Page 45 - Williams Foundation Future of Electronic Warfare Seminar

A New Approach and Attitude to Electronic Warfare in Australia

Whilst it had a few initial teething problems with the boom and other things, that tanker is going from strength
to strength.

Without it, we're irrelevant, because we can't do that expeditionary work which we need to be able to do.

That's important in the Middle East, but even more important in our part of the world.

An Update on Wedgetail: And Shaping a Way Ahead with a Software

Upgradeable Multi-Mission 21st Century Combat Capability
During my current visit to Canberra in August 2017, I was able to continue my discussion with Officer
Commanding No 42 Wing, Group Captain Stuart Bellingham about the Wedgetail and its evolution.

After the recent presentation by the head of the USAF Materiel Command underscored the challenge of agile
software development for DoD, I had a chance to pick up some of the same themes from the Wedgetail
experience which provided some useful insights into the way ahead.

“As we have discussed before, we have a software upgradable jet.

"This is brilliant and gives us a lot of agility.

"And leveraging the software has meant that we come from being a program of concern back in 2009 to
becoming a cutting edge airborne command and control capability.

“We are not just focused on ourselves, but how we can evolve our jet to be a greater contributor in the joint
and coalition space.

“In order to write software that supports us being able to share ones and zeros effectively is dependent on an
agreed understanding on tactics techniques procedures and standards that support how we are incorporate
software and how we build it to make sure we're actually all aligned so that when we go out and work
together we're on the same wavelength, so to speak.

"That is a significant challenge.

“To do so, we are focused on engagement and education, trying to get people to understand the capability
that we bring to the fight.

"With E7, everyone straight away just thinks traditional AWACS vice what we've got, which is a dynamic
software upgradable aircraft with a very different system and approach than the legacy AWACS.”

Question: When we went to Fallon, it was clear that if the TTP efforts could be combined with software
code rewrite at a place like NAWDC, the Navy’s path to a kill web would be accelerated.
What is your thought about that kind of cross-linking?

Group Captain Stuart Bellingham: “It is essential.

"As we pair up the new platforms and sort through how to work together, we will shape the TTPs, for
example, operating P-8s and Wedgetails.

"As our procedures evolve, we need to rewrite the software on each platform to maximize the ability to work
together.

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