Page 31 - Williams Foundation Air-Sea Integration Seminar

Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace

During an earlier visit to 2nd Squadron at Williamtown Airbase, the Squadron Commander underscored the
challenge of understanding software upgradeability:
“This is a software upgradeable aircraft with a defined launch point (IOC) but no fixed end point (FOC). The
system will always be evolving and growing as the software code gets rewritten to reflect events and
demands from the squadron.
The squadron works through its experience and shapes change orders, which get sent to the procurement
authorities to sort out priorities for the next round of upgrading the aircraft.”
The difference between older and such a new system was outlined by one participant during the visit as
follows:
“We have in the same time frame bought a CRC system full up which will look pretty much like it is in 20
years; with Wedgetail it will look nothing like it does now in 20 years.”

FIGURE 15 AIR COMBAT OFFICERS, PILOT OFFICERS NELSON (FOREGROUND) AND BRAYDEN, AND NO 2 SQUADRON DETACHMENT COMMANDER,
SQUADRON LEADER SAMUEL THORPE, CONDUCT A PRE-FLIGHT CHECK IN THE E-7A WEDGETAIL AIRBORNE EARLY WARNING AND CONTROL
AIRCRAFT DURING EXERCISE PITCH. CREDIT: AUSTRALIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.

This process of upgrading means that the software engineers work closely with the operators in shaping the
evolution of the aircraft.
This is a very different approach from legacy systems.
As Paul Kalafos, Vice President of Surveillance Systems at Northrop Grumman has put it:
“We are getting significant feedback from the RAAF on deployment and requests to automate tasks where
possible to enhanced the capability of the machine part of the man-machine relationship to shape a way
ahead.
"A lot of the input is through the ARCS working group, which is a collaborative study environment involving
Boeing, Northrop Grumman, MIT/Lincoln Labs, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), CEA
Technologies, Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and
the Common Wealth of Australia (CoA).

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