Page 28 - Williams Foundation Future of Electronic Warfare Seminar

A New Approach and Attitude to Electronic Warfare in Australia

We are experiencing the consequences of under-investment in our classified war-fighting networks and
information systems. These challenges are not insurmountable, but they increase the complexity and risk of
integrating new systems into a coherent joint electronic warfare capability.

Finally, we are already encountering the demands of protecting highly classified data and systems. This will soon
become routine, but we currently lack the policy settings and organisational capacity to administer these programs
with confidence. It will place demands throughout the organisation. For example, the requirement for a positive
vetted top secret security clearance has increased by an order of magnitude in Air Force over the last ten years,
and this will do doubt continue to increase across the Australian Defence Organisation and industry.

These are examples of the enabling capabilities that are so critical to the realisation of a 5th generation Air
Force. Plan Jericho was created to draw attention to the importance of enabling capabilities and deliver the
organisational capacity and incentive to remediate them. Air Force’s investment in this program has created
confidence that we’re up to the challenge.

It is encouraging to see joint force integration also being incentivised by the Joint Force Authority – and the
increasing influence of our Chief of Joint Capabilities. It will be through Air Force’s commitment to the centre, that
we will deliver integrated 5th generation air and space power for the future joint force.

Lt. General (Retired) Davis Focuses on Distributed Electronic Warfare
Capabilities
As Group Captain Braz put the objective of Growler introduction within the ADF:

“New thinking in terms of dynamic targeting, particularly of non-lethal effects, many of which may be
temporary in nature, will be a key to success.

“Delegating these engagement authorities forward will be essential.”
Lt. General (Retired) Jon Davis, the former Deputy Commandant of Aviation, echoed these sentiments within
his presentation to the Williams Foundation seminar.

He described the USMC transition from a core aircraft delivering an EW effect to building out the MAGTF to
include ubiquitous access to non-kinetic tron warfare capabilities.

The core approach going forward is very clear.
“MAGTF EW transitions the Marine Corps from a focus on low density/high-demand EW platforms, to a
distributed, platform-agnostic strategy – where every platform contributes/ functions as a sensor, shooter and
sharer – to include EW.

“Under MAGTF EW the Marine Corps is leveraging emerging technologies and integrating multiple platforms,
payloads, nodes, and capabilities to provide commanders with an organic and persistent air and ground EW
capability.”

Davis underscored that with the changing nature of warfare and how the Marines operate, shaping a
distributed strategy was a necessity, not an option.

“We operate on ships, from ships to shore and ashore.
"We cannot simply have an on call EW asset.

Second Line of Defense

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