Page 54 - Williams Foundation Integrated Force Design Seminar

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

I have talked with Air Commodore Roberton in many places in Australia and he is clearly a force of energy
on the move.

If he fights in an air battle like he operates on the ground, the adversary better be on his toes!

The last interview I did with him was in his office in Williamtown and focused the airpower transition which the
RAAF is undergoing as it adds an impressive range of new platforms and capabilities.

The transition for Roberton is about shaping airpower for integrated operations in the information age; it is
not about staying in the 20th century world of disaggregated air from maritime from ground forces.

It is about shaping an integrated force driven by the new fifth generation approach.

And for the RAAF, this approach is crucial because unlike the USAF or the USN, the RAAF does not have a
large force of specialized aircraft to operate in an evolving approach to integration; the RAAF with the Navy
and the Army need to lead a process of force structure integration shaped by a key driver like the F-35.
http://www.sldinfo.com/shaping-the-airpower-transition-the-perspective-of-zed-roberton-commander-air-
combat-group-raaf/

In this interview, which was conducted at Amberley Airbase where the Super Hornet/Growler wing is located,
we focused on how he saw that transition proceeding as the new Air Warfare Centre had been established
and was positioning itself to be a key element in shaping the transition.

He emphasized that the focus was upon shaping an integrated air warfare perspective, moving beyond a
platform specific context.

He thought it was proceeding well for two reasons.

“We are taking a kill web approach and working to integrate the non-kinetic into the force.

“We have to shape a cultural revolution.
“We need to get away from being comfortable with knowing what contribution my platform can make to the
fight in very narrow terms.

“With the evolving concepts of operations, we don’t really care where the weapon comes from; we don’t
really care how the information is passed.

“We need to have a framework where that’s devolved to the lowest effective level and we achieve it as a
team.

“That’s kinetic and non-kinetic effects. That’s with regard to all different sorts of platforms.

“The faster you take a concept and a platform and weapons system and focus on its impact or effect at the
tactical level, then the smart young women and men in our force will find a way to innovate in a way that
we’ve never seen before.”

“That is really what we are after at the Air Warfare Centre.”

Indeed, according to Roberton, “we don’t want narrowly focused tactical operators.

“We want warfighters that can problem solve. That is why at the air warfare centre we give them problems
they can’t solve.
Second Line of Defense

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