Page 62 - Renorming of Airpower: The F-35 Enters the Combat Fleet

The Renorming of Airpower: The F-35 Arrives into the Combat Force

The shaping of the grid will be done primarily for developmental, safety and security issues. But shaping a
grid will lay down a foundation on which appropriate defense systems can operate to protect the sovereignty
of key states and their national territories.

Given the importance of the High North, for Russian nuclear operations, the growth in military traffic through
the Northern passages, inevitable sovereignty disputes, the high probability the Russians will build flexible
forces at the top of the world in order to influence events either in Europe or Asia, defense or military
considerations are built into the Arctic opening.

Given the central importance of the kind of cooperation necessary to provide for development, safety and
security in the Arctic, the region will not be primarily defined by defense systems, but the Grid will enable
them and participate in security missions in any case.

And with the addition of new capabilities, such as fighters, the question will be how do they contribute to and
live off the grid while doing their missions? An advantage of an ISR-enabled fighter is obvious: it can live off
and contribute to the grid.

Also, training and operational missions will allow the pilots to provide real time information back to military,
security and various policy officials about anomalies or threats, which may need to be dealt with. The
advantage of a man in the loop generated by fighter operations is to contribute rapidly available
information and judgments about what an overall Arctic policy process might need to deal with in the near
term.

Some key considerations for an Arctic-enabled fighter would include, being ISR and communications capable
with an ability to operate as an airborne command center to support both security and defense operations.
Over time, the F-35 will clearly become a potential contributor to this effort. Norway has bought the F-35
and is shaping its fleet with the Arctic in mind. The U.S., Japan, and most probably Denmark are among the
allied states that will operate F-35s with Arctic security and defense in mind.

There are two key considerations. The first is the emergence of a 21st century fleet. Pacific allies are buying
the F-35 and will be looking to shape integration.

The second is the nature of the combat systems. The F-35 systems make it a C2 and ISR aircraft, notably when
the planes are considered as a deployed grid able to cover significant space.

For instance, in the 2011 Northern Edge exercise, its radar mapped the maritime surface of 500 square miles.
According to a report released by the Joint Program Office at the time: F-35 combat systems “searched the
entire 50,000 square-mile Gulf of Alaska operating area for surface vessels, and accurately detected and
tracked them in minimal time.”

Communication linkages are a crucial aspect, not only for combat but for security operations as well. The F-35
can provide support for such linkages as well for reshaping the approach to ensuring Arctic sovereignty.

Because each of the key five stakeholders in the Arctic all have different perspectives as well with regard to
even something as simple as “collaboration,” conflict can be built into a cooperative process. But defense in
the Arctic is a contextual capability.

To develop the Arctic requires shaping infrastructure for communications and situational awareness in an area
with limited “traditional” infrastructure. It is about leveraging air breathing and space systems, and crafting
appropriate land based towers and systems, which can create a grid for development and safety operations.

Second Line of Defense

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