Page 34 - Williams Foundation Air-Sea Integration Seminar

Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace

Group Captain Bellingham: "Until we stop flying the E7, it will keep getting better. The challenge is as you
fairly eloquently stated it is making sure people understand the capability as we're progressing.

"It's not just one community, the fighter force, with whom we need to communicate.

"We need to work with and communicate effectively with the joint force.

"Which affects our training as we move ahead as well.

"We must make sure that our communication is effective within the joint force."

Question: Where is the future evolution of the system likely to go?

Group Captain Bellingham: "One aspect is the people aspect, namely that Army and Navy officers are not
simply replicating what they have done in legacy systems. Once they become that mission commander they
are that all-seeing, all-knowing, joint integrator who is a vastly different person to what they were in the
ground system and they know an awful lot about joint integration and how to make that work.

"Another aspect is the evolving technology of the systems, which are clearly moving down the path of
providing significant electronic-magnetic warfare capabilities as well.

"We are not just a classic flying radar.

"When we're looking forward ten years from now, that's where we're looking."

Question: The P-8/Triton dyad is coming to the force.

How will that affect Wedgetail?

Group Captain Bellingham: "Significantly.

"One aspect is that we will be operating a larger 737 fleet with six Wedgetails and 15 P-8s. We can't
afford not to look for opportunities in this space."

AN UPDATE ON AIR-SEA-LAND INTEGRATION FOR THE ADF: THE PERSPECTIE
OF BRIGADIER GENERAL MILLS

During the Williams Foundation seminar on Air-Land integration, a key speaker was Brigadier General Chris
Mills, Director General, Army Modernization for the Australian Army. After the presentation, there was a
chance to discuss with him his perspective on the way ahead of the Australian Army for the decade ahead.

A key point, which he underscored in that interview, was the following:

“I think the reality is that as we move beyond this decade, those type of joint effects need to empower the
small team to achieve tactical success as the array of tactical successes transcend into an operational impact.”

After the Williams Seminar on air-sea integration, there was another chance to re-engage with BG Mills and
to get an update on developments since we last spoke. I was especially keen to discuss the perspective
introduced into the latest seminar by Major General McLachlan, head of Australian Army Modernization.

Major General McLachlan discussed and analyzed the evolving role of the Aussie Army in the defense of
Australia through what the U.S. Army would call Air Defense Artillery (ADA) or shaping the lower tier to a
missile defense system engaged with the power projection forces. From his perspective, the more effective the
Second Line of Defense

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