Page 37 - Williams Foundation Air-Sea Integration Seminar

Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace

FIGURE 16 LEADING SEAMAN AVIATION ROBERT BROOK SAFELY GUIDES AN ARMY CH47F CHINOOK HELICOPTER ONBOARD HMAS ADELAIDE,
WHILE ALONGSIDE IN FLEET BASE EAST. CREDIT: AUSTRALIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE.

And more generally, EW for the ground forces particularly in the environment in north of Australia really does
rely in the integration of air, land, and sea EW to achieve the effect. And we are looking forward to the
coming of the Growler as a contributor to this effort as well.
And I think the LHD over the last five or six years has really driven the idea to start the journey to ensure joint
with more than just a throw away word. We are starting the journey of working the sequences of airlift,
sealift, overhead support, C2 and the insertion of the ground forces. In what circumstances do we use which
assets to put a force ashore and support its operations? LHDs are now part of that and the RAAF changes
with the C-130Js and C-17s are as well.
We’re a small defense force operating in a very large environment. We very much feel that we’ve got a
requirement to support like-minded countries and play our part in a global rules-based order.
We need to be able to achieve large effects with a leveraged force. Our army wants the air force to be the
best small air force in the world, and we want our navy to be the best small navy in the world. Because if
they’re not, the army’s not going be able to get to where it needs to get to and be sustained in the fight to
achieve the desire effect.
Our army looks to achieve effects on the ground. That’s what it’s been designed to do. To do that, air force
and navy must support forces on the ground but from the standpoint of capability to do that while rapidly
changing and re-tasking as well. The force must be well protected. And it must be able to sustain itself in
austere environments.
One of the benefits of living in a large country with a dispersed population is that the Australian army has
grown up on being able to sustain itself in austere environments for long periods of time. If we want to go on
exercise, unlike American-only bases that have their exercise area just out the door, we’ll more travel 10
hours by road convoy to get to the exercise area. Where the amphibs play a part is they assist us because
the reality is we need an amphib capability just to defend Australia or just the force to be projected around
Australia.
Look at where our three brigades are. Our three brigades are at the three ends of the country.
Preparing for power projection is rooted in our ability to even operate in the continent the size of Australia.
We need to be joint simply to operate; what we are doing now is looking at the new technologies which allow
us to enhance our capabilities to shape an integrated force to get the combat effects which we need in a
region as large and diverse as ours is.

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