliation against N. Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's armed forces on Tuesday denounced North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch, warning that it will face "resolute" retaliation if it remains bellicose.

The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) noted that it was the North's 13th ballistic missile fired this year. Furthermore, the latest one flew over Japan.

It's a "blatant violation" of the U.N. Security Council resolution against Pyongyang and a grave provocation that threatens the peace and stability of the world, Army Col. Roh Jae-cheon, the JCS spokesman, said in a statement.

The South and the United States will retaliate resolutely against any additional provocations, he added.

Read the full story at Yonhap

News Story: Use Allied Investments To Help Rebuild US Military

RAAF Wedgetail AEW/C Aircraft (File Photo)

By ROBBIN LAIRD

The shift from slo mo — counterinsurgency operations — to high intensity combat is a major challenge for the US military and its allies. It is a culture shift, a procurement shift and an investment shift. But mobilization is even more important than modernization.

To get ready for this shift, our weapons inventory needs to become more robust. In visiting US bases, a common theme we hear is the challenge of basic inventory shortfalls.

The Trump Administration came to power promising to correct much of this. But there simply is not enough time and money to do readiness and training plus ups, mobilization and rapid modernization.

As a businessman, Donald Trump might take a look at how the Pentagon actually functions as an effective business in equipping the force. Having highlighted the question of allied spending, he might be pleased to learn of significant allied investments in new combat systems which his own forces can use, saving American taxpayers money and enhancing our military effectiveness at the same time.

One way to augment US forces would be to do something which might seem to be at odds with the Make America Great notion. As one of my Danish friends put it well: “I have no problem with the idea of making America great again. For me, the question is how?”

One way would be to leverage existing allied capabilities which, if adopted by the US forces, would save money but, even more importantly, would ramp up the operational capability of the US forces and their ability to work with allies in the shortest time possible. It would also allow the US to target investments where possible in break through programs which allies are NOT investing in.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: Allies And The Maritime Domain Strike Enterprise

Australia's 1st P-8 Poseidon takes flight (File Photo)

By ROBBIN LAIRD

The UK, Norway and the US have signed an agreement to work together on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in the North Atlantic which will leverage the joint acquisition of the P-8 aircraft, another example of the US and its allies an evolving defense capability in which allies are clearly key partners.

The P-8s is part of a cluster of software upgradeable airplanes which are defining the way ahead for combat airpower: the Australian Wedgetail, the global F-35, and the Advanced Hawkeye, all have the same dynamic modernization potential to which will be involved in all combat challenges of maritime operations.

All military technology is relative to a reactive enemy. As my colleague Ed Timperlake has noted: “It is about the arsenal of democracy shifting from an industrial production line to a clean room and a computer lab as key shapers of competitive advantage.”

Much as allied F-35 pilots and maintainers are being trained initially in the United States and then standing up national capabilities, the same is happening with the P-8/Triton allies. The Brits and Australians are training at Jacksonville Navy, and this will certainly happen with the Norwegians as well. In fact, an RAF pilot has recently topped 1,000 flight hours on the P-8 at Jacksonville. 

These allies cover key geographical territory, so shared domain knowledge and operational experience in the South Pacific and the North Atlantic is of obvious significance for US warfighting and deterrence. Given the relatively small size of the allied forces, they will push the multi-mission capabilities of the aircraft even further than the United States will do and, as they do so, the U.S. can take those lessons as well.

There is already a case in point. The Australians wanted the P-8 modified so they could do search and rescue — something that the US Navy did not build into its P-8s. Now that capability comes with the aircraft, something that was very much a requirement for the Norwegians as well. And the US Navy is finding this “add-on” as something of significance for the US.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

News Story: Aussie gov't announces upgrades to air force fleet

CANBERRA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Wednesday announced plans for a 582.5- million-Australian dollar (443.5 million U.S. dollar) upgrade for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)'s fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.

In a media release, the nation's Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the Wedgetail was one of the most advanced pieces of technology within the RAAF, and that the upgrades to the early warning and control capability would maintain Australia's dominance in the air.

"The Wedgetail is a modified Boeing 737-700, with the addition of advanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar and 10 mission crew consoles. It is one of the most advanced pieces of aerospace technology in the Australian Defence Force," Pyne said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

Industry: CAE supports Royal Australian Air Force Diamond Thunder distributed virtual training exercise

Simulators at bases in Williamtown, Tindal and Richmond networked for training and mission rehearsal

Silverwater, Australia, June 13 2017 - (NYSE: CAE; TSX: CAE) - CAE recently supported the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) participation in the Diamond Thunder distributed mission training exercise, which saw the RAAF network various simulation assets across the country as part of its inaugural Air Warfare Instructor Course.

The Diamond Thunder Exercise involved the networking of F/A-18 simulators at both RAAF Base Williamtown and Tindal with the E-7A Wedgetail simulator at Williamtown and C-130J simulator at RAAF Base Richmond.  The Air Warfare Centre's Joint Air Warfare Battle Laboratory at Williamtown served as the exercise command centre to manage and coordinate the overall virtual training environment. 

CAE engineering staff at Richmond supported the integration and testing of the C-130J full-flight mission simulator (FFMS) onto the Australian Defence Training and Experimentation Network (DTEN). CAE also provided an exercise planner to assist with creating and executing the virtual training and mission rehearsal scenarios, and had staff within the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre to assist with the provision of the networking infrastructure to support this distributed virtual training exercise.

News Story: Allies Can Help US Lower Weapons Costs, Build New Force

RAAF E-7A Wedgetail refueled by A RAAF KC-30A MRTT

By ROBBIN LAIRD

Shifting from a primary focus on counterinsurgency land wars to building a high intensity combat force able to prevail against peer competitors is a significant challenge for the United States and its closest allies after 15 years of COIN.

A key dynamic within this effort is the crucial opportunity the US and its closest allies have to learn from each other thanks to the number of core weapon systems being bought at the same time.

The F-35, P-8, Triton and Growler are all being bought by the United States and by some of our closest allies, notably Australia.

And when we see American F-35As going to RAF Lakenheath this month, what can be missed is that at RAF Marham — located less than 30 miles from RAF Lakenheath — the first British squadron of F-35s will be stood up BEFORE the US does so at RAF Lakenheath. One hopes the US plans to ensure it gets as much synergy as possible between the bases where F-35s will be based in the UK.

Norway is also drawing upon this interactive modernization process to stand up its own 21st century combat force.

At the same time, Australia’s Wedgetail command and control aircraft and its KC-30A airborne tanker have been deployed for some time and are cutting edge systems NOT found in the US inventory.

Additionally, the British RAF is modernizing its Typhoons with long-range strike systems that are complementary to the F-35Bs, and they are doing it before the US has made similar adjustments to its legacy aircraft.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

AUS: RAAF to test skills in high-end air warfare exercise

Exercise Cope North 2015 Group Photo (Click Image to Enlarge)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has deployed to Guam to participate in Exercise Cope North 2017—a high end air combat and humanitarian assistance exercise. 

Up to 12 F/A-18A Hornets from Number 3 Squadron at RAAF Williamtown have all been assigned to Exercise Cope North and will be operating alongside aircraft from the United States and Japan.

The exercise aims to develop and improve combat readiness, humanitarian assistance procedures and increase the interoperability between the three forces of the United States, Australia and Japan.

Group Captain Tim Alsop is the Australian Commander for the exercise and said there are great opportunities to gain from Cope North.

AUS: Air Force wraps up Exercise Red Flag 17-1 in Nevada

After three weeks of high-intensity missions, Exercise Red Flag 17-1 has concluded.

A 200-strong contingent of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel deployed to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada with colleagues from the United States and United Kingdom. This year, Exercise Red Flag 17-1, also witnessed the United States Air Force (USAF) debut its F-35A Lightning II in the exercise.

The training operates within the 31,000-square-kilometre Nevada Test and Training Range, which is turned into a simulation of a high-end threat battlespace.

RAAF deployed a range of capabilities during Exercise Red Flag 17-1, from a combat control team that parachuted in freezing conditions to a dry lake bed for an airfield survey; to air battlespace managers who controlled movements and datalinks for more than 70 friendly and ‘enemy’ aircraft.

Commander of the Australian contingent, Group Captain Stuart Bellingham, said RAAF C-130J Hercules transport and E-7A Wedgetail aircraft flew on missions in Exercise Red Flag 17-1.

AUS: Air Force deploys to Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 17-1

RAAF E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel have deployed to Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 17-1, where they will train in the world’s most complex air combat environment.

Alongside counterparts from United States and United Kingdom, approximately 200 RAAF personnel will support and participate in missions involving up to 100 aircraft, flying over 31,000 square kilometres of the Nevada desert.

RAAF Contingent Commander and Director of the Exercise Red Flag 17-1 Combined Air and Space Operations Centre, Group Captain Stuart Bellingham said the Red Flag training environment was unmatched in its complexity and realism.

“Since RAAF personnel first participated in Exercise Red Flag in 1980, this exercise has informed both how we train our people and develop our air power,” Group Captain Bellingham said.

AUS: Exercise Bersama Lima 16 wraps up

Australia’s longest standing regional security exercise, Bersama Lima 16, has drawn to a close.

The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) exercise was conducted in Malaysia, Singapore and over the South China Sea, and involved air, maritime and land elements from the five member nations; Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The Commander of the Australian Contingent, Wing Commander Gregory Jervis, said all the Australian Force Elements gained significant training value from the exercise.

“The Australian contingent has enjoyed the interoperability opportunities from working with other Five Power Defence Arrangements nations to achieve exercise objectives,” he said

News Story: South Korea plans to purchase two more E-737 Peace Eye AEW&C aicraft

Peace Eye AEW&C (image: Wiki Commons)

South Korea's Air Force (ROKAF) plans to acquire two more Peace Eye airborne early warning and control aircraft down the road to boost its operational capabilities, a government source said Sunday. The move will increase the number of E-737s to six and give the ROKAF better situational awareness, greater ability to gather signal intelligence and better control over its aerial assets. The presence of the planes can act as a deterrence against the North which does not have similar platforms.

The E-737s can also give Seoul the ability to better regulate and protect the country's Korean Air Defense Identification Zone from all possible intruders as nations in Northeast Asia have started vying to more effectively manage their airspace to deal with security threats.

"In the past there had only been speculation about increasing the size of the AEW&C fleet, but it has now been 'confirmed' to be part of the long-term acquisition plan," the insider who declined to be identified said.

He did not give a timeline for the procurement but long-term plans usually take some 5 years to get the necessary budget needed to start the project.

"The inclusion of the procurement is a clear sign that the military wants the planes," he said.

Read the full story at Air Recognition

AUS: Exercise Bersama Lima 16 Officially Opens

Exercise Bersama Lima 2016 (BL16) was officially opened today at Changi Naval Base, Singapore.

The combined joint military exercise runs until 21 October 2016 and involves the military forces from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom operating together under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

Commander Australian Contingent, Wing Commander Gregory Jervis, said the annual exercise aimed to enhance interoperability between the five armed forces by sharing tactics and operational procedures.

“Bersama Lima incorporates a field training exercise for air, land and maritime forces, as well as live fire serials and staff officer training,” he said.

“It provides an opportunity for the Australian Defence Force to conduct training within a multi-threat operational environment. By planning, coordinating and conducting complex joint procedures, ADF personnel are able to maintain their operational and tactical level capabilities.”

News Story: Australia Crafts Its Own Anti-Access, Area Denial Strategy

RAAF E-7A Wedgtail AEW&C

By ROBBIN LAIRD

The Australian military is shaping a transformed military force, one built around new platforms but ones that operate in a joint manner in an extended battlespace. The goal is to extend the defense perimeter of Australia and create, in effect, their own version of an Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy.

They also recognize a key reality of 21st century military evolution in terms of shaping an integrated information-based operating force. Interactive modernization of the force is built around decision-making superiority and that will come with an effective information dominant force.

That makes the Aussies a key partner to the US and other allies in discussing openly a path for force transformation along lines where cutting edge thinking is occurring in the US and allied forces. Put bluntly, they are driving a public discussion of transformation in a way we have not seen in the United States for a long time.

Read the full story at Breaking Defense

AUS: Air Task Group E-7A Wedgetail Capability Display for Coalition Forces

E-7A Wedgetail (File Photo)

The Australian Air Task Group E-7A Wedgetail was put on temporary display at Australia’s main air operating base in the Middle East region to allow coalition partners to have a closer look at the platform that plays an integral part in the fight against Daesh.

Wedgetail co-pilot, Flight Lieutenant Adam Nelson, said that the display proved very successful and was well attended by coalition forces.

“It was a great opportunity for us to further strengthen the network between us and our coalition operators, and command and control partners,” said Flight Lieutenant Nelson.

“It was especially good to meet those operating the United States Air Force E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft, as well as those working within the “Kingpin” US Tactical Command and Control Unit – between us and them we control all of the airspace over Iraq and Syria.”

AUS: Mammoth Milestone for KC-30A in Operation OKRA

A RAAF KC-30A refuels a RAAF E-7A via the Boom system

A staggering 50 million pounds of fuel has been offloaded by the KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) deployed for Operation OKRA.

That figure equates to 22,679 tonnes of fuel, or more than 28 million litres, offloaded for RAAF and Coalition aircraft in the Middle East Region since September 2014.

Flying as part of Air Task Group (ATG) 630 for Operation OKRA, the KC-30A reached the milestone figure on April 27 during a sortie with a pair of RAAF F/A-18 Hornets.

As of May 2016, the ATG630 Air Mobility Element has conducted 631 sorties with the KC-30A, and flown more than 5,000 hours.

Commander of ATG630, Air Commodore Antony Martin, said the KC-30A MRTT was an essential enabler for Operation OKRA missions.

AUS: Air Task Group Wedgetail Achieves 100% Mission Success Rate in the Middle East

E-7A Wedgetail

The Australian Air Task Group E-7A Wedgetail command and control aircraft has achieved a record 100% mission success rate in Coalition operations against Daesh in the Middle East. The record is attributed to the current rotation, Rotation 5, of aircrew and maintenance personnel that operated the aircraft over the last four months.

Commander of the Air Task Group, Air Commodore Antony Martin, said that the men and women of the E-7A detachment should all be immensely proud of their efforts.

“They’ve all set the bar exceptionally high, especially achieving 100% mission completion – a fantastic effort,” said Air Commodore Martin.

“Such success speaks volumes about what the whole team has achieved in the past few months.

“The take-away for Rotation 5 is that their role and that of the E-7A Wedgetail in facilitating combat airpower capability in the Middle East is first class.”

AUS: Australian Defence Force tests air-land integration in the joint battlespace

Tiger ARH (© Australian DoD)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Australian Army, with support from Northrop Grumman, have successfully conducted a firepower demonstration and a combat team quick attack demonstration at Puckapunyal Military Area in Victoria as part of Exercise Jericho Dawn to display the powerful effects of integrated air and land operations.

The live fire exercise allowed RAAF and Army operators, together with Defence and industry representatives, to observe the combined air and land capabilities in two scenarios.

The operators demonstrated the current capabilities, before trialling new ways to improve air-land integration, including the way that aircraft and vehicles connect and translate information through different communication networks.

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Leo Davies AO, CSC, said that the demonstration showcased existing air-land operations technologies and processes, and the operational gains that have already been achieved through better integration of systems and information.

Think Tank: The next Battle of the Beams

Australia's 1st E/A-18G Growler during it's roll out at Boeing

James Mugg

The Battle of the Beams was a period during World War II concerning German attempts to harness radio navigation for night bombing in the UK and the resulting British countermeasures. The British eventually managed to jam or distort all three iterations of German radio signals, making it more difficult for the bombers to hit their targets. That episode dramatically illustrates the ephemeral nature of advantages in electronic warfare, especially when operating against an agile and sophisticated foe.

Since the end of the Cold War and the onset of the War on Terror, the principal targets of Western military power have been relatively low-tech groups in the Middle East. Electronic warfare platforms like the US Navy’s EA-6B Prowler were used to jam enemy communications during operations, and the relatively low tech of the enemy limited their ability to counter. But the constant threat to ground troops from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) led to the development of counter-IED jamming systems, and a new ‘invisible war’ emerged. As quickly as vehicle-mounted jammers could be reprogrammed, insurgents made use of a variety of commercial technologies—cell-phones, key-fobs, door remotes—to adapt.

Think Tank: DWP 2016 - the future RAAF

RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet

Ashleigh Sharp

The 2016 Defence White Paper emphasises the importance of a potent strike and air combat capability for the defence of Australia and its national interests. Over the next decade, Defence has committed to invest between $44.2 and $56.1 billion in key air capability developments. 

The RAAF’s current air combat capability is built on a fleet that combines 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets and 71 F/A-18A/B Hornets with six E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control platforms and five KC-30A multi role tanker transports.

Below are the key platforms which the RAAF will acquire and develop over the next decade: 

Think Tank: Filling the gap - Anti-ship missiles and the Royal Australian Navy

Christopher Cowan

On 4 February, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced that the US Navy had developed a new anti-ship missile (ASM)—the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6). But that ‘new’ missile isn’t as new as it might seem. The SM-6 has been in limited service with the US Navy as its most capable long range anti-air and anti-missile weapons system since 2013. The SM-6 is estimated to have a range of over 200 nautical miles (370km) and flies at Mach 3.5, giving it the ability to hit an adversary at a long range with little to no warning from defensive radars.

That news comes at a welcome time for many around the world lamenting the US Navy’s lack of a long-range ASM capability. Since retiring the anti-ship variant of the venerable AGM-65 Tomahawk in 1994, the US Navy has been in want of a long range supersonic ASM and has relied upon the slower and shorter ranged RGM-84 Harpoon and SM-2 (the SM-6’s predecessor which had a limited anti-ship capability) missiles to satisfy its surface-to-surface requirements. However, the US Navy isn’t the only state with this capability gap. Years of disinterest in surface warfare, caused by a lack of credible adversaries, have left many western navies (including Australia) far behind the likes of China and Russia in the development of those types of missiles.