Page 24 - Australian Defence Magazine September 2019

DEFENCE BUSINESS
5TH GEN
Re-Imagining delivery of a
5th Generation ADF
WE must reframe the problem to ensure that that the wrong choice makes the pace of the information technology foundations for change overwhelming, placing the aspira-
JAMES GIBSON | CANBERRA
The pace of technological innovation overwhelms the ability to field battlespace-ready integrated systems. There is wide spread recognition that change is needed but little agreement on the way forward.
C4ISR are an enabler, not a roadblock, for the 5th Generation Force the ADF is ac- quiring. As the ADF moves towards the 5th Generation (Gen) Force, we must ask wheth- er it can do so successfully using the existing information technology approach.
This article attempts to address two key questions, focusing on the perceived needs of the ADF. Firstly, is the current approach of considering platforms, silos and systems before interoperability still valid? Secondly, is the focus on information advantage, data and networks providing the ADF with the necessary conceptual tools? The danger is
tion for the 5th Gen Force at risk.
The aim is not only to identify the prob- lem but also to demonstrate that effective, sound solutions are possible and able to de- liver joint effects. Going back to first prin- ciples and considering what matters is an approach to gain insights into the character- istics of a contemporary battlespace; to un- derstand how the need for agile command and control has become an essential design requirement, and how stability and innova-
tion should be simultaneously embraced. From the results of this analysis the two central design concepts for the 5th Gen
24 | September 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au