Transcript

" An Overview of the RAAF Challenges and Opportunities"

By Air Marshal Geoffrey Shepherd AO Chief of Air Force
4 October 2006

Introduction

Thank you for affording me the opportunity in this informal forum to share my views about the future challenges and more importantly, the opportunities facing the RAAF. Let me commence by giving you a clear understanding of the current status of the Air Force.

The RAAF has seen an unprecedented increase in the tempo of operations in recent years and indications are that this is unlikely to let up in the near term. We have been involved in a wide range of activities from high-end combat situations, such as our air combat operations in the initial phases of the Iraq conflict, to missions in very low and unsophisticated threat environments as in the Solomon Islands, and we have done creditable work in providing humanitarian assistance as in the case of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, the more recent earth quake relief effort in Pakistan and assistance to cyclone relief in north Queensland in Op Larry assist.

The men and women of the Air Force have risen magnificently to these challenges, albeit at a significant cost, a cost borne unevenly across individuals and units. However, the current tempo has become the norm rather than the exception, so it has become vital to ensure that the Air Force work force can sustain our current level of activity in the longer term. To achieve this there is a need to improve our organisation and administrative processes and to prioritise our tasks - we may need to stop doing some tasks.

It is to these changes that are imperative and the improved capabilities that we are introducing that I would like to direct this presentation. In early 2006 I initiated a project to "Rebalance Our Air Force" to better deliver our capability using the resources that we have available while continuing to maintain a sustainable work/life balance. I will give you an overview of where the RAAF is today and then look briefly at the challenges that we face in rebalancing the force while explaining the necessity to get this transformation right. I believe that these challenges bring unprecedented opportunities to better the Air Force in all aspects.

Air Force Vision

The RAAF vision is "To be a balanced expeditionary Air Force capable of achieving the Government's objectives through the swift and decisive application of air and space power in joint operations or as part of a larger coalition force." This is an enduring vision that accurately reflects the ethos of the Air Force and the purpose of our mission. In simple terms the vision advocates that the RAAF will be able to bring to bear air and space power, jointly with the other Services or as part of a larger coalition at the time and place of our Government's choice.

In addition, the Government has recently indicated that Air Force needs to be a versatile force capable of carrying out concurrent deployments in both regional and global theatres. In order to provide the Government with this spectrum of options, the RAAF consequently needs to be both balanced and expeditionary. By balanced I mean that we need the full suite of capabilities in order to be able to provide the necessary high end war-fighting while also being able to operate efficiently in a lower threat or humanitarian/disaster environment. Expeditionary capabilities are required even to operate within the borders of our own country to overcome the 'tyranny of distance'. However, the clear understanding that the ADF will require global deployment capabilities makes it imperative for the RAAF to nurture and further its existing expeditionary capabilities so that adequacy of response in support of national security objectives can be assured.

Project to Rebalance our Air Force

From a strength of over 23,000 personnel in 1990, the RAAF downsized to the current strength of around 13,500 by roughly 2000. While this process was not without its own challenges and needed a great deal of reorganisation, we managed a very controlled 'soft landing' and stabilised very well in the new leaner configuration without any actual or perceivable decline in our capabilities. We now need to take advantage of the relative stability in the force structure to look ahead and rebalance and reshape the Air Force appropriately for the tasks ahead.

We appreciate the need to balance our structure to cater for the smooth amalgamation of new acquisitions that bring with it enhanced capabilities. Every successful organisation is adaptive and dynamic in nature and the RAAF is no exception. We pride ourselves on our inherent flexibility and the project to rebalance our Air Force was established to bring our workforce structure, our people and the tasking placed on the Air Force into balance. The rebalance project is a short term activity that will do as much as possible during this year.

So far the rebalance team has identified and agreed to manage the increasing workload in both 92 and 86 Wings by increasing the establishments on the bases that these units reside. In order to create the necessary resources within the existing force level to achieve this, some squadrons and wings are being merged or being relocated.

The Rebalancing will be followed by a Reshaping project that will look at longer term issues. This will redesign the Air Force to prepare us to effectively accept the new capabilities that we are currently developing. In some cases the reshaping activity has already begun. The restructuring of the Combat Support group over the next few years is an example of Air Force reshaping our capabilities to maximise effectiveness and efficiency. The end-state that we seek is to have an organisational structure that will meet the raise, train and sustain (RTS) needs of a versatile Air Force.

Of course the operational aspects of our force will more directly be the purview of HQJOC at the new operational headquarters at Bungendore. The Air Operations Centre, now resident at HQAC, will transfer to HQJOC. Following this transfer, HQAC's prime role will be raising our Air Force capability, bringing the capability to a standard suitable for deployment by the JOC and supporting the sustainment of the deployed force by preparing replacement forces. We have also merged the erstwhile Training Command with HQAC as the AF Training Group to improve the relationship of the training function with other Force Element groups. Once we have been able to clearly reset our structure, we will be in a better shape to institute the follow-on transition that will be essential to embrace the new capabilities that will become part of the Air Force in the next decade or so. What we're doing today is to lay the foundation for the transformed future Air Force of 2015 or so. This change process is vital for the Air Force and doing nothing is not an option. It will create challenges for all of us, but will also generate tremendous opportunities and I am excited by the prospects.

Future Challenges and Opportunities

As I look to the future I envisage that the operations that we Air Force will undertake into the future will be broadly similar to the range of operations that we have conducted over recent years. Therefore, the capabilities required of the Air Force will also be broadly similar to the ones that we have now; suitably adapted to cater for an era of surprise and uncertainty where we will face multiple and complex threats. The difference however, will be in the way we deliver these capabilities. I believe we need to evolve into an even better, more capable and more versatile force able to deliver precision effects in mobile and expeditionary operations. The Air Force clearly needs to focus on information, knowledge and timely intelligence in joint and combined operations so that it can guarantee, both the Army and Navy, levels of situational awareness that only air and space forces can provide. Furthermore, Air Force needs to be able to guarantee fire support to these forces when and where required, with a close integration of airpower with the land scheme of manoeuvre. A clear lesson to arise from Gulf War II is that we need to be part of the Army's combined Arms Team.

The RAAF is about to enter an exciting and demanding period with the most significant upgrade to platforms over the next decade. This will start with the rapid acquisition of the C-17 heavy airlift capability, followed by the new AEW&C and an expanded tanker capability, and the major upgrade to the F/A-18 Hornet aircraft before the F-111 is retired, to list a few.

Equipment

Two of the fundamental bases of our capability are our equipment and our people, and I will address the former of these now. Government approved projects and the Defence Capability Plan (DCP) contain several programs that will have significant impact on the future Air Force. These include; the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, the Air-to-Air Refuelling aircraft (MRTT), and the new Air Combat Capability. In addition to these programs, the future of our airlift capability is the subject of considerable attention. The current ADF airlift capability is spread across a broad spectrum, from tactical light rotary wing to strategic heavy fixed wing aircraft. In recent times the need to possess sufficient heavy lift capability has been impressed upon us because the option of leasing these capabilities on an 'as required' basis proved not to be a sound or sustainable long-term strategy. Consequently, we are developing an appropriate roadmap for the future that balances our airlift needs, noting that the recent HLA, C17 decision effectively fixes one end of that spectrum. Furthermore, we are looking at a possible replacement for our P-3 Orions and this will most likely be a mix of manned multi-mission aircraft along with a maritime UAV capability throughout the 2010 - 2020 decade.

The New Air Combat Capability will be delivered by the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) that we plan to acquire. However, before the new JSF becomes operational we will need to transition the current air combat force to cater for the retirement of the F-111. A number of projects will have to collectively deliver on time if we are to stay on track with this transition. These include the introduction of the AEW&C and the A330 MRTT aircraft, the introduction into service of the recently announced JDAM and JSOW weapons on the F/A-18 Hornet, along with that aircraft's EWSP upgrade, as well as the integration of the new Lightening FLIR pod.

The Hornet by itself will be replaced by the JSF armed with a broad range of weapons to provide control of the air and to deliver strike capabilities. The JSF will form the backbone of the future Air Force combat capability and will also make a significant contribution to battlespace control by being a node in the future networked Defence system. Indeed, it will be as much a sensor as a shooter.

The AEW&C aircraft, now delayed in its delivery, along with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), JORN and our ground based GCI radar and civil ATC radar feeds, will give us a credible surveillance and reconnaissance capability. The combination of AEW&C and the high altitude long endurance UAVs will provide data that will be directly linked to our EASTROC facility which will be the hub of Air Force battlespace awareness capability. This will also include a feed into HQJOC near Bungendore and the 'embedded' AOC.

Maritime patrol and response is another capability that encompasses both surveillance and reconnaissance as well as response options. As I have noted already, the current fleet of P-3 Orions will need to be replaced or refurbished late in the next decade and the induction of a new or upgraded multi-mission aircraft will provide enhanced capabilities in both surveillance and response. You will note that there is no "maritime" in the aircraft role name, this is in recognition of the dominant importance of ISR across the whole air battlespace.

To make the most of our future combat platforms we need to have sufficient air-to-air refuelling assets. We are acquiring five A330s for this purpose. In order to ensure adequate expeditionary capability we need to stress air mobility in order to provide crucial combat support. I believe the balance and composition of the future airlift force should adequately address the spectrum of airlift needs from light tactical airlift, such as currently provided by the Caribou, to heavy and strategic airlift that will be effected through the C17. The airlift future force will therefore, have sufficient numbers of C-130J medium lift and up to four C-17 heavy airlift aircraft. I am also very keen however, to progress the less 'sexy' end of the airlift spectrum - light tactical/battlefield airlift. We are ever mindful that we must not become so high-tech that we are irrelevant in our nearer region in places such as the South West Pacific.

Network Centric Warfare

In order to maximally utilise our equipment and capabilities in a flexible, responsive and dynamic fashion, these projects that the DCP will deliver will have to be viewed as nodes within a larger networked system. This idea of a networked force is not some radically new futuristic concept. Our Air Operations Centre (AOC) is operational now and has been rigorously tested in joint exercises, even from deployed locations. The AOC forms the hub of all air activities and is pivotal and absolutely fundamental to the success of our operations. The AOC gathers and fuses all the data and generates the knowledge to implement the plans, often in real-time that provides us with the necessary combat edge when and where required. In effect the AOC networks a number of smaller nodes and is itself a larger node in the central ADF system. The new ADF operational headquarters at Bungendore must deliver an 'AOC functionality' and it is the job of HQJOC and Air Force to ensure that end.

When looking at the larger Air Force picture as an interlinked system within a broader joint ADF system, the human element within that system must not be forgotten. Well trained and motivated professional people are fundamental to the success of any networking activity and will continue to remain the key factor that binds the systems together.

Air Force capabilities will be significant contributors to all key elements of the network centric warfare concept. The embedded AOC will form part of the integrated command and control grid. All air power assets will contribute to the sensor grid through the dissemination of information gathered in surveillance and reconnaissance while the offensive capabilities resident in the JSF as well as the MMA will form crucial components of the engagement grid. The information network will be supported by elements of the Air Force on a continuous basis, and the Air Force contribution to network centric warfare concepts will be a major factor in transforming the ADF into a seamless force.

It is very clear to us that the new capabilities being acquired by the RAAF into the future will be employed in a holistically networked manner to create the necessary effects that will deliver the desired end-state. We are well on our way to becoming a force that focuses on the desired effects and moving away from a focus just on kinetics.

We are also aware that space has become fundamental to creating adequate battlespace awareness and the concept of network centric warfare. Its importance in gathering intelligence, facilitating communications and ensuring command and control is increasing at a rapid pace. Currently we do not have our own space capability and this is a challenge that I believe the ADF must face.

Workforce - People

So what else is important when we consider the future? In this continuously changing equation of threats and responses, people and our values remain constant factors. As noted earlier, our people are the key to our future, as they have been the key to success in the past, and they form the second fundamental basis of our capability. It is pertinent to remember that it is after all people who select, develop and deliver capabilities.

One of the challenges facing us today is directly related to the slow demographic change that is taking place in the nation. The ADF and the RAAF are reflections of society at large and any imbalance that is felt within the broader community will be faithfully replicated within us. In recent years the separation rate in the Air Force has been around 6 - 8% (currently 7.9%) and that is optimum in a closed system, but we expect this may rise in the near future because of the shortage of skilled people in the civilian sector. In the future we believe that we will have to face a constant and mainly uphill battle to be able to attract the right people into the Air Force and then try even harder to ensure their retention.

I have mentioned earlier that the way we deliver our capabilities will change in the future. This will impact on the way in which we train and employ our people. We are currently reviewing the existing specialisations within the Air Force to align them more synergistically with future requirements.

Each of the new capabilities being introduced takes people out of operating and managing our current capabilities. The advances represented by each new capability and the significant changes in major capital equipment will mean that our current organisation may not be the organisation that we need for the future.

There is also a need to develop new sets of skills to effectively employ air power capabilities acquired in the future within a dynamic conceptual and doctrinal environment. We are acutely aware of the need to invest in the training and education of our people and get it right because on this will depend the future performance of the force. We are also cognisant of the fact that we need to constantly encourage development of attributes such as flexibility, innovation and progressive thinking in order to inculcate a proactive approach to mission accomplishment. These attributes take time and special training to develop and nurture and they are equally hard to quantify or measure. This makes it all the more important that we maintain a clear focus on the human aspect of delivering capabilities in the future. We will, as now, continue to be a values-based Air Force, with people at the core of our capabilities and our concern.

Conclusion

Very briefly those are the challenges and opportunities that face the RAAF. I am under no illusion and am aware that the challenges are of enormous consequence to the future but I also believe that there are more opportunities than threats. We can not rest on our laurels, hard won as they are, or be complacent because the future shares certain similarities with the present. Rather, we need to focus on the initial transition and the future transformation that is required to position ourselves as an effective and versatile force well into the future. Throughout its history the RAAF has been blessed with people who have risen to emerging challenges, and it is no different now. Our people are facing up to the challenges and converting them into opportunities to be grasped. As the Chief of Air Force I have no doubt in my mind that the path forward that we have carefully chosen is the right one and will deliver us our desired objective.

The future RAAF will not be a large force, indeed we will remain a modest one by world standards. We might be little but we are not "little league". The RAAF is well and truly set on an exciting journey to become an even more versatile force creating seamless effects in the pursuit of national security objectives.

So in closing let me thank you once gain for the invitation to talk to you today. I am sure you will agree with me that in this, the Royal Australian Air Force's 85th year, we are in good shape and well prepared to grasp the opportunities of the future.

Thank you. Cooee.

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