Page 5 - Williams Foundation Integrated Force Design Seminar

Designing the Integrated Force: How to Define and Meet the Challenge?

THE SEMINAR AND THE WAY AHEAD FOR THE INTEGRATED COMBAT FORCE

The program featured a number of the key officials involved in building the integrated force within the
Department of Defence along with industrial stakeholders as well in the redirection of DoD design efforts.

The focus of the day was to have an honest set of presentations and debates about what was realistic, and
what was not; what key drivers of change required more jointness, as well as the importance of domain
competence as the force is reconfigured for more joint effect.

It was an unusual seminar in that were more questions than answers; but what was clear was that the notion of
reshaping the force for greater joint effect was a vector of change and not simply implementing a set of
abstract principles. But what did emerge was a fairly clear sense of the core realities and requirements
needed to move to this next step – namely designing the force for greater joint effect.

The ADF is in the throes of significant modernization as new platforms are acquired and new approaches
adopted. And the ADF is working to provide the extended defense of Australian territory, which by its very
nature needs to see significant integration among, ground, air, maritime, space and cyber domains.

The legacy approach has been to acquire platforms and then to cobble together linkages among the
platforms to create a “joint force.” But this is simply after market linkages rather than thinking through how to
integrate more effectively from the ground up as new platforms are acquired or legacy systems modernized.

The key shift being envisaged is to move from the project approach to a program and stream approach. The
project approach is centered on platforms and linear acquisition within a fixed budget as the main trajectory.
A program approach considers several projects in their interconnection to get the kind of effect one would
want form synergy.

And the stream approach introduced in the first principles review is seen as a key element of how to more
effectively bundle individual efforts into a more synergistic whole. In the first principles review, several
streams or functions were identified to which platforms, and programs can be seen to contribute. But the goal
is to get more strategic visibility with regard to new platform acquisition or legacy modernization in terms of
trade offs, which provide best value for money or best capability from an asset.

The First Principles Review of Defence outlining ways to craft a more effective One Defence approach was
released by the Minister of Defense April 2015. The key recommendations are laid out in the report but are
summarized in the report as follows:

This review of Defence from first principles has shown that a holistic, fully integrated One Defence system is
essential if Defence is to deliver on its mission in the most effective and efficient way.

In order to create One Defence and give effect to our first principles, we recommend Defence:

• Establish a strong, strategic centre to strengthen accountability and top level decision-making
• Establish a single end-to-end capability development function within the Department to maximise the
efficient, effective and professional delivery of military capability
• Fully implement an enterprise approach to the delivery of corporate and military enabling services to
maximise their effectiveness and efficiency
• Ensure committed people with the right skills are in appropriate jobs to create the One Defence workforce
• Manage staff resources to deliver optimal use of funds and maximise efficiencies
• Commence implementation immediately with the changes required to deliver One Defence in place within
two years

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