Page 31 - Williams Foundation Future of Electronic Warfare Seminar

A New Approach and Attitude to Electronic Warfare in Australia

The Blackjack UAV, which has a modular payload structure, has an EW payload inside as well and is currently
working with the USS America amphibious group.

The goal is clear: “There will never be a Marine infantry unit or a group on the ground that will not have
access to electronic warfare capability.

"The guys on ground can go up and e-connect.

"Almost like they're going to a server in the sky and pulling the information for them, he or she can basically
pull the capability down from the air asset.”

The next platform, which will provide an EW delivery capability to the MAGTF will be the Group 5 UAV, the
Marines are working on right now.

This will be a VTOL UAV and will have an open architecture with modular payloads.

And clearly one of those payloads will be an EW one. And by having a VTOL asset this can provide MAGTF
support throughout its operational cycle, whether on the ship, coming off the ship or operating ashore.

He concluded by reminding the audience of the philosophy of the Marine Corps as the big green killing
machine. It was not about the fair fight; it was about speed and combat success against a determined enemy.

He quoted the most famous Australian general officer from World War I, General Sir John Monash to
provide perspective on how the Marines looked at the inclusion of EW as a ubiquitous asset for the MAGTF.
“The true role of infantry was not to extend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to whither away under
merciless machine gun fire, not to impale itself upon hostile bayonets, but on the contrary, to advance under
the maximum possible array of mechanical resources, in the form of guns, …tanks, mortars and aircraft; to
advance with as little impediment as possible; to be relieved as far as possible of the obligation to fight their
way forward.”

During the panel discussion after the presentations by Group Captain Braz and CDR Mike Paul, a question
was asked about the challenge of working with the US Navy and its approach leveraging Growler and the
USAF's approach to leveraging fifth generation aircraft in shaping a way ahead.
The answers were quite noteworthy.

Group Captain Braz viewed the RAAF as in an interesting bridging function between the USN and USAF and
playing a potentially useful and significant role in shaping integrated capability across the RAAF, the USN,
and USAF as well.

"The diversity that we bring is very useful in shaping the combined team of US Navy and US Air Force
capabilities."

Lt. General (Retired) Davis from the floor added his thoughts on how integration is proceeding in the US.

He sees the schools, MAWTS-1, Nellis and Fallon as key elements in shaping an integrated force. He
mentioned that a Marine is for the first time teaching at Nellis and a USAF pilot is training at MAWTS-1 and
will be an instructor there as well.

"The more we learn from each other, the better we will be."

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