Page 33 - Australian Defence Magazine Feb-Mar 21

FEBRUARY – MARCH 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
AIR POWER OVERVIEW 33
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPACE
The importance of the Space Domain to Australia’s defence was underlined by the recent Defence Strategic Update and associated Force Structure Plan released in 2020, which commits the government to invest around seven billion dol- lars in space-related capabilities and activities over the next ten years.
Defence (and, in particular, Air Force) has worked closely with the Australian Space Agency (ASA) since its inception in 2018, in addition to maintaining close relationships with Aus- tralia’s allies and the space industry, with the goal of evolving the Space Domain into a warfighting capability. (See P22 for more the links between Defence and indus-
try on space as seen at ADM’s Space Summit in December last year.)
“These partnerships will transform the way in which we operate in space, including in relation to satellite communications, space domain awareness, space control, position- ing, navigation and timing, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR),” a Defence spokesperson explained in late 2020.
“As Defence further develops the Space
Domain, the decisions made will highlight
the areas of existing excellence, respect the critical and valuable relationships that have already been formed and build, in consultation, for the future.”
Highlighting Air Force’s position in the domain, Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld was appointed the Space Domain Lead for Defence in 2019 and in March 2020, a Space Domain Directorate was established within the Air Defence and Space Branch of Air Force Headquar- ters in Canberra.
This Directorate is led by the Director General Air De- fence and Space, Air Commodore Phillip Gordon and in- corporates two subordinate directorates: Space Control and Space Domain.
“The Space Domain Directorate is representative of a joint and collaborate effort to evolve the Space Domain management, incorporating staffing from all three services alongside members from the Australian Geospatial-Intelli- gence Organisation (AGO) and US Space Force (USSF),” the Defence spokesperson detailed.
More recently, a new one-star role was established in the form of Director General Space Domain Review which, as its name suggests, is intended to scrutinise the Defence space enterprise and provide advice on the formulation of an appropriate structure within Defence to maximise effec- tiveness in the domain. The review is a two-year program which will provide a series of updates and seek guidance from senior committees within the department and man- agement of the Space Domain Directorate has now been transferred to DG Space Domain Review.
“The first step in the Space Domain Review was a De- fence Space Stocktake; an unclassified review of around 270 Australian (or Australian-based) entities operating, or intending to operate, in the Space Domain,” the spokes- person added.
“The next step will include a functional and organisa-
tional assessment of the Defence Space Domain to explore options to structure Defence to operate effectively in the warfighting domain of space.
“Follow-on review activities will focus on establishing the foundations required to support the warfighting domain, such as the development of strategies, concepts and plans – including a plan to engage with the Australian space in- dustry more effectively.”
C-27J SPARTAN WORKING TOWARDS FOC
Defence is keen to highlight the performance of the RAAF’s 10-strong Leonardo C-27J Spartan fleet over the past year, including providing valuable support to Operation Bushfire Assist last summer and Australia’s engagement in the south-
west Pacific.
The C-27J is a light tactical airlifter and
its ability to land on short runways in aus- tere conditions was put to the test during periods of extremely low visibility during the bushfire relief operations in south- east Australia, when Spartans delivered personnel and supplies into remote areas.
“AFTER FIVE YEARS IN SERVICE THE C-27J HAS NOT YET ACHIEVED FINAL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY (FOC), DESPITE TWO ATTEMPTS SO FAR.”
ABOVE: A PC-21 flies in formation with a C27-J Spartan off the coast of Newcastle.
DEFENCE