Page 8 - May 2019

Cover Story
An Australian F-35A aircraft takes off on a training
mission at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, USA.
Photo SGT Christopher Dickson

political, financial or industrial – will technological superiority and status. of operational and staff posts in the UK
be needed to drive the change 1 . The RAF has decided to refer to a and overseas during a 26 year military
necessary to mitigate the divergence ‘next generation’ air force in its recently career. He holds an MA and PhD in War
or offset its effects. Set against these published Royal Air Force Strategy in order Studies from Kings College London.
challenges, these air forces might to emphasize the concept of integration and Colonel Matthew Snyder is the USAF
argue that their national security to reduce the risk of the strategy being seen exchange officer to the Strategy Division
priorities over the next 10–15 years to be platform based. See RAF, ‘Royal Air in the French Air Staff in Paris. His
are perfectly well met by remaining Force Strategy: Delivering a World-Class previous assignment was as Chief
outside the F-35 programme and the Air Force’, 2017. of Nuclear Deterrence Operations
fifth-generation capabilities of which 2. Justin Bronk, ‘Maximum Value from the at the Pentagon. He has held joint,
it is a core element. They might also F-35: Harnessing Transformational Fifth- command, operational, maintenance,
credibly contend that legacy assets Generation Capabilities for the UK Military’, and test assignments including combat
are inherently less vulnerable to RUSI Whitehall Reports, 1–16 (Feb. 2016), experience in the B-2. He holds a
disruption of the networks on which p. viii. MSc in Space Systems from the Air
fifth-generation platforms rely and 3. Justin Bronk, ‘Maximum Value from the Force Institute of Technology and a
that the significant costs associated F-35: Harnessing Transformational Fifth- MA in International Relations from the
with the programme could be more Generation Capabilities for the UK Military’, University of Oklahoma.
efficiently apportioned elsewhere to RUSI Whitehall Reports, 1–16 (Feb. 2016),
meet those national priorities. p. viii. This article reflects the authors’ own
The arguments presented in André Adamson is a Wing Commander views and not the official policy of
this article suggest, however, that in the RAF and military desk officer for their respective organizations. It is an
the implications of this approach UK-France relations at the UK Ministry abridged version of a longer essay
published in the Royal United Services
in the longer-term are potentially of Defence. His previous posting was Institute (RUSI) Journal in August 2017.
serious and that there will be, as an exchange officer in the Strategy
sooner or later, a cost in terms of Division of the French Air Staff in Paris, Courtesy Joint Air Power Competence Centre
capability, operational effectiveness, prior to which he served in a wide variety

8