Page 34 - F-35 and Transformation

The F-35 and The Transformation of the Power Projection Forces

A 1960s jet flown by a young, very capable pilot is making an invaluable contribution to the creation of
pilots for the most lethal air superiority platform of today and tomorrow.

What could be more exciting? I looked at Leeroy and he could not wipe the smile off his face, he’s enrolled in
the Raptor-B-course this coming January.

Now that is exciting!

The Second Line of Defense would like to thank Lt. Col Charles “Stab” Hebert, Commander of the 71st FTS
“Ironmen”; “Leeroy,” T-38 Instructor and soon to be F-22 Raptor pilot; Jeffrey Hood, Media Operations
Section Chief, JBLE; and TSgt Katie Ward of the 633 ABW PAO.

Editor’s Note: One impact of the F-35 is a dramatic increase in fifth generation pilots; there are few F-22
pilots and few F-22s; in fact, already Lockheed has or will seen have produced more F-35s than F-22s!

THE DEPUTY COMMANDANT OF AVIATION DOWN UNDER: PLAN JERICHO
MARINE CORPS STYLE

The Williams Foundation hosted a seminar earlier this year on new approaches to air-land integration.

The terms of reference for the conference were as follows:

Air forces need to be capable of delivering air and space power effects to support conventional and special
operations in the land domain.

Air-Land integration is one of the most important capabilities for successful joint operations.

The last decade has seen a significant shift in how airpower has supported ground operations.

With the introduction of systems like Rover, the ability of airpower to provide precision strike to the ground
forces saw a significant change in fire support from a wide variety of air platforms.

Precision air dropping in support of outposts or moving forces introduced new capabilities of support.

Yet this template of air ground is really focused on air support to the ground whereas with the shift in the global
situation, a much wider set of situations are emerging whereby the air-ground integration approach will become
much wider in character, and the ability to insert force rapidly, as a precision strike capability, and to be
withdrawn will be a key tool in the toolbox for decision makers.

Fifth generation enabled operations will see a shift to a distributed C2 approach which will clearly change the
nature of the ground-to air command system, and the with the ability of fifth generation systems to generate
horizontal communications among air assets outside the boundaries of a classic AWACs directed system, the
change in C2 will be very wide ranging.

The seminar will explore how the ADF can take advantage of Army’s Plan Beersheba and Air Force’s Plan Jericho
to enhance Air-Land integration.

Quite obviously, the evolving capabilities of the USMC are clearly convergent with the approach, which
Williams wished to foster for the future of the ADF.

Second Line of Defense

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