Page 9 - Leverage and Learn

Leverage Allied Investments and Combat Learning Experience in Modernizing the U.S. Military

The coming of the F-35 provides a significant opportunity to leverage the investment efforts of core allies as is
happening in the UK with 5th Gen weapons such as Meteor and SPEAR 3:

F-35 as a global enterprise – the 9-Nation MOU encourages US allies in the program to invest in core
capabilities for the benefit of the JSF partnership – Meteor and SPEAR 3 are examples of this;

F-35 is the bedrock for high end warfare and 5th generation weapons such as Meteor/SPEAR 3 will help
maximize coalition capabilities with direct benefit to the US services in the joint fight;
The integration of 5th Gen weapons such as Meteor onto 4th Gen platforms also enables the allies to better
utilize their whole combat air force, not just their 5th Gen platforms.

For the US, this path opens up a number of options; one example is the potential interoperability of UK and
USMC F-35Bs afloat where jets would be able to fly from each other’s decks with whichever weapons are to
hand. It could go a step further and open up a scenario where the US consider adopting these new weapons
onto US F-35s, which share integrative commonality with allied F-35s.

The United States could thus leverage allied investments in the weaponization of the global F-35 in a
significant way, but not if it follows a protectionist policy or continues to pursue the legacy of the most recent
Administration’s legacy to often have competition for competitions sake rather than simply moving ahead with
the off the shelf solution.

Allied weapons integration on the F-35 provides a range of off the shelf solution sets for the US forces, which
should be leveraged. The US can put its investment into additional weapons capabilities rather than simply
investing in areas already covered by advanced weapons capabilities developed and deployed by allies.

The F-35 global enterprise provides a way ahead for more rapid development of weapons, by leveraging
allied investments and capabilities whilst the US develops new capabilities in parallel, which can then be
offered to the allied F-35 users as well. A new business model has emerged precisely when a new
Administration has arrived in Washington, which has underscored its desire for new business models.

Here one is staring them directly in the face.

A third example is provided by the Wedgetail which the Aussies have made a key combat asset within the
high-end force and are looking to invest in its further development. Leveraging multiple years of
development and combat operations to get on with the post-AWACs world makes more sense than simply
continuing the slow roll of upgrading AWACs.

For example, the Aussie Wedgetail has come to Red Flag 2017-1 and has provided advanced C2 and
support to a fifth generation enabled air combat force. F-35s, F-22s and advanced legacy aircraft like
Typhoons were supported throughout by the most advanced air battle management system operating today.
And it is being operated by the RAAF and not the USAF; and the RAF is also considering its acquisition.
Instead of slow rolling an upgrade of AWACS, it is time to leap ahead and move beyond the 360 degree
radar dome technology and embrace a very different concept of air battle management, one good for
today and one very integratable into the tron warfare and distributed operations of the future.
A fourth example which would clearly roil the protectionist who care more about protectionism than the
capability of an actual deployed US military force would be to get on with the KC-10 replacement and by
the A330MRTT. Not only does the USAF have NO operational new tankers, but the allies have proven
beyond a shadow of a doubt that the USAF made the right decision picking this aircraft over the Boeing

Page 8