Page 7 - Williams Foundation Air-Sea Integration Seminar

Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace

And in a fifth generation world, it’s less about who is the trigger shooter but actually making sure that
everybody’s contributing effectively to the right decisions made as soon as possible at the lowest possible
level.
And that is why I see the F-35 as an information age aircraft.
I’m less concerned about the load outs on the F-35. You can give it another ten weapon stations and you
would miss the core point.
What’s actually important is how the F-35 makes other weapon providers or effect providers out there far
better and shape faster reaction times.
A lot of people seem stuck in the old mindset of how many weapons we are going to stack on each aircraft.
That’s almost two generations ago.
In some ways, we are going back to the concept of military aviation early in World War I where we are the
eyes and ears for the combat force forward operating.”
http://www.sldinfo.com/shaping-the-airpower-transition-the-perspective-of-zed-roberton-commander-air-
combat-group-raaf/
After the opening by Rear Admiral Manazir, there were a number of key presentations by Royal Australian
Navy, RAAF and Australian Army officers as well as by the Royal Navy, providing an update on the Queen
Elizabeth carrier capability.
Presentations by industry complimented those by the senior officers, as well as closing and opening remarks
by senior Williams Foundation officials.
In addition, the final formal presentation of the seminar by John Blackburn of the Williams Foundation who
announced the next seminar which will focus on how best to shape a way ahead for more effective integration
of the joint force.
It is clear that the Royal Australian Navy is leveraging the LHD coming into the fleet to shape new ways to
integrate air, sea and ground power.
It also clear that the coming of the Air Warfare destroyer is seen as an opportunity to expand the sensor
shooter relationship as well as shaping ways to task force differently.

FIGURE 2 MAJOR GENERAL MCLACHLAN, HEAD OF AUSTRALIAN ARMY MODERNIZATION, DURING HIS PRESENTATION AT THE SEMINAR.

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