Page 30 - Williams Foundation Air-Sea Integration Seminar

Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace

FIGURE 14 SLIDE FROM GROUP CAPTAIN HOMBSCH PRESENTAITON AT THE SEMINAR.

Throughout the day, the coming of the new amphibious ships was a background theme on how a new platform
could be leveraged to shape a way ahead for new approaches to force integration. Group Captain Hombsch
provided examples of how the evolution of SRG was bringing capabilities to the LHDs and, in turn, the LHDs
provided a new demand signal for SRG contributions.
One example was how the Triton would provide area coverage and information for an area of interest to
where the LHD and related assets would be sent on deployment. The asset could provide key information
shaping the picture of the operational environment long before the ship would show up.
Put in other terms, the Triton would become a modular member of an amphibious task force.
In short, SRG is a key part of the transformation of the RAAF and the ADF overall.
Many challenges lie ahead, but the key opportunity of introducing new capabilities like P-8 and Triton and
evolving the role of the Wedgetail from an air battle management system to a joint battle management
system can be leveraged to shape an effective way ahead.

THE WEDGETAIL IN EVOLUTION: VISITING WILLIAMTOWN AIRBASE,
AUGUST 2016

Prior to the seminar, there was a chance to visit Williamtown Airbase and to talk with Group Captain Stuart
Bellingham, the Officer Commanding 42 Wing, about the Wedgetail and its evolution.
The Wedgetail is often referred to as an Aussie AWACS, but clearly is not. The AWACs is an AIR battle
managements system with the customers being largely the fighter community. The Wedgetail is evolving
towards a ground and naval engagement capability with naval and army officers onboard and with virtual
Wedgetail becoming part of the officer training for the Army and Navy this process will deepen in the years
ahead.
In many ways, what is being experienced with Wedgetail is what the ADF hopes to bring to the process of
overall force design and greater operational integration.
It is also part of the new air combat systems, which are software upgradeable and capable of multi-tasking.
Second Line of Defense

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