Australian Air Power Today August 2021

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Spring 2021 Vol 3 No 3

Air Force | Air Power | National Defence | Space | Cyber

TO THE STARS AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES MILITARY SPACE COMMAND

A SALUTE TO TEAMWORK AND THE RAAF

Teamwork has been a core value of the Royal Australian Air Force. And for more than 60 years, Dassault Aviation is proud to have been part of the RAAF team. Congratulations and thanks for 100 years of service to Australia and the world.

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Volume 3 No 3 Spring 2021

index

2 COVER STORY TO THE STARS Australia Launches Military Space Command

THIS ISSUE: SPACE

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The Evolution of the Space Suit

Pathways for a Career in Space

FEATURE 6 One Giant (Space) Leap for Aussie School Students 10 South Australia's Cosmic Comeback 13 Weaponisation of Space 24 If Darwin is Not Protected, Australia is Not Protected 31 The Challenges of Deep Space Habitation

37 Airbases. Now. Then. Always.

48 Ai Technology Helping Sort Intelligence Data 56 Innovation Critical for Defence 61 Grey-Zone Warfare, Front of Mind at Talisman Sabre 78 Relics Reimagined

59 Archives at Risk of Cyber Attack, Security Expert Warns FIXED WING 62 Transition 68 Defence 70 Relocation 80 On The Radar 82 History 86 Air Force Cadets 93 Books 96 Back Page

Space Is Open For Business - Australia Gets On Board

AUSTRALIAN AIR POWER TODAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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Hard copy: To receive a complimentary copy airpower@flightpublishing.com.au Above:(l-r) Air Surveillance Operators from No. 1 Remote Sensor Unit, Flight Sergeant Peter Merritt, Sergeant Emma Barker, Leading Aircraftwoman Amy Clements and Leading Aircraftman Corey Tuddenham, at the Air Force’s Space Surveillance Telescope in WA. Defence image.

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To the Stars -

Australia Launches Military Space Command It's official - planning is underway for the Australian military to launch its own space division in 2022, with its Chief already appointed.

In May it was announced that Royal Australian Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts will lead the division from January.

The newly created military space command, which will draw on all aspects of the Australian Defence Force, will "allow us to establish an organisation to sustain, forcegenerate, operate space capabilities and assign them to a joint operation command if needed", according to Air Force Chief, Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld.

Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld has said previously, that unlike other nations like China and Russia, Australia would not seek to develop technologies to attack enemy satellites.

But what does that mean? Why is the proposed Australian space division in the military? And how does it compare to others around the world?

Why does Australia need a space division?

As far as international movers and shakers in space defence go, you may think Australia is a bit player.

But while we may seem like small fry when compared to the likes of the US, Australia already has an impressive track record in communications and observation satellites, said Cassandra Steer, space law lecturer and mission

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specialist with the Australian National University's Institute of Space.

These satellites are particularly important for farming and mining in remote areas, for instance.

The Australian Defence Force declined to comment on the division's aims, but protecting these assets is what the new space division will likely focus on, Dr Steer said.

"We're facing a huge problem of space debris and space traffic management at the moment, just because of the sheer number of objects we are continuing to launch into space.

"I have to keep updating my numbers because SpaceX launches every two weeks, but there are about 3,800 operational satellites in orbit, and an estimated 128 million pieces of debris smaller than 1 centimetre."

What the division will not do is weaponise space, nor use it to wage war.

If not for war, then why is the division in the military?

The Australian Space Agency was set up only a few years ago, and it, among other roles, regulates and authorises space-based technology such as weather and land-monitoring satellites.

So why does the space division need to sit within the military, if war isn't on the cards?

Alongside people in remote corners of Australia, pretty much every aspect

of daily life across the nation involves satellites, whether that be banking, weather forecasting or health services — or military purposes.

So essentially, Dr Steer said, the issue of "space traffic management" is a safety and security threat.

A local space division will let the military develop and sling small satellites into orbit that will not only keep an eye on space debris but help people on the ground investigate further should a suspicious collision occur.

"If something happens to one of our own satellites, particularly the new Defence satellites that we will have in the next five to 10 years, [we could ask] was that a nefarious attack? Or was it just a bit of space debris?" Dr Steer said.

"It's really hard to know unless you have proper capabilities to track what's in space, and that's what [Australia] will be excellent at — small satellite launch.

"It's what the 21st-century space industry is about, much more than launching huge things or launching humans."

Having a space division within the military also plays a role in space diplomacy.

How nations use space is governed by the Outer Space Treaty, which entered into force in October 1967 and forms the basis of international space law today.

Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts will lead the new Military Space Command for Australia.

Defence image.

It was developed primarily as an arms-control treaty for the peaceful use of outer space by the US, the Russian Federation and the UK. "The Soviets and the US and their allies realised that if they wanted to have continued access to space for important technologies, they needed to restrain themselves and each other," Dr Steer said.

Globally though, countries have in the past 10 or 15 years started to turn away from that "strategic restraint", she added.

"It's quite concerning."

A space division in the military will allow Australia to join its allies "and temper the greater powers away from what's happening, and back towards strategic restraint".

How will it compare to other countries?

Quite a few countries, such as Canada, France, Japan and India, have set up similar divisions, or sections, within their military.

Most recently, the UK Space Command officially formed on April 1 this year, and is staffed from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and civil service.

The outlier is the US Space Force. It was formed in December 2019 and is the sixth branch of the US military, the first new US military service since the Air Force was spun off in 1947.

After initially raising eyebrows, the US Space Force has drawn criticism for its less-than-peaceful efforts.

In September last year, for instance, a Space Force squadron was deployed to the Arabian Peninsula, following months of escalating tensions between Iran and the US. "The rhetoric of the US Space Force is actually very problematic," Dr Steer said.

"It's starting to set a bit of an escalatory cycle in place, because what [the US] is doing is saying, Russia and China are weaponising space, therefore, we need to weaponise space in return.

"But China hears them saying that, and so they ramp up their program, and so does Russia.

"And so it becomes this back and forth, a little bit like the Cold War."

What does the role of commander entail?

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months, exactly what her role will involve is not yet clear.

But by coordinating Australia's space defence activities, Air Vice-Marshal Roberts will get a feel of the nation's strengths and weaknesses, and likely set about fixing any vulnerabilities, Dr Steer said.

"Intelligence is another big part of what we use space for and what Australia has done really well in, so she'll be bringing all of those capabilities under one banner head, so that it can be better coordinated."

Having one person in charge of the military's space activities will also allow Australia to better coordinate with, in particular, the Five Eyes allies: the UK, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. "This is a great way to be able to coordinate at the same level as our allies," Dr Steer said.

"We need to have someone who's able to speak at that level, because most of our allies have someone at that level."

Belinda Smith ABC Science Reporter

While Air Vice-Marshal Roberts will take the reins as commander of Australia's space division in eight

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Space Is Open For Business - Australia Gets On Board The space-for-earth economy is growing rapidly. Space is open for business, and it is more important than ever that Australia takes a competitive position in this growing market and establishes industry sovereignty that will lead to the development of a resilient space sector. To ensure a sovereign space capability it is imperative that satellites, critical to National security, are manufactured, launched and operated from Australia.

The Federal Government is facilitating a sovereign space capability through their $7 billion commitment to space capabilities over the next 10 years.

To achieve true space resilience, it is vital for Australia to reduce our dependency on other countries and on foreign commercial providers of space capability.

Playing a large part in the ‘fourth industrial revolution’, this global industry is today worth US$350 billion, with growth forecast to reach US$1.1 trillion in the next 20 years. As a region

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Australia is following this trend, with predictions that our current market size of $3.9 billion and 10,000 jobs, will grow to $12 billion with jobs tripling to 30,000 by 2030. Enabling this local growth are a number of Australian commercial companies with plans to establish constellations comprising hundreds of satellites.

These ambitious plans are possible due to the reduced cost of launches and satellite hardware. With facilities established on Australian soil, costs will continue to decrease, enabling more companies to establish their piece of the space pie. The Australian Space Agency was established in 2018 to help foster this growth, and steer the trajectory of our industry.

One Australian company well on their way to being the nations first operator of a completed, global satellite constellation is Fleet Space.

On a mission to change Earth from space, Fleet’s aim is to create a digital nervous system, with the global coverage to connect critical infrastructure, mining and defence with sensor devices on mass. They are deploying Smart Industrial IoT (IIoT) Networks for distributed and remote infrastructure assets, providing an affordable, scalable network. The networks are designed to gather data from every asset or the environment it operates in, no matter its location, 24 hours a day.

Fleet Space is also set to become a major Australian satellite manufacturer, growing from building three hand-built nanosatellites a year to mass-producing 50 per year. Their ability for agile nanosatellite design, development and manufacture, arms them with the ability to adapt and evolve with space capabilities into the future. Having recently launched their

sixth nanosatellite, their second this year, Fleet Space is on the path to a 140 unit constellation by 2027.

“At present, every satellite launched by an Australian company is handmade, and many of the components come from overseas,” says Fleet Space CEO Flavia Tata Nardini.

“Our country’s manufacturing rate is very low. Australia lacks many of the manufacturing capabilities its industry needs to build satellite payloads and the satellites themselves. And we certainly can’t produce them in volume. We want to establish these manufacturing capabilities here in Adelaide so that we can kick-start Australia’s space industry.

Fleet Space and its partners aim to develop and manufacture the smartest parts of future satellites right here in Adelaide, and provide an Australian service to a worldwide customer base” says Ms Tata Nardini. “Only a handful of companies worldwide such as SpaceX and Airbus have the capacity to mass-produce satellites. We can join them, if we move quickly.”

A recent grant awarded by the Federal Government will expedite this goal, with the Moon to Mars Supply Chain Capability Improvement grant.

This will ensure Fleet Space can continue to be a growing contributor to Australia’s thriving space sector, and play a key role in NASA’s Moon to Mars project, while cementing Australia’s ability to compete in the international space economy. This show of confidence through investing in the space sector will create national supply chains that will be resilient to external shocks. The grant will enable Fleet Space to grow skills and capabilities in the Australian space manufacturing industry, while illustrating a terrestrial application of

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space technology that can be extended to Moon and Mars activities. These local manufacturing capabilities will also be available to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as well as to other Australian space companies, adding depth and strength to the entire Australian space sector.

Australian Defence understands the importance of space. Its priority is to fund industry projects that can support a plan for future capability, and is investing $7 billion in space capacity over the next 10 years. Underpinning this commitment, is a safe and reliable sovereign launch capacity, creating long lasting economic opportunities for the domestic market, ensuring Australia’s continued security and growth.

The ADF investment incorporates three major projects, the largest being JP9102, which will provide Australian troops with resilient and secure communications whilst outside the range of terrestrial communication networks. Defence Project 799 will use satellites to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, gathering information about the enemy and friendly forces.

JP9380 helps protect the position navigation and timing capabilities from being corrupted by enemy electronic warfare.

One future strategy for the ADF could be to split the capability of their

traditionally large and exceptionally expensive geostationary satellites into a multitude of smaller satellites.

With the emergence of anti-satellite missiles, the geostationary satellites are expensive and vulnerable stationary targets. With capability spread over multiple smaller satellites, the end goal would be to reduce the cost of each of these satellites to be less than the cost of an enemy missile attempting to take it out. Smaller satellites sit within the capabilities of Australian manufacturing, fulfilling the desire of the ADF to have a sovereign satellite manufacturing capability. The ADF has the backing of the Australian Space Agency to grow the industry, with the priority being to fund industry projects that can support a roadmap to future capabilities.

One of the main focus areas for the ADF is access to commercial launch facilities in Australia, allowing the development of a true sovereign capability that would eliminate the requirement to get approval from a foreign nation before a launch. Even with Australian launches taking place in New Zealand, companies are required to seek permission from the US for

what is being launched, as well as all of the details pertaining to the launch.

Defence's planned investment in new space capabilities over the next decade will be targeted at building up these sovereign capabilities required to manufacture Australian Defence satellites in the future and phasing out our dependence on the US. With these sovereign capabilities, Australia’s access to space will become consistent and secured. We will gain independence from other countries for critically important space-based technologies, particularly for national security purposes. If relationships deteriorate with our international partners, Australia will have the means to launch its payloads into orbit, protecting our intelligence, data and security.

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One Giant (Space) Leap for Aussie School Students How can we nurture the next generation of diverse, bright and well-rounded students with a passion for STEM and the space industry?

The answer lies in an air leak on the International Space Station (ISS) – and only NASA’s Astrobee is able to undertake the emergency repairs to fix it! This is the storyline of the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (Kibo RPC) for 2021 - a virtual programming challenge where students develop code for the Astrobee robot, currently located on the ISS. The Kibo RPC is an international competition hosted by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in collaboration with NASA and the space agencies of the Asia-Pacific region. Whilst the preliminary rounds of the competition occur on a simulated version of the ISS, the final round with the top 9 teams takes place live from onboard the ISS Kibo research and education module, where code written by the student teams is uploaded directly onto the Astrobee.

The Kibo RPC aims to put school and university students in touch with other bright STEM students across the AsiaPacific. Another aim is to facilitate current research and development taking place in some of the space industry’s top organisations. The program is designed to develop students’ educational and professional goals to a higher level by giving them the opportunity to pick up new coding languages, learn from actual Astrobee code, and develop creative ways to solve novel problems such as effective robot navigation in microgravity.

Coincidentally, the competition commenced in 2020 around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It provided a perfect opportunity for online learning to prove its success in creating STEM programs that teach skills essential to a global, collaborative space industry. The 2020 competition was a huge success, and Kibo RPC returned in 2021 with a new storyline, more teams registered and an increase in participating countries. The atmosphere of the whole competition is positive – countries have the opportunity to work together, to come up with solutions to challenges and develop each other’s coding and problem solving skills.

The One Giant Leap Australia Foundation (OGLA), supported by the Australian Space Agency, hosted

Australia’s 2021 preliminary trial round with 15 participating teams. Each team had about a month to learn JavaScript and the Android programming environment, simulate their code on JAXA’s Astrobee simulator, and attain the highest score possible by meeting certain criteria, being accurate, and working under various initial conditions. Along the way, OGLA provided their guidance by hosting free regular live-online Kibo RPC tutorial sessions. The value of collaboration and approachability during the competition was clear – highlighted by last year’s finalists Galen VEX. The team shared their experiences and helped other teams solve problems they had encountered during the 2020 competition. This showcases the collaborative nature of Kibo RPC members. The aim is to nurture, facilitate and grow our space industry.

To determine which team would represent Australia in the International competition, the preliminary Australian trial round was held in early July. Dream Rover from Sydney Robotics Club reigned supreme with an “A” score, successfully completing all the tasks set out and fixing the hypothetical leak on the ISS. Most interestingly, Dream Rover is a team of Sydney school students. One of the team members is Annabel, an 11 year old student from Artarmon Public School. Incredibly, all Australian finalist teams have been of a school age, even though university teams have also entered. This proves that there is a plethora of bright young students who would benefit from STEM outreach opportunities leading to future career paths.

In late July, the representative teams selected from each of the nine countries came together virtually for the International Programming Skills round conducted by JAXA. This competition was held to provide not only a ranking order but also to arrange the team schedule for the finals to be held in a live hook-up with the ISS in September where their code will actually control the robots in real time and not use a simulator. The Australian team, Dream Rover, took seventh place out of the nine countries. It is a compliment that Dream Rovers are a NSW based team from 5 different schools and most of the other countries are from universitybased teams.

Dream Rover Team

Dream Rover expressed their collective interest in space and robotics, which motivated them to succeed in the Kibo RPC: “We are very enthusiastic about this competition because we are interested in deepening our understanding of space and robotics. During the process of the competition, we developed a special bond through our common interest, and learnt about teamwork and determination. With hope, skill, and some luck, we endeavour to bring the Dream Rover spirit out into space.”

“Inspiring the next generation of the space workforce through STEM education and activities like the Kibo Robot Programming Challenge will help support the growth of Australia’s space industry in the years and decades to come,” said Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo.

“A big congratulations to Dream Rover for their accomplishments as part of this year’s challenge. May this terrific achievement inspire many other Australian teams to participate in 2022.”

“We were delighted to be able to support this exciting STEM initiative and we celebrate team Dream Rover’s success,” said NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte. “Coincidentally, the NSW Government has announced the establishment of a NSW Space Research Network, so it’s entirely appropriate that we’re encouraging our next generation of scientists to further develop their interest and excitement about STEM, space,

robotics and their potential future career prospects in these industries.”

One Giant Leap Australia Foundation has been pioneering these types of opportunities in Australia. Its mission is to invest in tomorrow’s future by providing access to STEM and space education today.

Australia’s space industry continues to expand. There are many opportunities for industry growth, such as Earth observation, and improved communications, surveillance and navigation satellites that will not only grow the space industry but also provide a benefit to other major Australian industries, such as agriculture and mining. This, along with ongoing privatisation and the development of new launch sites in Australia and increasing visibility of our space sector on the international stage, means that the demand for jobs in this sector will grow. This is reflected in the Australian Civil Space Strategy 2019-2028, which aims to create another 20,000 jobs in the industry by 2030.

The Kibo RPC was an experience that has inspired its participants to further develop their interest and excitement about STEM, space, robotics, and the potential future career prospects in these industries.

One Giant Leap Australia Foundation Director, Bob Carpenter OAM stated that – “Unique, high quality, equitable, engaging STEM education opportunities are essential to inspire the next generation of students to improve our nation’s space capabilities and create a wellrounded workforce. Kibo RPC is one of those programs.

Are you ready to sign up for 2022?”

Georgia Odlin Kibo RPC 2021 NSW Coordinator info@kiboaustralia.com.au kiboaustralia.com.au

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South Australia’s Cosmic Comeback Despite global economic slowdown, growth and investment in South Australia’s space industry continues to skyrocket – and now, the state is looking to the stars to reignite its economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many high-growth and agile South Australian companies and start-ups continue to innovate through the pandemic and are bullish about their prospects as the nation prepares for economic recovery.

South Australian Space Industry Centre Chief Executive Richard Price said South Australia’s space sector will be critical to driving economic growth, helping creating hundreds of new jobs over the next decade.

“There’s no question the pandemic has created a high-pressure environment for South Australia’s space sector, and many companies and entrepreneurs face unprecedented challenges, but our industry is resilient and will emerge stronger than ever,” Price said.

“South Australia’s space sector growth target projects above average growth of 5.8% for the next ten years, so we are very optimistic about the future of this industry.”

Even in the most difficult circumstances, South Australia’s space industry embraces uncertainly.

Innovation is alive, international cooperation is strong, and missions are continuing.

Just last month, South Australian company Southern Launch’s proposal to establish a sub-orbital rocket testing facility in Whalers Way, near Port Lincoln, received the green light by the Australian Space Agency. It is the company’s second site in South

Fleet Space Centauri 4 Render

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First look at Southern Launch’s Pad 1 at their Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex.

Southern Launch

Australia, and the only two in Australia, to be licensed by the Agency, giving the sector confidence in the state’s emerging launch capabilities and space infrastructure.

Other local start-ups continue to reach for the stars, scaling up and attracting global attention with revolutionising space technologies.

South Australian nanosatellite pioneer, Fleet Space Technologies, launched its sixth small satellite – Centauri 4 – into orbit, with plans for a further 16 to be launched by 2023.

South Australia’s mission to launch its first locally manufactured nanosatellite to space is taking shape, with the joint project successfully completing a preliminary design review. Bringing together valuable players across government, industry and academia, the SASAT1 Space Services Mission is on track for launch in mid-2022. The satellite will remain in low Earth orbit for at least five years to monitor the state’s weather and natural environment.

Despite the challenging economic environment, some of South Australia’s

pandemic-hit space companies are still managing to raise capital for their ground-breaking ventures. Spacetech start-up, Digantara, raised $2.5 million in seed funding from one of India’s leading early-stage venture capital firms, Kalaari Capital. The funding will accelerate the company’s development of pioneering spacebased surveillance technology to ensure safe space operations.

These are all hard-won achievements in the midst of a global pandemic, and they speak volumes about the tenacity of South Australia’s space industry.

The industry’s growth and ongoing success will be brought to the fore at the Andy Thomas Space Foundation’s 12th Australian Space Forum, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday, 15 September 2021.

The Forum will be an opportunity for our leaders, industry experts, researchers and entrepreneurs to shape the nation’s future in space, which is now more important than ever during these challenging and uncertain times. sasic.sa.gov.au

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www.milcis.com.au MilCIS Conference delegates pay the relevant conference registration fee and have full access to all conference presentations (five parallel streams including the Expo presentations in the Royal Theatre), daily breakfast and lunch product sessions, the exhibition hall, daily conference morning/afternoon teas and lunches, and the conference dinner.

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WeaponiSation of Space Why Access to Satellites is so Crucial Along with cyberspace and Antarctica, outer space is a new frontier where the world's superpowers will wrestle for dominance.

But space will not be a theatre solely reserved for the world's traditional military giants to flex their tech muscle, a senior analyst and space policy expert has warned.

Ambitious middle and smaller nations are set to rise, Dr Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said, and even non-state actors like Al Qaeda and Islamic State will seek to cause chaos in space.

With satellites so crucial to w e a p o n r y, c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , surveillance, transport and battlefield logistics, access to space has never been more important or contested.

"Space is no longer the pure domain for the major powers," Dr Davis said, thanks to "the rapid growth of commercial space technologies, a falling cost of getting a payload into orbit (and) the cost of satellites dropping".

In 2019, by launching a missile into space to blow up one of its own satellites, India signalled it wanted a place alongside the US, China and Russia in a league of global space powers.

Ensuring access to outer space is critical for the Australian Defence Force and other armed forces. Adobe stock.

India's "hard kill" of the satellite created more than just headlines.

It drew anger from NASA, as the obliterated satellite resulted in hundreds of pieces of space junk left orbiting the earth, cluttering space.

Hard kills like India's anti-satellite missile won't be the overriding threat of the future, Dr Davis predicted.

Instead, soft kills, which disable or deny a satellite, will be the most common form of attack.

Soft kills take place in a grey zone, where cyber attacks target satellites to jam vital communications or strip the device of sensitive information.

"If a satellite goes dead, was it a technical fault with the satellite or was it the subject of some sort of hostile action using cyberattack or jamming?"

Dr Davis said.

"Soft kill capabilities I think, ironically, are the bigger worry.

"Hard kills physically destroy a satellite (and) create a huge cloud of space debris. That ultimately means that the attacker has been denied access to space as much as the target state."

Non-state actors, like Al Qaeda and Islamic State, or advanced ransomware hackers will also look for opportunities to exploit and meddle.

"That's entirely within the realms of possibility," Dr Davis said.

One such technique is called "spoofing", where false information is fed to a satellite.

Dr Davis said the Russians used the spoofing method in 2017, "where they misdirected a commercial tanker off course to test out the system."

One year later the Russians also spoofed satellites to interfere with NATO exercises off the coast of Norway.

"Adversaries do have these counter space capabilities that are being developed all the time, getting more sophisticated," Dr Davis said.

Satellites play a crucial role directing weapons and deploying attacks on the ground. Defence image.

"And what that means is that our ability to rely on space support from satellites is going to be challenged.

"If we lose access to space, then we lose our ability to fight war in a modern manner."

Without satellites, Dr Davis said, the Australian Defence Force and other armies are sucked back into a "more brute force, industrialised level of warfare."

"Think the first 30 minutes of (the movie) Saving Private Ryan," he explained.

Satellites help armed forces manoeuvre, deploy weapons and attacks and understand exactly what is happening on a battlefield.

"If we lose those space capabilities, then we're deaf, dumb and blind," Dr Davis said.

"We can't see where the enemy is, we can't coordinate our forces, we can't use precision strike weapons."

By Mark Saunokonoko Nine News

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The Evolution of the Spacesuit: From the Project Mercury Suit to the Aouda.X Human-Machine Interface Spacesuits have evolved quickly throughout the decades and will play a vital role in our next trips to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

evolving, becoming more effective at protecting astronauts, while offering a wide range of new features that rival some of your favourite science fiction films. Beyond scientific missions, there is a good chance that the spacesuits developed today will lay the foundation for suits worn by space tourists tomorrow.

The technologies we rely on to make space exploration possible are constantly evolving. One of the most important, though easily overlooked, technologies necessary for space exploration is the humble spacesuit.

The spacesuit is the cornerstone of human survival in space, allowing fragile humans to brave the harsh, unforgiving elements and challenges presented while in space.

Early pressure suits

Without specialized suits to keep astronauts safe, events like the Moon landing and the first space walk would not have been possible. Just like with spacecraft, spacesuits have been

As flight developed, aviators found they had to develop pressure suits to provide oxygen when the air became too thin. The first pressure suit was patented in 1918 by Fred M. Sample.

Here's a quick look at how far we've come from the earliest precursors to spacesuits, to the exciting new developments of today.

It was made from an elastic material and included an airtight bodysuit, a helmet that could be easily opened and closed, and a flexible air-supply hose connected to a source of compressed air and a pump.

In 1934, aviator Wiley Post, the first man to fly solo around the world, had rubber manufacturer B.F. Goodrich create a rubber pressure suit which enabled him to reach 40,000 feet (12.1 km). A later version was made from latex poured over cotton clothing and had a metal helmet with a glass visor. Engineer Russell Colley later developed the XH-5 “Tomato Worm Suit” model, which had segmented joints at the knees, hips, and elbows (it resembled the body of the tomato hornworm, hence the name).

The Litton Mark I: One of the first spacesuits While working for Litton Industries in the early 1950s, Dr. Siegfried Hansen unknowingly laid the groundwork for future generations of spacesuits.

Hansen created the Mark I, a suit designed to be worn in a vacuum.

The Mark I might seem primitive by today's standards, but it was the first suit to allow its wearer to breathe in a vacuum while still offering a good deal of mobility.

The Litton Mark I. National Museum of the US Air Force.

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Later, researchers who were working on sending the first humans to space recognized the usefulness of the suit.

Today, the Mark I is widely considered as the first extravehicular activity suit.

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NASA/Wikimedia Commons NASA/Wikimedia Commons

M. Shecherbakov/Wikimedia Commons

NASA/Wikimedia Commons

The Mercury Suit:

The SK-1:

The Gemini Spacesuits:

First American Spacesuit

First spacesuit used in space

Developing suits for different uses

The Russian-made SK-1 has the distinct honour of being the suit worn by the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin.

In fact, the breakthrough suit was designed especially with Gagarin in mind. The suit was in use from 1961 until 1963 and was worn by cosmonauts on other Vostock missions.

In the early days of spacesuit development, it gradually became apparent that different suits were needed for different environments and use. The Gemini series of spacesuits, built throughout the mid-1960s, sought to address these differences by creating specialized suits for different eventualities. These included the G3C, which was created for intra-vehicle use and was worn on the Gemini 3.

Developed by the B.F. Goodrich Company in the late 1950s, the Mercury Suit (also known as the Navy Mark IV) was a modified pressure suit, based on designs used by the United States Navy. The suits were originally designed by Russell Colley for use during the Korean War. NASA's Mercury Project kicked into gear in 1958, and the need for a spacesuit to protect astronauts quickly became apparent.

NASA scientists noted Mark IV as a potential model, given its ability to protect pilots at high altitudes and maintain an atmosphere similar to that of Earth's. To make the design viable for space, they coated the suit with aluminium for thermal control and added a closed-loop breathing system that pumped oxygen into the suit through a tube at the waist.

As the Vostock had no soft landing system, the suit was designed with an ejection function that would allow cosmonauts to safely eject themselves from the craft before landing. It allowed ejections of up to 26,000 feet (8 km) and came equipped with a life support system.

Another Gemini suit was the G4C, which could be used as both an intravehicle and extra-vehicle suit, and was worn during the first American spacewalk in 1965. The Gemini suits would later be modified for the Apollo missions.

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Lobanov Andrey/Wikimedia Commons

Lobanov Andrey/Wikimedia Commons

Lobanov Andrey/Wikimedia Commons

The Apollo/Skylab A7L:

The Berkut:

The Shenzhou IVA:

Suit that landed on the moon

Worn during the first-ever spacewalk

Worn on the first manned Chinese space flight

Modified from an SK-1 suit, the Berkut was an extravehicular activity (EVA) suit worn by Alexy Leonov during the first space walk. The suit contained enough oxygen for 45 minutes of activity and was only used during the Voskhod 2 mission, partly due to its poor mobility.

The suits worn on the first manned space flight from China were reverseengineered from Russian SK-1 suits.

Russia sold the suits to China in 1992, where they were taken apart and rebuilt for the Shenzhou program.

To make the dream of walking on the Moon a reality, NASA had to create a suit that not only kept their astronauts alive in the vacuum of space but would also be lightweight while providing the flexibility and manoeuvrability needed for walking on the Moon. The design would have to protect its wearer from the effects of radiation, as well as protect the wearer against the tough terrain, and provide the ability to stoop down and collect rocks.

With these concerns in mind, NASA developed what they referred to as EMUs — Extravehicular Mobility Units, which has become colloquially known as the Apollo or Skylab suit.

The suit featured the famous fishbowl helmet and a water-cooled undergarment that was fitted with 300 feet (91 meters) of tubing. An additional "backpack" containing oxygen and cooling water was also worn for walking on the moon's surface.

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The spacewalk itself revealed weaknesses in the suit's design that would later help the Soviets to improve their technology. For starters, Leonov's body temperature rose dramatically during the spacewalk, putting him in danger of having a heatstroke.

The stiffness of the suit also made Leonov's re-entry of the Voskhod 2 a difficult and complicated affair, and the structural integrity of the suit was compromised. Luckily, Leonov kept his cool and returned to the safety of the ship, but the first space walk nearly had a very different ending.

As an intra-vehicle suit, the Shenzhou suit has no temperature or pressure controls. It was worn for the duration of the day-long Shenzhou 5 mission, which launched in October 2003 and saw Yang Liwei become the first Chinese person in space.

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Anagoria/Wikimedia Commons

Polimerek/Wikimedia Commons

NASA/Wikimedia Commons

The Sokol:

The Extravehicular Mobility Unit:

The Orlan:

Worn From 1973 to today The Sokol is a strictly intra-vehicle activity (IVA) suit, worn in case of depressurisation aboard Russian spacecraft. It was created in response to the deaths of the crew aboard Soyuz 11 in 1971, who died from depressurisation during re-entry. First developed in 1973, the suits are still worn on some missions today.

The improvements made to the Sokol include an open-circuit life-support system, and a pressure relief valve which regulates the suit's internal pressure. The suit is a modification of an aviation suit, as opposed to a preexisting spacesuit. Once suited, the wearer can survive for up to 30 hours in a pressurized cabin and up to 2 hours in an unpressurised atmosphere.

Used aboard the International Space Station NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) was first introduced in 1981 and is still used today aboard the ISS. The suit can supports wearers outside the craft for up to 7 hours and is made up of 14 separate layers.

The first layers include a cooling undergarment which, like earlier models, uses a liquid coolant to protect the astronaut from over-heating. It also includes a garment which maintains air pressure inside the suit and a thermal micrometeoroid garment to protect the wearer from radiation and small pieces of space debris.

From Soviet Space Stations to the ISS Developed in the late 1970s, the Orlan has been worn aboard the Soviet space station, Salyut 6, and is today still used aboard the ISS. In 2003, an Orlan named suit named SuitSat-1, was fitted with a radio transmitter and launched into orbit, effectively becoming the first spacesuit satellite.

Though the SuitSat-1's mission was a short-lived one, lasting just two orbits before its batteries died and transmissions ceased, it was fitted with a CD of art collected from across the globe. In 2006 the suit burned up in the Earth's atmosphere, just above the Southern Ocean.

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Lobanov Andrey/Wikimedia Commons

Lobanov Andrey/Wikimedia Commons

ESA

The Feitian:

The Final Frontier Design IVA Spacesuit:

The sleek and smart SpaceX Spacesuit

China's first indigenous Spacesuit Unveiled in 2008, the Feitian was the first Chinese spacesuit built and designed entirely in China. An EVA, it was worn by Zhai Zhigang during China's first spacewalk, in September 2008.

The suit took four years to develop and is modelled on Russia's Orlan suit. Like the Orlan, it can support extravehicular activities of up to 7 hours. Its name directly translates as "flying in the sky," and also the name of a Buddhist goddess..

A suit built by a start-Up Founded in 2010 by artist Ted Southern, Final Frontier Design caught the public's attention as a start-up dedicated to designing and creating cutting-edge spacesuits.

Usually the domain of governmentfunded scientists, Final Frontier Design showed the world that with the right know-how, anybody could enter the business of spacesuit design.

Southern and his co-founder, engineer Nikolay Moiseev, won second place in a NASA competition in 2009, which inspired them to establish their own space technology start-up.

In 2014, they received a Space Act Agreement from NASA and at present, they're working on their fourthgeneration spacesuit. This could mean that, in the near future, astronauts could be wearing suits designed by engineers working outside the traditional confines of the space industry.

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In 2018, SpaceX launched their "Starman" - a mannequin wearing the company's spacesuit, sitting behind the wheel of a Tesla roadster. It was a compelling image that garnered lots of attention, memes, and hype around SpaceX. Elon Musk is a great showman, but does the spacesuit actually work?

These suits were actually designed

by Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez, who has worked on costumes for films including Batman versus Superman, The Fantastic Four, and The Avengers. Customized to the wearer, the Starman space suits feature a 3D printed helmet, touchscreen-sensitive gloves, and a few other smart features.

Elon Musk has assured the press that the suit has been demonstrated to be safe to wear in vacuum chambers. However, the sleek design is intended for intra-vehicle activities only, specifically for use within the Dragon — SpaceX's transport capsule for ferrying passengers and cargo to the ISS. The suits were recently worn on the Demo-2 mission. We wonder how the Starman is doing?

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R. Markowitz/Wikimedia Commons

Esa.int/ESA_Multimedia

Boeing

The Z Series:

The Aouda.X:

NASA's new generation of suits

Preparing for a Mars landing

The comfortable Boeing Blue Spacesuit

Though it might look like something Buzz Lightyear would wear, the Z-series suits are actually part of a new generation of suits created

by NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems program. The Z-2 is designed for use on other planets, while its precursor, the Z-1, was a softer-bodied suit trialled on the ISS last year. NASA hopes the Z-2 will be used on the first manned Mars landings, and have designed the suit to be as lightweight and mobile as possible to aid in the collection of data.

Another set of innovators with their sights set on the red planet are the members of the Austrian Space Forum.

They've created the Aouda.X — a spacesuit simulator that can prepare astronauts for exploring the surface of other planets.

The helmet has a head-up display, and the suit includes sensors and software that can interact with pre-existing tech on Mars, like rovers. Though the suit in its current form is not suitable for use in space or on other planets, it allows astronauts to get a feel for what they can expect on foreign surfaces.

Designed for astronauts traveling to and from low-Earth orbit destinations, like the International Space Station, the "Boeing Blue" is Boeing's iteration of a future spacesuit. Unveiled in 2017, this spacesuit offers wearers greater pressurized mobility and is about 40 percent lighter than previous suits worn by astronauts. Comfort is the name of the game for the suit. The suit is intended to be worn by passengers of Boeing's future CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. It will contain internal layers to keep astronauts cool. The Boeing Blue will also include touchscreensensitive gloves so that astronauts can work with tablets in the spacecraft, similar to the Starman suits.

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NASA and The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit In 2019 NASA gave people a look at their next generation of suits, designed for the Artemis program. The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit or xEMU for short will play an

SmartSuit: An intelligent and mobile EVA Spacesuit for the next generation exploration missions NASA is funding a project that could create the next generation of spacesuits. Part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program, the suit could be worn by astronauts who travel to planets like Mars, and possibly beyond. This Texas A&M Engineering EVA concept spacesuit features stretchable selfhealing skin and can provide visual feedback to the wearer, identifying potential damage, threats, or issues with the suit. NASA is funding some 'out of this world' projects.

Donovan Alexander / Interesting Engineering

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important role in future trips to the Moon, slated from 2024. Bulkier than the pressure suits worn inside the spacecraft, the spacesuit protects the wearer from extreme temperatures

on the Moon as well as from space debris and micrometeorites. The suits will also offer astronauts more mobility than traditional spacesuits while they are conducting research on the lunar surface.

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The C-390 Millennium Multi-mission Transport Aircraft has Well and Truly Arrived Embraer is a leading aerospace company with a proud 52-year history serving the defence, commercial, and executive aviation industry segments. It has achieved notable recognition as global market leader manufacturing the C-390 Millennium multi-mission transport aircraft, the A-29 Super Tucano light air attack, armed reconnaissance and tactical training aircraft and jets including the ERJ 145 and the E-Jets family of commercial aircraft. Embraer has a strong presence in the global Defence market, with more than 1400 aircraft delivered in more than 60 countries.

The C-390 Millennium aircraft, and the KC-390 refuelling version, is the result of a partnership, started in 2009, between the Brazilian Ministry of Defence and Embraer, with an initial target to design and build the new generation medium sized military aircraft to replace their fleet of 31 Lockheed Martin C-130H aircraft operated by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), setting new standards in its category.

Some of the aircraft’s strengths are its unrivalled mobility and operational flexibility in a single platform, this provides air forces with optimal fleet performance generated by a cost-effective combination of high availability and productivity. Robust design, flexibility, proven state-of-the-art installed technologies, and easier maintenance, the C-390 Millennium flies faster and carries more cargo than other military airlifters of the same size. The aircraft needs fewer on-demand inspections and maintenance actions which reduces overall operating costs, contributing to excellent availability levels and low life-cycle costs.

aircraft in its air-to-air refuelling (AAR) configuration.

The acquisition is part of the process to strengthen the capabilities of the Hungarian Defence Forces especially in tactical airlift, Air-to-Air Refuelling, and medical evacuation roles, as well as in other missions of public interest.

Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2023. Both Portuguese and Hungarian aircraft will be fully NATO compatible, not only in terms of hardware, but also in terms of avionics and communications configuration.

Proving its interoperability capabilities, in 2021 one of FAB’s KC-390 aircraft dropped paratroopers in joint flights with U.S. Air Force C-17 and C-130 aircraft during Operation Culminating, in Alexandria, Louisiana, USA. The exercise missions delivered high levels of interoperability with US Forces and other transport aircraft. In addition to the KC390, nine USAF C-17 and four C-130 aircraft participated in the exercise. Some 1,600 paratroopers and 22 heavy equipment platforms were successfully delivered to the drop zone of Joint Readiness Training Centre, a U.S. Army installation that specializes in receiving this type of joint training.

The built-in, rapidly reconfigurable multi-mission design of the aircraft allows it to efficiently perform a variety of missions such as cargo and troop transport, cargo airdrop, paratrooper operations, air-to-air refuelling (as a receiver and tanker) for both jets and helicopters, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, aerial firefighting, special force’s missions, and tactical VIP transport missions. The aircraft can carry up to 26 metric tons of cargo at a maximum speed of 470 knots (870 km/h), and can operate in austere environments, including maximum effort operations to and from unpaved or damaged runways.

Four KC-390 Millennium aircraft operational with the Brazilian Air Force

Four KC-390 Millennium aircraft are currently in operation with FAB and have been in active service since September 2019. FAB operated one of their KC-390 Millennium aircraft in an international humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) mission delivering support relief to Beirut, Lebanon, after the devastating city port explosion in August 2020.

In 2019, Embraer concluded a sale of five KC-390 Millennium aircraft to the Portuguese Air Force, making it the first NATO country to procure the airlifter. The aircraft will support the operations of the Portuguese Armed Forces and increase readiness in missions of national interest, with deliveries starting in 2023.

In 2020, the Hungarian government signed a contract with Embraer for the acquisition of two KC-390 Millennium 22

KC-390 Millennium aircraft conducting maximum effort operations from unpaved runway.

The international interest the KC-390 and C-390 Millennium aircraft is attracting has been particularly reassuring for Embraer, confirming that the next generation of medium air mobility aircraft has well and truly arrived, and we look forward to it being in operation with many more Defence Force’s in the foreseeable future. Keep an eye out for it at Avalon Air Show in December 2021.

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The C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft is in-service with Brazilian Air Force delivering exceptional performance and fulfilling all expectations, most notably with support during the Covid-19 pandemic. The C-390 is also the aircraft of choice for Portugal and now Hungary too. Both these air forces have 0 MILLE3N9N0IUMMILLENNIUM selected-39the C-390 to meet their own unique and demanding operational requirements.

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c-390.com Photographic record made by the Brazilian Air Force on one of the missions to combat COVID-19 in Brazil.

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If Darwin is not protected, Australia is not protected People who live in the south often think of Darwin as isolated, but we are central to our nation’s interests and closest to the fortunes of half a billion people in Asia.

It’s those Australians residing in far-flung Melbourne and Sydney who live farthest from where our nation’s destiny resides.

Darwin is part of Asia and the Royal Australian Air Force understands this. It routinely holds, with a growing number of partners and allies from across the region and beyond, joint exercises using the Northern Territory’s RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal.

The RAAF, celebrating 100 years of service to the nation, is good at making friends and trading wisdom. Here in the north, we’re good at making sure all who come feel welcome as a place to live, work and, as is so important for the RAAF, to continuously train and prepare.

The Northern Territory’s Bradshaw and Delamere ranges are considered the finest pilot training grounds in the Indo-Pacific, due to the low electro24

magnetic interference and lack of commercial overflight.

The RAAF understands that if Darwin is not protected, Australia is not protected. That is our history and that is our reality.

The first plane to touch down in Darwin, was a Vickers-Vimy bi-plane with Captain Ross Smith, Lieutenant Keith Smith, Sergeants Wally Shiers and Jim Bennett aboard. It was 1919 and the team had just won the Great Air Race — and a handy 10,000 pounds.

Darwin was not a capital city back then and the RAAF was two years away from being christened in 1921. But Ross Smith, who had flown with the RAAF predecessor, the Australian Flying Corps, where he was an awarded air ace, had done something remarkable in being the first to fly from Great Britain to Australia.

Ross Smith and his team had not only opened up the world, they put our northern outpost on the map as the logical entry point to Australia after island-hopping across the then Dutch East Indies.

It was also the logical place to strike Australia when Japan launched two massive assaults on Darwin on February 19, 1942.

On the morning of the raids, more than 1000 service men and women were busy at their normal duties at RAAF Base Darwin and had little time to respond. Ten aircraft were parked in the open, and they were all destroyed — along with a squadron of brave American Curtiss P-40 pilots who went up to try and counter the invasion and were all but wiped out.

The alliances formed at that time remain inviolate.

Darwin hosted a large number of RAAF and US Army Air Force units during World War II and served as a first refuge for retreating USAAF units from the Philippines in 1941 — not to mention American ships which sought shelter in Darwin Harbour and paid a terrible toll.

Originally known as Carson’s Airfield, RAAF Base Tindal was constructed in 1942 by the US Army’s 43rd Engineer General Service

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Regiment to provide a base for Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers striking targets in Papua New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies.

In 1946, the base was renamed in honour of Wing Commander Archibald Tindal, the first RAAF member killed in action on the Australian mainland during World War II. He died, aged 26, while manning a Lewis machine gun at RAAF Base Darwin on February 19. He is buried at the Adelaide River war cemetery, an hour’s drive south of Darwin.

RAAF Base Darwin was bombed 64 times between February 1942 and November 1943. It then became an important transit stop for military movements throughout Asia, including use as a transport hub during Vietnam.

RAAF Base Darwin and Tindal supported two interventions to Timor Leste and No 75’s Squadron deployment for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

We own and honour the RAAF’s history in Darwin and Katherine, just as we welcome its place into the future.

There are significant upgrades to Darwin and Tindal underway, enhancing air-to-air refuelling and airsupport capabilities. The first of the F-35 joint strike fighters arrive in Tindal later this year, and the aircraft tarmac is being readied for the arrival of the Triton drone.

We occupy our place in the nation and the region with eyes wide open.

Our understanding of history and our place in the world means the RAAF is part of who we are.

We have been called the tip of the Australian spear. We have been called Australia’s watchtower in the Indo-Pacific. We are those things, but we are much more. We are a safe and secure place for opportunity and investment.

Three shipments of gas leave Darwin for Japan each week. Northern Territory cattle feeds our neighbours.

Sun Cable will soon provide 15 per cent of Singapore’s power. Major subsea data cable projects are underway, linking Asia to Australia via Darwin.

Michael Gunner is the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.

That means there is much to protect. The RAAF will stand guard with friendly intentions unless it is tested.

We a c k n o w l e d g e t h e 1 0 0 t h Anniversary of the RAAF with gratitude for what they have done for us and what they will always do for us.

Michael Gunner | www.defence.nt.gov.au

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Melville Is.

Bathurst Is.

TIMOR SEA

Darwin

Palmerston

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Pathways For A Career In Space There’s much more to a career in space than being an astronaut. There are many exciting career paths to follow right here on Earth. Space law, medicine, design and manufacturing, robotics and data analysis. We need a range of skills to support our growing space sector.

Cyber security specialist - plan and implement security measures to protect computer networks and systems.

Building a future workforce

Space lawyer - provide advice and prepare legal contracts and documentation to ensure compliance with Australian and international laws and treaties.

We’re inspiring the future workforce to study subjects and gain experience that will sustain and grow our national space industry.

Space scientist - apply the laws of physics, chemistry and geology to understand the universe and its contents.

Our goal is to triple the size of the sector and create up to 20,000 new Australian jobs by 2030. We are:

CNC machinist - are responsible for setting up manufacturing operations.

• supporting STEM and space-related initiatives and organisations around Australia • developing programs to enable students and young professionals to gain real-world space-related educational and professional experiences • attracting international space experts into the Australian space education and industrial sectors • inspiring the next generation through the fascinating aspects of space • showcasing the diverse career paths in the Australian space sector and of Australian space professionals working internationally • supporting national activities that inspire an interest in space • collaborating with state and territory governments, industry, academia and research institutions

Launch your career in space Space is a multidisciplinary domain and needs all sorts of skillsets and types of people.

Technical specialists Fabricator - fabricate, fit, assemble and weld metal parts, structures and equipment.

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CAD drafters and designers - use computer-aided design to create and modify 2D and 3D designs and drawings.

Assembly technicians - construct, assemble, fit, fasten and install parts in aeroplanes, spacecraft and satellites.

Automation & robotics technicians - assist engineers to build, install, operate, test and maintain robots, robotic components, devices and systems.

Astronaut - command, pilot or serve as crew on spacecraft.

Engineers Robotics engineer - build, install, operate, test and maintain robots, robotic components, devices and systems.

Propulsion engineers - design, test, and manufacture spacecraft propulsion systems.

Intelligent game developers - build, program and utilise systems and games in virtual reality, augmented reality and simulations.

Electrical, electronics and avionics engineer - design, construct, install, maintain and test electronic and electrical systems.

Electricians and electrical technicians - test and repair electrical systems, equipment and components.

Space systems engineer - design, construct and test aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, satellites and equipment.

Engineering technologists - analyse, modify, test and apply new and existing engineering technologies to solve complex issues in consultation with engineers.

Software developers and software engineers - design, program, test, implement and maintain software programs.

Management and administration

Avionics technicians - install, inspect, test, adjust and repair electronic equipment on aircraft and spacecraft.

Project manager - plan and manage resources for projects to deliver them on time and on budget.

Engineering technicians Engineering technicians work with engineers to design, build and test equipment, conduct experiments, collect data and identify and solve engineering problems.

Network and systems administrators - configure, install, maintain and protect software, hardware and the network.

Mechanical technicians - install machinery, parts and equipment onto aircraft and spacecraft.

Work, health and safety officers - ensure compliance with health and safety systems, conduct risk assessments and advise staff.

Australian Space Discovery Centre

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STEM Returners Launched In Australia In July 2020 we launched our brandnew STEM Returners branch in Australia!

Headed up by Marcail Roe, a two time return to work mum herself, Marcail knows the barriers and challenges faced by women re-entering the workplace. With major government investment in the Defence sector in Australia planned over the coming decades, thousands of new jobs will be created. This is the perfect time to readdress the balance and increase diversity in this new workforce.

We want employers to view CV gaps in a different way. Operating within an incredibly skills short market, the scheme allows employers to attract candidates from a new talent pool, and give candidates a supported route back to their career.

By facilitating paid short-term placements for professionals returning to work after a career break, we can begin to utilise the untapped talent in the engineering sector. The project provides support for candidates in advice, career coaching, networking opportunities and mentoring. All of the candidates going through the program will also have the opportunity to restart their career in a permanent position at the end of the program.

BAE Systems is the first Australian company to engage with STEM Returners to provide new opportunities for skilled professionals in its national defence and security business.

STEM Returners has also partnered with Engineers Australia who will provide professional mentors and memberships to the successful Returners in their programs, this is an important part of providing support to our Returners as they re-start their careers.

BAE Systems is the first Australian company to engage with STEM Returners.

BAE image.

STEM Returners revealed on International Women in Engineering Day that 61% of STEM professionals on a career break are finding the process of attempting to return to work either difficult or very difficult, with women “bearing the brunt” of the challenge.

The program for diversity’s annual survey found 27% of women feel they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to their gender compared to eight per cent of men.

The poll also found 30% of women feel they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to childcare responsibilities, compared to six per cent of men.

STEM Returners’ questionnaire asked 750 STEM professionals on a career break, who are attempting to return to work or who have recently returned to work, a range of questions

to understand their experience of trying to re-enter the workplace.

Marcail Roe, Director of STEM Returners Australia said “I’m excited to be launching this program in partnership with BAE Systems, a forward-thinking organisation trailblazing this initiative in Australia. The investment in Defence programs by the Australian Government is the perfect platform to readdress the balance in STEM. Creating opportunities for Returners in STEM but also to influence the DE&I agenda. Too many conversations are focused around one area of diversity but to make a genuine positive change we want STEM to be open and accessible to everyone." www.stemreturners.com

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THE CHALLENGES OF DEEP SPACE HABITATION The Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources (ATCSR) mission is to support long-term human presence in deep space using the resources we find along the way. This means using resources like water and the lunar regolith (the meters thick layer of lunar dirt covering the surface of the Moon) to provide astronauts with oxygen, drinking water, and propellant, as well as building materials for lunar infrastructure. Using locally sourced resources allows us to reduce costs, increase our exploration activities, and sustainably provide crews with life support replenishment, radiation protection, and enhanced longevity of their various pieces of critical infrastructure brought all the way from the surface of the Earth.

In support of Australian Space Agency contributions to the NASA Artemis program, the ATCSR is partnering with other global leaders in the nascent lunar civil engineering and construction field to provide Australian students, government and industry the first lunar and Martian surface testing capability in Australia. Here, in the heart of Adelaide, high-fidelity testing of individual payloads up to and including complete robotic systems can occur in location specific environments using a full library of specially designed simulants such as lunar mare and highland, Martian equatorial and polar, and asteroid destinations. Located within the Civil, Environmental, and Mining Engineering School, stateof-the-art research includes how to locally create and construct habitable structures and build landing pads, roads, and berms, which will be

A lunar Highlands brick (left) and a lunar Mare brick – both made from simulants made on campus

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Rovers competing in the lunar construction challenge at the first ARC 2021

required to facilitate the planned aggregation of surface infrastructure required to support NASA’s plans to return humans to the Moon, this time “to stay”.

These research efforts will ultimately support the potential for human communities to flourish elsewhere in the solar system. As a result, the University of Adelaide has created a Deep Space Habitation Group - a professions and social science led team - to better understand the impacts this development could have regarding issues related to governance, health care delivery, psychological support, employment, recreation, law, and architecture. By bringing together thought leaders from numerous nontraditional space disciplines, it provides a rare capability to research complex social science issues emerging from nascent deep space settlement by leveraging the talents of a globally unique interdisciplinary group.

Waite Research Institute (WRI), a global leader in agricultural technology innovation, and its team of cuttingedge researchers is addressing the challenge of ensuring astronauts have dependable access to healthy nutritious food. However, during a multiyear mission, to Mars, the asteroid belt, or beyond, the application of ag-tech

solutions to address deep space challenges is not only confined to the provision of food.

Critically, feedback from astronaut partners underscores the dramatic enhancement to social and mental health resulting from the care and growth of living things. In addition, the potential to utilise plants as bio-reactors, growing “on demand” products such as tailored medicines or material for use in additive manufacturing would represent yet another revolutionary enabler for space exploration.

WRI is leading research efforts in support of providing for astronauts physical and mental wellbeing as well as material requirements. Research outcomes will also be of benefit for food production in confined and remote spaces, such as submarines and Antarctic facilities.

All of the above research efforts promise to deliver benefits terrestrially with regard to increasing energy efficiency, transportation, farming, waste reduction, and improvements to human and environmental health.

Whether you are a prospective student wishing to join our space research efforts or industry looking for a cutting-edge partner situated next to Lot 14 and the Australian Space Agency, please contact the ATCSR for more information.

Leading the way in space resource research Andy Thomas Centre for Space Resources ecms.adelaide.edu.au/atcsr

McMahon Services Australia (NT) Pty Ltd is a privately owned, industry-leading environmental, infrastructure and building services provider.

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With offices and workshops across the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, we employ over 750 staff delivering projects in capital cities, rural townships, isolated islands and remote outback locations.

McMahon Services Australia (NT) Pty Ltd has operated in the Northern Territory as a separate entity since 1997, with the office being established in Darwin in 2004. Growth of the NT business enabled the establishment of regional offices in Alice Springs and Katherine. Our office facilities include mechanical workshops, warehouse and storage facilities, accommodation blocks and laydown yards.

We employ 100% Territory based staff with over 50 local personnel across our three offices, enabling us to service commercial, residential, industrial, transport, utilities, Government, Defence hazmat and resource clients.

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Our qualified and experienced project and construction management teams provide integrated multi-disciplinary project solutions, dedicated to excellence in delivery across multiple disciplines, including: • Commercial and industrial building construction and fit-out • Defence infrastructure projects and maintenance • Asbestos removal and hazardous materials management • Remote community construction and services • High-risk and high-rise demolition and decommissioning • Bulk and detailed earthworks • Civil and road construction • Environmental remediation • Industrial services • Mining and non-process infrastructure construction

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JOINT EXERCISE TESTS CAPABILITY

going rogue 3 Squadron F-35A Lightning at RAAF Base Tindal during Exercise Rogue Ambush. Defence image.

Held at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal, Exercise Rogue Ambush signals the completion of the first F-35A operational conversion course to be run in Australia since the introduction of the aircraft.

The Royal Australian Air Force recently deployed more than 300 personnel and 30 aircraft to RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal to conduct Exercise Rogue Ambush.

Exercise Commander Group Captain (GPCAPT) Matthew McCormack said Rogue Ambush was the final phase of the first F-35A operational conversion course to be run in Australia since the introduction of the Lightning II aircraft.

“F-35A fighter pilots from No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit and E-7A Wedgetail co-pilots and aircrew from No. 2 Squadron who deployed from RAAF Base Williamtown faced

challenging training during the final phase of their six-month operational conversion courses,” GPCAPT McCormack said.

“The biannual Rogue Ambush exercises are designed to produce personnel ready to deliver air power for the joint force in peace and war.

“Personnel participated in high complexity air combat training and interoperability activities with other Force Element Groups that enabled them to test and practise deployment capabilities.

“The exercise provides our new pilots and aircrew an offensive counterair training environment to fly complex 33

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aircraft and achieve an extremely high performance of precision strike missions, airborne command and control and air-to air refuelling.”

The aircrew conducted a wide range of tactical flying activities across Northern Territory, utilising the Tindal restricted airspace and Delamere Air Weapons Range.

Aircraft deployed to the exercise included the F-35A Lightning II, F/A18A/B Hornet, E-7A Wedgetail, Hawk 127 leadin fighter and KC-30A multirole tanker transport.

Rogue Ambush comes hot on the heels of Exercise Arnhem Thunder held between May and June, also at RAAF Bases Darwin and Tindal in the Northern Territory.

More than 500 personnel and 50 aircraft participated in Air Force’s largest domestic exercise for 2021.

Fighter jets conducted air-to-air combat scenarios and dropped live ordnance on the Delamere Air Weapons Range, and a contingency response squadron

activated a forward operating base in austere conditions at the Mount Bundey Training Area.

Assets deployed to the exercise included the F-35A Lightning II, F/A18F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, F/A- 18A Hornet, Hawk 127, E-7A Wedgetail, KC-30A multi-role tanker transport, C-17A Globemaster, C-130J Hercules, C-27J Spartan, combat support personnel, and operational headquarters staff.

Exercise Director Wing Commander (WGCDR) Steven Bradley said Arnhem Thunder had provided vital forcegeneration training.

“It is a prime example of Air Force’s ability to mobilise and integrate its air and ground-based capabilities in response to a range of security threats,” WGCDR Bradley said.

RAAF Armament Technician, Leading Aircraftman Joshua Scibberas from No. 75 Squadron, inspects the Mark 83 AIR high explosive ordnance on the F/A-18A Hornet.

History was made on Exercise Arnhem Thunder when Air Force F-35As flew fully loaded For the first time, Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft have taken to the skies with a full complement of weapons.

During June the two fully laden F-35As took off from RAAF Base Darwin as part of Exercise Arnhem Thunder 21.

Commanding Officer of 3 Squadron, Wing Commander (WGCDR) Matthew Harper said the F-35A was the only Western fighter jet that could carry both internal and external ordnance.

“This design feature allows Australian F-35As to be adapted to suit the threat environment and operational requirements,” WGCDR Harper said.

“This mode would most likely be used in less contested environments where rapid employment of ordnance is prioritised over maximising the F-35A’s stealth capabilities.”

In addition to their internal payload, the pair departed with inert GBU-12 bombs attached to their under-wing pylons.

“The GBU-12 is a laser-guided munition that can be employed against

An F-35A Lightning II taxis with its payload of GBU-12 bombs.

Defence image.

a variety of different target types in combat,” WGCDR Harper said.

As part of the training scenario, the aircraft dropped their bombs on ground-based targets at the Delamere Air Weapons Range, located about 120km south of Katherine.

The F-35As were expected to drop more than 50 inert GBU-12 bombs during the exercise.

Ten F-35As from RAAF Base Williamtown were deployed to RAAF Base Darwin to take part in the exercise.

Flight Lieutenant Robert Cochran / Air Force News

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Airbases: Now. Then. Always Airbases do not feature significantly in the history of air power unless they are denied. Absence or scarcity is what usually brings them to prominence. The Pacific theatre of World War II has been described as a battle for airfields with islands taken or bypassed according to the significance of airfields.

The lack of focus on airfields is surprising, given that Australia’s fixedwing aviation depends on them to operate. For the foreseeable future, civil and military aviation will require airfields. The potential location of airfields is constrained by terrain, both natural and human. To support most military and civilian aviation needs, airfields must be 3000 metres long and have high pavement strength. While pavements can be built if required, three kilometres of clear, level and firm ground close to the support of human habitation is not common.

This proximity to habitation is driven by access to logistics, workforce and consumables. This also creates some competition for these resources with industry and growing communities.

The majority of the world’s airports and airbases were built more than half a century ago, and the options for future airfields are constrained; the multi-decade delay to construction of Sydney’s Badgery Creek airport is testament. Military airbases face greater issue with noise templates and international law constraints.

Air forces focus on platforms, land forces focus on the soldier, and navies on ships. Mounting bases, unless the

site of a major battle, are generally ignored in history. Aircraft are the ‘totems’ of airpower, both figuratively and literally, judging by the number mounted on posts outside airbases.

Airfields feature rarely, with the Battle of Britain being a notable exception where sector stations such as RAF Biggin Hill becoming famous in their own right.

Airbases must receive greater attention as essential foundations of air power. One of the traditional considerations for the application of air power is impermanence; yet airbases provide the equivalent permanence of mounting operations in any other operational domain, and air fundamental to air power. This consideration captures the always theme of the RAAF centenary.

To look at then, we must cast back into history. The characteristics of level and clear ground, close to support drove Henry Petre’s selection of Point Cook as the site for Australia’s first airbase, over Duntroon. At sea level and near the city and port of Melbourne, Point Cook was a far better choice. These characteristics remain pertinent today, with consideration of RAAF Base Scherger continuing to highlight the importance to airbases of access to support, including fuel supply.

Following No 1 Squadron’s deployment to the Palestinian Campaign in 1916, as part of the Australian Flying Corps

(AFC), bases were then selected on the same enduring constraints.

Power projection and the ability to defend were also identified as essential characteristics for airbases during conflict. Long transits are demanding of crew, fuel and maintenance. Airbases close to the front became targets for enemy attack. The AFC developed a model of three types of bases: an aeroplane park for delivery, assembly, and maintenance; an operating base, home to the workforce and logistics; and forward landing grounds that placed aircraft temporarily close to front. The aeroplane parks were semipermanent, with many surviving the war. Operating bases and forward landing fields, by contrast, moved with the tide of war.

The peace that followed World War I saw airbases become permanent establishments with tarmac runways and permanent maintenance facilities.

All of these elements were useful for raising, training and sustaining the force, but less suited to war. The fate of Darwin in 1942 highlights the risk of short memories, and that efficiency is not the same as effectiveness. The rapid retreat inland from Darwin and the proliferation of dispersed landing grounds along the highways south and west, to disperse and protect aircraft, fuel and maintenance assets is a lesson that should not be forgotten.

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Given the RAAF’s leadership were aware that the Battle of Britain had seen dispersal to satellite fields, and had also seen the spectacular fate of Hickam and Pearl Harbour, it is surprising that more was not done to disperse and protect Australia’s capabilities.

Post-war Australia saw a return to large bases with increased investment in fixed structures, far from any likely battlespace. This trend has continued with the efficiencies and cost effectiveness of ‘Super Bases’ such as RAAF Base Amberley. The Defence of Australia policy did see the construction of the northern bare bases, but upkeep and provision of services has been the basis of controversy and debate. It is worth noting that these airbases, now more than a quarter of a century old, were the last new airbases built.

The now is looking increasingly dangerous. Modern air bases are, to targeteers, ‘a target-rich-environment’: large, fixed airbases are at ever increasing risk from precision stand-off and hypersonic weapons. Drone attack is a new and evolving threat.

To an adversary in war, there would be little appetite for engaging an F-35 in combat when their airbase and crew provide an easier target: a ‘pre-airborne’ option to disrupt air power may be more attractive.

What can we do now to begin to ameliorate risk? The traditional concepts of dispersal and mobility remain valid. What does the modern air platform need to conduct a mission?

Fuel, ordnance, and crew rotation for manned platforms remain part of the always. Access to information is an increasing requirement, and while maintenance remains, modern design and reliability lessens this demand.

Air Forces that sit on the forward edge of the battle space with small territory, such as Finland and Singapore, protect fixed assets underground and by dispersal. The precious runway capability is maintained by redundancy using hardened dual-use roads.

The RAAF has its own role model: remote stretches of highway have been purpose-built to support Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) operations.

There are multiple locations that double as RFDS landing strips and one near Broken Hill is named after the RFDS architect, Cliff Peel, a young 3 Squadron AFC pilot who lost his life operating from a forward dispersal strip in the closing weeks of World War One. Of the consumables, fuel can (at some cost) be provided airborne, and ordnance delivered by road or air to dispersal sites. The enduring problem is access to those precious three kilometres of runway. The question at the heart of the matter is, do we need a new model for airbases? Air power’s need for airbases in always, and the threat then is increasingly now.

Australia’s Strategic Defence Update 2020 sets Australia’s Defence priorities to our near region, including the South West Pacific and near north.

This shift places a new emphasis on Australia’s northern and eastern coast airfields to support civil and military air operations. While strategic geopolitics

plays a major part in this policy reset, one of the greatest risks to regional air power comes not from politics, but from climate change.

As noted earlier, for the foreseeable future, civil and military aviation will require major airfields. These are typically located near major cities which in turn are predominantly located in coastal regions. These airfields have the characteristics of a two and a half to three kilometre runway, and high pavement strength of around 50 to 60 centimetres in depth. These runway characteristics are likely to remain for many decades, even allowing for advances in engine power and aerodynamic design. Legacy aircraft, that is, those in service now, are project to remain in service for decades.

The location of airfields is determined by the demands of logistics, labour and purpose. These characteristics have seen airfields located in and adjacent to cities that were established on or near the coast when shipping was the dominant form of transport. This exposes airfields to the existential threat of sea level rise and extreme weather events due to climate change.

A 2019 report from the EU-funded Copernicus Flood List observed ‘Most major airports in Australia are located on reclaimed swamps, sitting only a few metres above the presentday sea level.’ The article went on to note that, ‘the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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recommended that a global mean sea level rise of 2.7 metres should be considered in planning for coastal infrastructure.’

These metrics indicate that Australian aviation is at direct risk of flooding from sea-level rises.

The Actuaries Institute, used in determining insurance, reports that for the last five years Australian East Coast temperatures are already averaging more than one degree hotter than their baseline of the 1980-81 values and is likely to exceed the target of 1.5 degrees exacerbating extreme weather.

The majority of Australia’s East Coast airfields are at risk, as are all of the atoll island airfields of the Pacific.

Many of the airfields that were the stepping stones of World War Two’s Pacific theatre will no longer exist, thereby limiting expeditionary air power. On the east coast of Australia, the airfields of Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Brisbane and Gold CoastCoolangatta are all less than six metres above sea level. Williamtown and Sydney have airfield elevations of nine metres above sea level.

The relationship is not linear. A sealevel rise of 0.5 metres would see the northern end of Sydney’s KingsfordSmith main north-south runways and northern taxiways inundated with water. But airfields on higher-ground than this have already experienced floods. Despite Rockhampton’s airfield being at an elevation of 10 metres, flooding of the Fitzroy River in 2011 2013 and 2017 caused it to be closed for weeks at a time. The Queensland Government’s 2016 Lower Fitzroy River Infrastructure Project Climate and Natural Hazards Report forecasts

that extreme weather events will continue to increase the risk of flooding events.

There are other risk factors beyond inundation of water that affect the viability of airports and airfields. Airfield pavements of up to 60 centimetres, typically covering more than twenty hectares of concrete and bitumen, effectively ‘float’ on the subgrade below.

Changes in the groundwater table and salinity create uneven upward force, which damages the pavement above.

Anecdotally, following minor flooding at Townsville, the removal of a service cover resulted in a metre high column of water bursting out of the ground.

Airfields have significant underground services and infrastructure, including drains, water pipes, power cabling, runway and taxiway lighting, communications, and fuel pipes and lines. Elevated water tables and increased groundwater also increase pollution. Older airfields, in particular, have a legacy of substantial pollution due to fuel, oil, fire-fighting and other chemicals that have leached into the subsoil. The environmental study for Brisbane Airport development noted that the placement of additional material on pavement surfaces not only risked subsidence due the additional material weight, but also forcing contaminated groundwater into adjacent waterways.

Airfields are critical to Australia’s air power capability and economic well-being, and many of these are at risk.

Airfields have remarkable and rare characteristics, and are not easily replaced. They are multi-million dollar national assets that require long lead times to either repair or construct alternative sites. Multiple individual studies of airport and airfield viability, along with broader climate change research, indicate that most of Australia’s major airfields are at risk of either inundation or significant damage from climate change. We were expecting a pandemic, but ill-prepared when it occurred; it appears that the same may be the case for our airfields.

Addressing this demands a number of tasks. The first would be a risk analysis of all Australian and South West Pacific airfields to ‘all hazards’ climate change threats, including sea level inundation, water table change, flooding and extreme weather events.

Based on that understanding, a risk mitigation strategy could be developed.

For many current airfields, there is likely no redundancy or repair option, and alternative would need to be explored. Is it time for the return of the seaplane? Or for increased investment in rotary wing or short field platforms?

Whatever the solution, the problem must be identified and explored with a degree of urgency.

David (Doc) Millar Air and Space Power Centre

Pic 1 PC-12 Lands on an outback strip.

Royal Flying Doctors Pic 2 RAAF Base Williams, Point Cook.

Defence image Pic 3 Flooding at Rockhampton Airport 2017. ABC image

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BUILDING NEW? DON’T MISS THE FINAL LAND SALE AT POTTER’S LANE

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person can make. Starting the journey of building a home can be a daunting prospect and some feel safer purchasing a house that already exists. However, there are a number of benefits to be gained from choosing to build a new home. One new neighbourhood that is proving to be popular with home buyers is the impressive Potter’s Lane in Raymond Terrace, developed by award-winning Hunter property group, McCloy Group.

Potter’s Lane first hit the market in 2016 and with demand growing year on year it is now selling its final land release.

So what are these benefits of a new build?

A New Neighbourhood Potter’s Lane launched onto the market in July 2016 so all purchasers 42

are part of a new project and sharing a similar experience. This builds a real sense of community and helps to shape the neighbourhood from the start. Today Potter’s Lane is home to more than 200 brand new homes, a state-of-the-art playground, and an enviable Port Stephens lifestyle.

Services All homesites at Potter’s Lane come ready to be connected to electricity, town water, natural gas, sewerage and high-speed internet via the NBN Network with fibre to the premises (FTTP). Existing dwellings in Raymond Terrace will get access to the NBN network at a later stage via a shared connection with fibre to the node (FTTN).

5% Deposit Most vendors require a 10% deposit

from purchasers to secure an established home. To secure your homesite at Potter’s Lane all you need is a 5% deposit payable upon exchange with no more to pay until settlement.

Government Grants There are several financial rewards from the state government that come in the form of Government Grants, which could save you tens of thousands of dollars. To see if you’re eligible, visit revenue.nsw.gov.au/grantsschemes. Not to mention leading home builders are offering impressive builder incentives to secure your business with added inclusion and even ‘turnkey’ options available.

Equity Raymond Terrace has experienced strong capital growth over past 12

months so there is a good chance that you could have instant equity in your new property. If the housing market is rising – as it appears to be doing in the local area – this will mean that by the time the property is built it could already be worth more than you paid for it.

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The other benefit of a new-build property is that maintenance costs will usually be lower than those associated with an established property. New builds will benefit from the latest technology and design innovations,

is now selling its final stage. Why not make a trip to see the community for yourself, test out the park and playground and call by the Land Sales Office to discuss your land needs or visit potters-lane.com.au for more information.

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Maintenance

meaning they will have up-to-date heating and water systems that are less likely to break down. Often the building, fixtures and fittings will be covered by a builder’s guarantee, which can often last for up to 10 years.

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Because you are buying a property before it has been built, you will be able to ensure that the house will meet your family’s needs. You can liaise with the builder on the design so that you get the features and spaces you need, having an input on everything from the initial floor plan to the finishes, fixtures and fittings. You can also decide which proportion of the land is devoted to a yard or garden.

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C yber Se cu rity

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C y b e r Se cu r i ty

Young Australians Can Help Shape Security Policies Dom Dwyer and Tom Smethurst Australia confronts a new and compounding set of security challenges. Traditional modes of geopolitics are giving way to sharper styles of statecraft, whether in the form of economic coercion, cyber espionage, disinformation or the weaponisation of aid and infrastructure.

All the while, climate change is stress-testing political systems, in some cases to breaking point.

Together, these dynamics amount to a paradigm shift for security planners.

Many governments are only starting to grapple with the new reality.

Unsurprisingly, young people do not have a seat at the table deciding our future. And yet, we’re the only generation that will live through the arc of strategic change and full ramifications of policies put in place today. If things go wrong, we will have to pick up the pieces.

Beyond being unjust, our absence from the table is a missed opportunity.

As a cohort, we benefit from a unique historical perspective. As digital natives, we have learnt to navigate a hyper-connected world, not one separated by walls or blocs.

Many of us were born after the 9/11 attacks and spent our childhoods under the shadow of terrorism, not nuclear war. And we have witnessed the waning of our US ally, in a story punctuated by recessions, populism and now the pandemic. For all these reasons, our priorities are different. This gives us a fresh lens through which to

understand current security challenges and propose novel solutions.

Our work is founded on the conviction that young Australians represent an untapped resource when it comes to national security. Our mission, then, is to mobilise their perspectives.

Many young leaders are already thinking creatively about emerging challenges. We want to elevate their voices in the debate. Other young Australians are brimming with ideas but have never thought of national security as a space that includes them. Our hope is to inspire their participation in the broadening security community, to bring to bear their diverse perspectives and skillsets in solving our nation’s next set of challenges.

To achieve this mission, we are running the Youth National Security Strategy. The initiative will assemble 42 of the nation’s brightest young thinkers to produce a national security strategy for Australia.

Why is this needed? Our current approach is no longer fit for purpose.

Australia has typically planned its security through the prism of defence white papers but today’s threats no longer fit squarely in the box of ‘defence’. Whether it’s climate change or Covid-19, the challenges that increasingly unsettle Australia’s security spill over into every aspect of our society. Young people understand this but the policy establishment is yet to shift towards a more holistic national security frame.

Via the strategy document they will co-author, the Youth National Security Strategy will give emerging leaders the opportunity to begin shaping this new approach.

The initiative will produce more than a document. It will culminate in a week-long symposium at the Australian National University in December. This will allow the strategy’s co-authors to test their ideas and build relationships with leading academics, industry figures and policymakers in the national security space. Travel and accommodation will be fully funded.

Ultimately, the strategy promises to sharpen the thinking, skills and networks of a cohort of emerging leaders in national security. Crucially, it will also break ground in bringing a diverse and unheard set of voices and ideas to the security sector.

Applications are now open to be one of the 42 co-authors of this nationally significant document. We are searching across the nation for emerging leaders who want to contribute to this debate.

Whether you are a student or in the workforce; a climate scientist, defence strategist or a health specialist; regionally or city-based; we want you.

If you are interested in applying or know someone who would be, visit or share our website, which will lay out everything you need to know about how to get involved.

This article first appeared in Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Dom Dwyer and Tom Smethurst are the co-founders and executive directors of the Youth National Security Strategy. www.ynss.org.

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Marc Werner.

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Ai Technology Helping Sort Intelligence Data Intelligence analysts at Air Force’s No. 83 Squadron are now using artificial intelligence (Ai) to help sort through large volumes of data, thanks to three Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) scientists.

Guy Blucher, Victor Stamatescu and David Farmer have worked closely with Defence’s Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) to deploy their Ai-based intelligence analysis demonstrator to operators at No. 83 Squadron.

“We’ve established some new concept-to-capability pathways and are really pleased that end users now have access to the tool,” Mr Blucher said.

The No. 83 Squadron analysts are able to drop data into the tool via their web browsers.

The data is processed by the Intelligence, Surveillance and Space Division (ISSD)-developed tool on the DSTG digital infrastructure and then returned to the analysts in different browser tabs.

Cloud-based infrastructure has given the team sufficient flexibility and agility in terms of computer options and technology choices to build an uncompromised Ai solution using modern software approaches.

The team now hopes to transition this demonstrator to an enduring capability through Defence’s AIR3503, which is the project to acquire the Distributed Ground Station – Australia (DGS-AUS) weapon system designed for the analysis of data collected from existing and future Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.

The plan is for data processing to be progressively shifted onto Air Force in partnership with CIOG, No. 83 Squadron and AIR3503.

The demonstrator is another capability built on the foundation of DSTG’s long-established, highly successful Analysts’ Detection Support System (ADSS).

“It began as a small ‘quick look’ project initiated by RAAF’s Plan Jericho in 2018,” Mr Stamatescu said.

“We had six weeks and a whole bunch of unlabelled wide-area 48

Coalition Virtual Flag 21-1 (CVF21-1) is a large force composite exercise held in a simulated battle space. The exercise was held at various locations around the world and in Australia. Defence image.

surveillance video data from a fifthgeneration platform.

“Our client wanted to see whether we could remove the boring parts and keep the interesting bits.”

After presenting their results to Deputy Chief of Air Force, they were asked to further develop the application.

What was needed was a largescale, wide-area, post-mission analysis system with automatic detection, tracking and classification of targets – one that could ingest days and days, perhaps years, of mission data and look for patterns of life in time and geolocation and learn.

Such a system could then help Air Force analysts in the assessment of fresh data.

According to Mr Blucher, the increasing volume, variety and veracity of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data being collected now and the amount that will collected into the future by Defence is outpacing the analytical workforce.

“If we want to discover and display patterns of life in this amount of data, we need to apply artificial intelligence techniques across a spectrum of collection modalities,” he said.

Artificial intelligence relies on training using labelled data – the more the better. So in 2019, Air

Force analysts from DGS-AUS joined Mr Blucher, Mr Stamatescu and Mr Farmer to label operational data that could then be used to train the DSTG models to accurately detect and track targets of interest.

Mr Stamatescu said his experience was, when exercising an Ai system on vast amounts of mission data, errors or false alarms arose.

“You need an analyst on the loop to say, ‘No, that’s a cloud or a reflection off the sea; it’s not a boat’. Getting those wrinkles out is hard work and the more labelled data the better,” he said.

Labelling data for machine learning was not straightforward.

“The RAAF analysts have expertise in identifying targets,” Mr Stamatescu said.

“But when labelling for machine consumption, you need to think like a machine.

“Training our RAAF colleagues is also helping us understand how they want to use the tool and how to make data labelling a part of their everyday processes.”

Mr Farmer has been focusing on building a collegial, mutually beneficial relationship with No. 83 Squadron, its headquarters in Information Warfare Directorate and sister squadrons Nos 87 and 460 Squadrons.

Fe a tu r e

“We’re providing tooling for their data,” he said.

“At the same time, we are showing the art of the possible on other types of data.

“We demonstrate what we’re doing and ask them about the way they use the systems.

“That really helps us work out the end-user requirements.”

Mr Blucher was adamant the demonstrator needed to migrate out of DSTG if it was going to be supporting operations.

“We’re acting as a pathfinder and risk-reduction activity for the

integration of these sorts of tools into military platforms and processes," he said.

“It will be easier next time for other groups following the same transition path to end users.

“Having an analyst on the loop, using the machine to augment their workflow by doing all the boring bits, is really where we need to be heading.

“This is demonstrating a machineaugmented on-mission and postmission workflow for a fifth-generation Air Force.”

CIOG Director General Business Relationship Management Air

Commodore Leon Phillips agreed.

“Artificial intelligence and machine learning are force-multipliers for our scarce numbers of highly skilled workforce analysts, as Air Force seeks to fully exploit the capabilities of its fifthgeneration platforms,” Air Commodore Phillips said.

Mr Blucher, Mr Stamatescu and Mr Farmer said they were proud of what they had achieved and were keen to make further progress.

David Kilmartin Defence News.

Collaboration Creates Drone Sensor A collaboration between Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre (AWC) and Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) has culminated in the creation of a drone detection system.

The Windtalker, designed and created at DSTG Edinburgh, is a realtime sensor that can monitor airspace for uncrewed aerial vehicle activity and then stimulate algorithms for the purposes of detection, recognition and decision-making.

Gordon Sherlock, from DSTG, spoke highly of the growing relationship between DSTG and the AWC. “In late 2019, DSTG and AWC entered into a memorandum of understanding to assist in realising mutual engineering benefits for both organisations,” Mr Sherlock said.

“The staff at the Air Warfare Centre are renowned for their professionalism, skills, knowledge and technical ability.

“I have seen first-hand how the AWC avionics technicians have brought transferrable skills to the team and how the Air Force’s robust training continuum complements the wide array of tasks required to be performed at DSTG.” In order to keep communication open between the two organisations, Ant Perry recently took on the role of science and technology adviser to the AWC. “It is a great privilege to take on the role here at the Air Warfare Centre and be able to contribute to some really worthwhile projects,” Mr Perry said.

Science and Technology Advisor, Ant Perry and Air Warfare Engineering Squadron, Avionics Technician Corporal Stanislaw Filipek inspect the Windtalker drone sensor detection system at DST Edinburgh, South Australia. Defence image.

“Unmanned aerial system misuse can cause safety issues and security concerns for the Australian Defence Force and the Windtalker drone sensor detection system provides users a common operating picture of the airspace.

“Unlike the US Department of Defense drone detection system, the Windtalker here in Adelaide has incorporated the additional functionality of an ADS-B receiver that will allow us to track the flight path of ADS-Bequipped aircraft within range of the Windtalker.

“The Windtalker system is evidence of the win-win DSTG and RAAF partnership.”

Working at DSTG, Corporal Stan Filipek said he was pleased to be one of the uniformed members representing the AWC.

“At DSTG, I facilitate the manufacture of technical componentry and assembly of electronic components,” Corporal Filipek said.

“It has been exciting to be a part of the partnership between the two agencies.

“I like to think of the Windtalker project as a representation of the fruits of our labour.”

The AWC exists within Air Command and is critical to establishing the Air Force as a modern and fully integrated combat force that can deliver air and space power effects in the information age.

The AWC is supported by an integrated workforce which includes Air Force, Army, Navy, Australian Public Service and Defence industry personnel.

Flight Lieutenant Georgina MacDonald/ Defence News.

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Bullsbrook is blossoming.

If you’re being posted to Pearce Air Base, now’s the time to think about building in Kingsford, Bullsbrook.

Just minutes from RAAF Pearce, Kingsford is a beautiful place to live and is really coming to life.

It’s nestled between the famous fresh produce and wine growing districts of the Chittering Valley and Swan Valley. Designed to complement the natural undulations of the land and the meandering course of the tree-lined Ki-It Monger Brook, Kingsford offers an idyllic lifestyle.

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Over 41ha retained public open space, creek lines, & manicured parklands 2,500 homesites upon completion New café at entryway The future Town Centre will include a major supermarket, specialty stores, cafés and a medical centre Brand new adventure playground Alongside Bullsbrook’s established school, community centre, shops and sporting clubs

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An investment in growth.

Kingsford is an ideal place to build a nest egg, too.

It is located in the sweet spot between major employment hubs. These include the Muchea industrial area to the north, the commercial offices of Midland and manufacturing district of Malaga to the south, the tourism precinct of the Swan Valley and, of course, the adjacent Pearce Air Base.

A community set to soar.

Kingsford sits alongside the established town of Bullsbrook, with all its history, thriving community and conveniences. The existing school is highly regarded and caters for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. There are many thriving sporting clubs and community groups, ready to welcome new members. Alongside the town’s sporting fields is the multi-million-dollar Ethel Warren Community Centre with a library, Bullseye Youth Centre and group meeting facilities.

With employment and population growth in the region, Kingsford will be a highly sought-after place to live.

You have the opportunity to build a new home during your posting at Pearce, and then use it as an investment rental property should your career take you elsewhere.

Adding to the existing facilities, Kingsford has built an adventure playground, and a new café overlooking landscaped gardens and the Ki-It Monger Brook.

Soon, Kingsford’s new Town Centre will add a fresh vibrancy to the region and create a social hub for the community. The Town Centre will include a major supermarket and a contemporary mix of specialty stores plus restaurants, cafés, medical services, and active community spaces.

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Fe a tu r e

Capturing Data Faster Than A Speeding Bullet A sensor that has shown potential to measure the speed and predict the trajectory of incredibly fast-moving objects has been developed in a partnership between Air Force and university researchers.

The prototype MANTIS (MutualAxis Neuromorphic Twin Imaging System) sensor is the result of the work of the University of Sydney Nano Institute and Air Force’s Jericho Disruptive Innovation.

The Jericho Smart Sensing Lab (JSSL) at the University of Sydney developed the prototype in three months, and Director of the University of Sydney Nano Institute Professor Ben Eggleton led the team.

He said the MANTIS prototype integrated a neuromorphic and traditional camera side by side in a portable unit that is interfaced with artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide advanced situational awareness.

The dashboard and on-board processing enable a direct comparison of the images they produce and allow for rapid exploration of the neuromorphic sensor capabilities.

The JSSL team recently tested MANTIS at the RAAF Base Richmond small arms range to capture imagery of small arms’ engagements, including rounds from a 9mm pistol and 5.56mm rounds from an F88.

The activities were designed to help better understand MANTIS’ capability in detecting fast-moving objects or events.

MANTIS showed promising signs of being able to predict the trajectory and velocity of incredibly fast-moving objects.

The 4kg small-form carry-on design allows the camera to be easily used on aircraft, ships and vehicles to detect challenging targets in any environment.

While a traditional camera is constrained by frame rates, each pixel in a neuromorphic camera functions independently and is always ‘on’.

This means the imaging system is triggered by events.

If it’s monitoring a static scene, the sensor sees nothing and no data is generated.

Head of Air Force Capability Air Vice Marshal Cath Roberts attended the demonstration of the sensor.

“There are many things that excite me about MANTIS," Air Vice Marshal Roberts said.

“The level of detail that it provides and being able to track high-speed events is very impressive.

“It's an amazing sensor fusion that has really strong applications across Defence.”

The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) was also involved in the collaboration, providing early guidance and input.

Vladimir Perejogin from DSTG said event-based sensors represented an affordable and innovative, yet highly capable and resilient electro-optic sensing technology that leveraged millions of years of evolutionary process.

“In partnership with Jericho Disruptive Innovation, we are engaged in event-based sensor research to rapidly assess and demonstrate its utility in addressing a number of priority Defence needs," he said.

Despite being developed through an Air Force partnership, MANTIS will be tested by all three services to

Mr Jack Liang, an Electronics Engineer from the University of Sydney, trials a neuromorphic camera to capture shots fired

by Leading Aircraftman Connor Fergusson at RAAF Base Richmond's 25 metre weapons range. Defence images.

explore how additional sensor diversity can provide Defence with an edge.

Future iterations of MANTIS could also see it combined with a robotic eye to allow for surveillance of large portions of airspace looking for air vehicles passively driving around.

What does MANTIS stand for? Mutual-Axis Neuromorphic Twin Imaging System.

What does neuromorphic mean? Any large-scale system of integrated circuits that mimic neuro-biological architectures present in the nervous system.

How is a neuromorphic camera different to a traditional camera? While a traditional camera is constrained by frame rates, each pixel in a neuromorphic camera functions independently and is always ‘on’. This means the imaging system is triggered by events. If it’s monitoring a static scene, the sensor sees nothing, and no data is generated. On the other hand, when there is an event, the neuromorphic sensor has much greater sensitivity, dynamic range and speed versus a traditional camera.

What is the JSSL? Established in 2019, the Jericho Smart Sensing Lab is a leading edge science design initiative embedded in the Nanoscience Hub at the University of Sydney sponsored by RAAF.

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Canberra market surges through Covid as beacon for investors Canberra’s property market continues to exceed all pre-Covid expectations into the second half of 2021, with investors enjoying significant returns from both yield and capital gain while numbers continue to gain momentum.

Returns being enjoyed by investors across all corners of the have been particularly pleasing, where unit price growth has jumped by almost 9% in the last 12 months.

Canberra’s largest developer, Geocon has established projects in each major town centre across the ACT. In Belconnen its Nightfall project represents the final chapter of the Republic Precinct, currently the largest mixed-use precinct under construction in Australia. Close to the University of Canberra, public hospitals, schools, transport, Lake Ginninderra and Westfield Belconnen, both Nightfall and High Society have received unprecedented investor interest since the market boomed at the beginning of 2021.

In the city Geocon has almost completed its Metropol project, three Fender Katsalidis designed buildings in a single, premium residential offering.

Metropol residents have the choice of two of Australia’s leading universities in the ANU and the soon-to-be established UNSW within walking distance, as well as government office blocks, the Canberra Centre and all the attractions of a big city, all on their doorstop.

Woden is currently undergoing an infrastructure boom, with the Canberra Hospital expansion, stage 2 of the light rail network and the Canberra Institute of Technology all in final planning and approval stages to be built over the coming decade. Geocon has taken advantage of the boom first with its Grand Central Towers project, which completed in December 2020.

Geocon will double down in Woden with WOVA’s almost 800 apartments to begin in the coming months.

In Tuggeranong and Gungahlin Geocon has partnered with Empire Global to deliver two joint venture projects. Aspen Village in Tuggeranong offers lake views, unrivalled amenity and access to government employment hubs in Greenway. The Establishment promises a connected lifestyle for its residents, with the Hibberson Street light rail stop only a five minute stroll through the town centre.

The numbers are now so compelling that Canberra is top of the stack in each of Australia’s the key performance indicators including yield, vacancy, employment, wages and capital growth.

Growth of almost 9% on apartments in Canberra’s northern suburb of Belconnen have brazenly defied lock-down predictions, some of which speculated dips of anywhere up to 30% for the ACT. Leading property economist and commentator, Dr Andrew Wilson, described the numbers as both ‘remarkable’ and ‘outstanding’ during his recent trip to the capital to speak with investors.

“It is remarkable to see how many market-factors Canberra is now leading, and how much growth there has been across the board for the market to arrive where it is today,” Dr Wilson said.

“Using Geocon’s Nightfall and High Society projects in the Republic Precinct as an example, investors can expect average rents of $650, easily

accommodating a positively geared loan and a set-and-forget path to becoming financially secure.

“Coupling this with capital growth of around 9% in Belconnen, unit vacancy of just over 1% and the argument for Canberra investment becomes almost impossible to ignore.”

Dr Wilson said there were several factors driving investor appeal in Canberra, the most obvious being the lack of quality stock, which drove down vacancy and up rental yields.

“Developers like Geocon can try to keep up with demand, but it’s never long until there is a shortage and rents rise.

“It’s not rocket science ... with vacancy of just over 1%, there is literally nothing to rent and so the price goes up,” he said.

“Canberra is a smart, well paid population. The ACT has had Australia’s lowest unemployment numbers for the year-to-date at just 3.4%, almost 2% lower than the national average at 5.5%.

Dr Wilson said the investor market in Canberra had become busier than any other Australian capital city during 2021, citing auction clearance rates north of 90% as evidence the market had woken up to the ACT. “With interest rates so low, negative gearing is less attractive and yield really has come into play. The full rental market and fastest returns of any city over the last five years really do make Canberra an obvious choice for property investors,” Dr Wilson said.

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I n n o vat i o n C r i t i c a l f o r D e f e n c e Gregor Ferguson Why is innovation important to a defence force? Because a small country deploying a small defence force won’t derive either an operational advantage or an economic advantage from trying to do the same thing as everybody else, only cheaper.

Innovation – in equipment, organisation and process – is the difference between being ordinary and vulnerable, on the one hand, and strong, resilient and prosperous on the other.

Defence must be the leader in innovation – as well as being innovative in what it does and how it does it, Defence must also create an environment in which its external partners and suppliers can innovate successfully, too.

Why? Because Defence is a monopsony market. That means the defence customer has a disproportionate shaping effect on the market: its size, its behaviour and the barriers to entry.

If he is the launch (and possibly sole) customer for a new piece of equipment, or service, then its success depends to

56

a significant degree on how Defence addresses both the operational need and the opportunity to be innovative in meeting it. Operational success also depends on the partners and suppliers Defence chooses to deliver this new capability – and making a wise choice is a pre-condition (one of many) for innovation success.

So, what are the pre-conditions for Defence’s innovation success and the establishment of an innovationfriendly broader defence business environment? There are a dozen, in my view, and regardless of whether the innovation in question is a new piece of equipment or some sort of Enterprise Innovation that changes Defence’s nature or behaviour, they shape key attributes and behaviours on the part of Defence and the ADF. Boiled down to their essentials, and in no particular order, this is what I think they are:

3.

Maintain your situational awareness: keep abreast of emerging threats as well as emerging technologies and their potential effects on your own capabilities and operations

4. Understand your capability needs and articulate them properly 5. Be methodical in conducting research & development and capability development: this will help you understand your needs, as well as helping you identify solutions and assess the contributions of others 6. Seek opportunities for Enterprise Innovation – for innovation in your organisational practices, processes and procedures as well as in your equipment inventory (innovation in the latter is usually wasted without innovation in the former as well)

1. Nurture and grow your technical 7. Take every opportunity to engage expertise with and inform your industry and 2. Nurture and grow your professional research base – the more they know about what you do, how you expertise

Fe a tu r e

do it and what difficulties you face, the better able they are to support you and help you solve them – see Israel as an example 8. If it needs to be done at all, do it quickly. Urgency eliminates irrelevancy: a short deadline ensures a focus on the outcome, not the process 9. Establish a disciplined acquisition strategy that both reflects the urgency of the need and tolerates sensible risks (see 1 and 2 above) and remember that obsessive riskaversion is itself another source of risk 10. Appoint a champion with sufficient seniority to drive the project forward in spite of bureaucratic obstacles – or to kill it, if this turns out to be the correct course of action; and give him or her the best possible project team 11. Make sure you’re nurturing your industry and research base – In a technology driven monopsony a smart customer doesn’t allow his industry and research sectors to fall into a technical rut or to fall behind in a technology sense.

12. Nurture a culture and capacity to work with your industry base to identify opportunities and develop solutions, both for yourself and also, potentially, for allies and export customers.

Defence – the ADF, CASG and DST – is mobilising itself to satisfy these pre-conditions. In this regard, the 2020 Force Structure Plan (FSP) has maintained the policy and cultural change trajectory set by the 2016 Defence White Paper and Defence Industry Policy Statement. However, if you drill down into each of these pre-conditions you’ll find decades of cultural baggage that needs to be sorted, as well as some very sensible precautionary policies and procedures you’d be stupid to throw away. The process of sorting the baggage and discarding what’s irrelevant and counter-productive won’t happen quickly.

To continue satisfying the preconditions for innovation and operational advantage in both Industry and Defence we need to see the emerging cultural changes embedded permanently in the ADF and in Defence’s capability development and acquisition processes. The early

signs are very promising – but Defence and Industry together need to make these changes future-proof.

Defence still needs to overcome some cultural hangovers which have actively stifled opportunities in the past for innovation by industry and the research sector as well as the ADF. Australia needs closer alignment between Defence, DST, the national research sector and Industry: closer engagement and better communications; the ability to concentrate both Defence and non-Defence resources on defining problems accurately and then solving them efficiently; a better understanding of the resources needed and those actually available; and the trust between supply chain partners which is the product of proper alignment.

Project a+ has been working in this area for years. We know how innovation works (and occasionally doesn’t) and how important alignment, communications and networking are, and how to make them work for you.

So get in touch.

Gregor Ferguson is director of Project Alpha Plus, a defence and innovation analyst, consultant and communicator who has worked in the defence media and industry for more than 30 years. His Ph.D is in defence industry innovation.

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C y b e r Se cu r i ty

Archives at Risk of Cyber Attack, Security Expert Warns A cybersecurity expert warns Australia’s enemies could take advantage of the National Archives’ less-secure technology to gain access to some of our most sensitive government documents and potentially change or delete records.

The federal government is working up a package to respond to David Tune’s review of the Archives, which includes suggestions for beefing up the institution’s cybersecurity.

Anne Lyons, a fellow with Defencefunded think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the Archives’ former chief information officer, says the problem is the institution is vulnerable but the information it holds isn’t necessarily thought of as valuable by policymakers.

She warns any attack on the “memory holders, the truth holders” of the nation could cause people to lose trust in their integrity and “create cracks in our democratic and our important institutions”.

without recognising its vital role in coordinating information and recordkeeping right across government every day, she said.

“Our critical infrastructure, defence, border security, privacy, personal information and economic assets, our economy, attract the headlines, the attention and ultimately the dollars.”

Labor’s cybersecurity spokesman Tim Watts said there was a disconnect between the government’s at-times dramatic rhetoric on cybersecurity and the lack of action in helping the Archives.

“We’ve seen plenty of hack and leak campaigns targeting holdings like this in the past and the scale of this risk is only increasing,” he said.

“The [Auditor-General] identified serious weaknesses in the Archives’ cyber resilience in 2018 and the Archives has been begging the Morrison government for the funding it needs to fix it ever since. But because there are no press conferences in it for

She paints a scenario when hostile actors have altered digital land title records so no one can prove ownership of their assets, online records of Acts are tampered with and a simultaneous ransomware attack has locked up the archives of major media organisations.

“If someone wanted to disrupt [those records], that would be catastrophic,” she said.

“We focus so much on highly classified and personal information, protecting our privacy, that this other material that is very, very valuable and very, very important is just left to … the Archives which is totally underfunded,” she said.

“The Archives has responsibility [for] both paper and digital. It’s essentially two archives, but it’s only ever had funding for one and that has reduced over the years.”

People tended to think of the Archives as being “just about old stuff”

him, Scott Morrison isn’t interested.”

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have highlighted over recent months the plight of paper, audiovisual and photographic records that are disintegrating in the Archives without urgent funding to digitise them.

Ms Lyons said even this could pose cybersecurity risks, because while the original, physical document might still exist the integrity of digital copies had to be secured too.

The Tune review says the Archives does have a comprehensive cyberresilience plan, but it doesn’t have the funding needed to put it in place in a timely manner.

Cybersecurity experts warn the digital holdings of the National Archives could be at risk from hostile attacks. Wikipedia

It also found the Archives’ technology systems should be upgraded to “protected” status, used to handle secure government information, but again this hasn’t happened because of lack of funding.

It recommends the government make “appropriate investment” to strengthen the Archives’ cyberresilience, along with a $167.4 million proposal to build a new digital archive facility that will protect and preserve modern records.

The government is close to finalising a package to help the National Archives immediately salvage documents, film and other at-risk materials while also safeguarding its long-term role.

Katina Curtis and Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald

59

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GREY-ZONE WARFARE FRONT OF MIND - Talisman Sabre As soldiers tested their skills and combat readiness during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021, they were also training for another looming and more insidious threat: the risk of cyber and information warfare.

Troops from the United States, Japanese militaries joined Australia and other allies in the international “show of might” which transformed parts of Queensland into a mock war zone as part of Australia’s largest bilateral defence exercise with the US. Australian Defence Force TS21 director Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham said the exercise, which drew to a close on Sunday 1st August, also prepared the nation for the changing face of war and focused on the threat of cyber and information attacks.

“We are preparing for war, that is what we do,” he said. ”The traditional domains of air, land and sea are now coupled with cyber and information warfare and that is how we train.

“Cyber is a key domain that we have now in warfighting, as is information warfare.”

Around 17,000 military personnel from seven nations participated in TS21 which welcomed the Republic of Korea as a participating nation for the first time.

The multi-national forces have undertaken co-ordinated live fire activities, amphibious beach-landings, war at sea and in the air, land and urban operations, space operations and cyber missions.

Air Commodore Stuart Bellingham said a Chinese spy ship that sat off the coast of Queensland to observe the exercise added a “level of realism” to the training exercise.

United States Acting Charge D’Affairs Doug Sonnek spoke at the closing ceremony, hosted at Kissing Point,Townsville, where he praised participating troops and highlighted the importance of fostering allegiances.

Speaking at the closing ceremony Herbert MP Phillip Thompson said the complex training exercise strengthened Australia’s relationships in the Indo-Pacific and described the region as “challenging”.

He noted the increased threat of grey-zone warfare and noted the shift in conflict strategy over the past 10 years.

“We need to be ready. It is very important we have a robust defence,” he said. “(Talisman Sabre) is a show of force against hostile threats anywhere in the world.

“They need to know that we work closely together with our allies. We do show any hostiles, any friends … or anyone that wants to do us harm that we are here and committed to train together and, if in case, we are willing and ready to fight

together.”

Air Commodore Bellingham said the strength of Australia’s multinational partnerships was tested during Talisman Sabre.

“Our strength is as a group,” he said.

“We are preparing together because our Defence Force is all about being prepared for any contingency.

“There is strength in that multilateral partnership. We tested it, we tried it, we didn't break it.”

Some of the highlights of Talisman Sabre included: • Australia welcomed the Republic of Korea as a participating nation for the first time. Their Destroyer, ROKS Wang Geon, contributed to a maritime warfare scenario involving around 20 ships and 60 aircraft.

• The US MIM-104 Patriot surface to air missile was fired for the first time on Australian soil.

• 120 Spartan Paratroopers from Alaska embarked in two Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III aircraft in Darwin and jumped over the skies of Charters Towers to join Australian land forces.

• Amphibious forces from Australia, United States, Japan and the United Kingdom operated from HMAS Canberra for the first time as an integrated landing force.

• US Space Command deployed to Australia for the first time. This team exercised important new capabilities in the space domain.

Exercise Talisman Sabre participating nations flags on display at the closing ceremony in Townsville. Defence image.

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Transition

Planning for Transition It’s important that you start to prepare for transition as early as possible as there can be a lot to consider. The civilian environment is very different to the ADF, but transition doesn’t need to be a daunting experience. Help is available for current and ex-serving members as you move through the transition process and as you settle into the civilian community.

A vital step when preparing to leave the ADF is to mentally prepare yourself for the change that lies ahead and also to set realistic expectations of what your future life will look like.

• Talk to friends or family who have made the transition. Ask them what their experience was like and what they would have done differently. Even if they had a negative experience, you can use this to ensure that your transition experience takes a more positive route.

• Connect with informal groups on social media that are set up by veterans as support networks • Take advantage of transition information and services provided by Defence Community Organisation • Seek professional assistance services tailored for transitioning veterans.

• Make sure that you register to attend a Transition Seminar.

These expo-style events will not only provide you with relevant information about many aspects of transition (e.g. superannuation, family services, etc), but also give you the opportunity to meet with the support organisations that are available to you through transition and beyond.

Think about the right career for you The first step is to determine what type

of work you would like to do. Consider the skills you have gained during your time in the ADF as well as what you have an interest in and where you want your career to take you. You may even like to brainstorm different industries that interest you and do some research about roles within this industry. Think about asking family and friends for their input, as they may have ideas that you hadn’t considered.

Once you have an idea of what you would like to do, research the qualifications and skills someone in this field/industry requires in order to perform their role. This will allow you to identify any gaps or areas where you may require further training.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box.

If there currently is not a demand or opening for the type of work you want, you may be able to plan an alternate pathway to your preferred job.

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Tr a n si ti o n

It’s a good idea to speak with specialists in the employment and recruiting space to get an understanding of the current job market. This will allow you to make informed decisions about your career pathway as you will gain an understanding of what it will take to get there. You should ask questions such as: • Are jobs in my chosen field/industry in high-demand at the moment or is it a competitive environment? What skills or qualifications will help to set me apart from other applicants?

• What qualifications do I need to obtain or training do I need to complete in order to be considered for this industry or career pathway?

• What skills that I have gained through service will be of most relevance in this field/industry/role.

• What is salary like in this industry/ role and how are salary packages generally structured?

assistance with civilian recognition of your transferable military skills and training, including recognition of prior learning. The project team can also assist you to navigate the Vocational Education and Training environment and discuss options for obtaining further qualifications and understanding the skills you offer to civilian employers.

Prior learning recognised

• find someone who has the strengths and skills you want to emulate • study the person, get to know

Engage with the ADF Transition and Civil Recognition Project for

Find a mentor A mentor can play an important role in your transition and future career development. They can be a role model, coach or just someone to listen. A mentor who has experienced the transition process will be able to provide advice, guidance, share expertise and networks to assist you to adjust to the civilian workplace or to find employment. Your mentor could be from your organisation, an exservice organisation, your networks or a professional organisation:

people who know them • arrange an informal catch up, don’t pressure them by asking them to be your mentor straight up • contact them after your meeting and stay in touch • l e t t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p e v o l v e organically.

Self-Employment and Starting Your Own Business / Franchise You may also be considering selfemployment (a contractor or consultant for example) or starting your own business or a franchise business. The previous steps of doing your research and speaking with career specialists still apply, and there are a number of additional resources available to people who are considering this path.

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Transition

• You don't necessarily need business experience to run a franchise.

Franchisors usually provide the training you need to operate their business model.

• Franchises have a higher rate of success than start-up businesses.

• You may find it easier to secure finance for a franchise. It may cost less to buy a franchise than start your own business of the same type.

• Association with an established brand, product service.

• F r a n c h i s e s o f t e n h a v e a n established reputation and image, proven management and work practices, access to national advertising and ongoing support.

Franchising is seen by many as a simple way to go into business for the first time. But franchising is no guarantee of success and the same principles of good management— such as informed decision-making, hard work, time management, having enough money and serving your customers well—still apply.

Checklist for buying a franchise

clauses. Obtain advise from lawyers and accountants.

Assess your suitability to own a business - will it suit your lifestyle, current finances and future financial requirements. Do you have the necessary skill and abilities. What is your exit strategy?

Government prioritises veterans’ self-employment and entrepreneurship

Access the background and success of the franchise - is the product or service unique and a wellknown brand. How much do you need to invest, what is the turnover. What are the long term vision and growth plans for the brand.

Find out how much support you will receive- what initial and ongoing training is provided. Are performance reviews conducted, what marketing support will you receive.

Understand the franchise agreement - has all the information being provided.

What do you need to contribute to the shop fitout, marketing or computer systems. What is the duration of of the agreement. Are there 'restraint of trade'

As part of the Governments investment to increase civilian employment opportunities for veterans and provide support for ADF personnel considering starting their own business.

Under the measure, new initiatives to support veterans to consider and pursue self-employment and entrepreneurship will be provided through partnerships with Government and not-for-profit organisations including the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) and Prince’s Trust Australia.

This includes expanded access to New Business Assistance with New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS), administered for over 35 years by DESE. Beginning from July 2021, veterans with an identified transition date, and the partners and adult children (over 18) of ADF personnel,

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Tr a n si ti o n

will have the opportunity to participate in an Exploring Being My Own Boss Workshop and undertake NEIS training.

There will be 150 Workshop places annually for the 2021–22 and 2022–23 financial years, and 130 Workshop places in 2023–24 and 2024–25, respectively. To date, the NEIS program has helped more than 180,000 people start a new small business. This support is in addition to existing NEIS services available to eligible veterans and their families.

Exploring Being My Own Boss Workshops & New Business Assistance with NEIS are available nationally. Visit https://www.dese.gov.au/employment/ support-self-employment Furthermore, entrepreneurship support, provided via a grant to notfor-profit organisation Prince’s Trust Australia, began in July 2021 and will deliver education programs and activities for veterans wanting to start their own business, build capacity and sustainability and increase business competitiveness.

Prince’s Trust Australia Enterprise program delivers education programs and activities specifically to veterans and Defence spouses to start their own business, build capacity, sustainability and increase business competitiveness.

For more details on the Prince’s Trust Australia Enterprise Program, visit: https://www.princes-trust.org.au/ defence-members-and-their-families/ enterprise-program/

Build your networks Whether you are looking to start your own business or enter paid employment, it’s a good idea to start building networks that align with your career goals.

Networking is about building relationships by establishing and interacting with people to exchange information and develop professional and social contacts, whether defence or non-defence. Your networks will be able to assist you with information and advice to assist in your job search.

You can meet people through exservice organisations, sporting or other interest groups or even through your existing social networks.

It is also important to set realistic expectations about your career path following service. You may have a clear idea of what kind of career you want to pursue or you may have no idea where to start. Either way, there are organisations available to you that can help you to navigate the steps towards your end goal.

It’s a good idea to speak with specialists in the employment and recruiting space to get an understanding of the current job market. The ADF has developed a series of resource documents that provide general guidance on core job tasks and demonstrated skills at rank across the ADF. These resources identify likely key priority skills sought by civilian employers applicable at each rank and gained through ADF training and experience. https://www.defence.gov.au/adc/ adftcr/ADF_transition.asp

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Transition

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Tr a n si ti o n

Western Sydney University launches inaugural Veteran Support Program Western Sydney University is proud to launch an innovative new program to support armed forces veterans wanting to pursue higher education.

The ‘Student Veterans Program’ will connect current and previously serving Australian Defence Force and Reservist personnel with a range of dedicated support services and initiatives during their studies at the University.

Professor James Arvanitakis, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Engagement and Advancement), said the integrated program affirms Western Sydney University’s commitment to helping veteran students and those considering future study succeed at University.

“The program will provide tailored support through access to a range of enriching programs, including wellbeing and social services, for students who are serving or who have served with the Australian Defence Force,” said Professor Arvanitakis.

“The University is pleased to support veterans in their capacity to study and serve our country, and to support former personnel who are retraining and commencing new careers.”

Acknowledging the skill sets developed during their experiences, student veterans may be eligible for five bonus points for entry into Western Sydney University. This continues the University’s leadership in recognising the prior learning and attributes of potential students.

Through the unique program, students will be connected with a Student Veteran Support Officer for one-on-one support. They will also have access to priority timetabling, special consideration, subsidised health clinic services, free welfare services, counselling services and the University’s LEAD and MATES mentor programs. They can also connect and network with other veterans through a

"Having spent four years in the Air Force as a trade technician I undertook my own bridging study, and I was able to enrol at Western.

The range of student support services to assist me with the transition to full-time study has been invaluable."

— Keesha. Air Force.

Current student - Doctor of Medicine (MD)

dedicated student club, the ‘Western Student Veterans Club’.

To enrich the program, Western Sydney University has partnered with Soldier On — a leading not-for-profit organisation that supports current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members, as well as their families — to collaborate on educational and support opportunities.

Soldier On’s Pathways Program collaborates with Education Partners like Western Sydney University to create new opportunities for veterans and their families, enabling them to thrive.

Solider On CEO, Ivan Slavich, said the organisation is honoured to welcome Western Sydney University to its Pathways Program.

“Through the launch of its veteran support program, Western Sydney University is taking active steps to provide veterans with greater educational opportunities,” said Mr Slavich.

“We look forward to working with Western Sydney University to provide more opportunities for veterans to upskill or retrain and secure meaningful employment after their service.”

Western Sydney University Student Veteran Support Officer Keesha von

Stieglitz has served in the Royal Australian Air Force and is currently studying medicine at the University.

Ms von Stieglitz, who has been instrumental in establishing the program, said this robust approach will aid student veterans in their transition to tertiary study and support them throughout their degrees.

“Defence force personnel make a range of sacrifices for the country; therefore, it is important to ensure we are offering support to servicemen and women in any capacity that we can,” said Ms von Stieglitz.

“From those no longer serving to members serving full-time or in a reserve capacity, having a program that allows veterans to adapt their studies to align with their service requirements is crucial in fostering a positive study environment.”

“It excites me to know that veterans will be supported in their studies at Western Sydney University and afforded the best possible environment to manage service life or post-service requirements while still advancing in their education.”

For more information, visit the Student Veterans web page. https:// www.westernsydney.edu.au/studentveterans.html 67

D efence

DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT DELIVERS $34M BOOST FOR WA ECONOMY Almost $34 million will be invested in the delivery of vehicle workshops, hardstands and shelters in Swanbourne, Western Australia to support the modernisation of the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force vehicle fleet.

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price announced Lendlease will deliver fit-for-purpose facilities and infrastructure to sustain the new fleet of trucks and trailers being procured for the Australian Defence Force.

The project has an anticipated peak workforce of about 50 people per day during the three-year construction.

“This is part of a larger, $150 million national infrastructure project that will deliver supporting infrastructure for the sustainment and maintenance of the Australian Defence Force’s next-generation defence logistics vehicle fleet,” Minister Price said.

Work on the Campbell Barracks works being delivered under the Land 121 Stage 5B project is expected to be complete by mid-2024.

Lendlease will deliver fit-for-purpose facilities and infrastructure to sustain the new fleet of trucks and trailers for the Australian Defence Force. Rheinmetall image.

F-35A NAMED AS SWITZERLAND’S NEXT-GEN FIGHTER JET The Lockheed Martin-built aircraft has been selected after competing in a competition against alternative contenders.

The F-35A Lightning II is set to replace the Swiss Air Force’s ageing fleet of F-5 Tigers and F/A-18 Hornets over the next decade.

The Swiss Federal Council selected the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft following a competition which assessed the jet’s performance against three other contenders — Airbus’ Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault’s Rafale, and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Lockheed has been tasked with delivering 36 aircraft, sustainment support, and a training services for an estimated CHF 6 billion (AUD$8.6 billion).

Switzerland is among a host of other nations to procure the jet, including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Norway, Denmark and Canada.

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Last year, the RAAF accepted the 30th of 72 Lockheed Martin-built F-35A aircraft ordered by the Commonwealth government under the Joint Strike Fighter program.

All 72 aircraft are expected to be fully operational by 2023, with an option to expand the fleet to a maximum of 100 aircraft.

NEW CHINOOKS BOOST HEAVY-LIFT CAPABILITY The ADF heavy-lift battlefield aviation capability has been boosted with the arrival of two new CH-47F Chinooks in Townsville recently.

The $595 million investment in four new CH-47F Chinooks will take Australia’s fleet from 10 to 14 under the acquisition program.

The first two of the new helicopters were delivered to Townsville aboard a large US military transport aircraft.

The third and fourth helicopters are expected to arrive in Australia mid next year.

Minister for Defence Peter Dutton welcomed the arrival of the helicopters to Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment.

“The additional helicopters will strengthen Army’s airlift capability into the future and increase the ADF’s ability to support operations globally,” Mr Dutton said.

“The Chinook is Defence’s largest helicopter, with a long and proven track record of supporting ADF operations in Australia, our near region and further afield.”

The arrival came about three months after the sale was approved.

Mr Dutton said being delivered just days before the beginning of Exercise Talisman Sabre - the largest bilateral combined training activity between the ADF and US military - highlighted the countries' excellent strategic working relationship.

“By working closely with the United States, through streamlined processes to rapidly deliver Defence capability, the government is demonstrating its commitment to Defence’s strategic objectives and, in this case, bolstering Defence’s aviation capability,” he said. Defence News.

A new CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter is unloaded from a United Stated C-5 Galaxy at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland. Defence image

D e fe n ce

DEFENCE SUSPENDS MRH-90 TAIPAN OPERATIONS Defence has confirmed flying operations of its 47 Airbusbuilt MRH-90 Taipan, deployed by both Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy forces, have been temporarily suspended.

The fleet, flown by 808 Squadron, has been grounded as a “safety precaution” after Defence identified an issue relating to the “application of the helicopter’s maintenance policy” in the aircraft’s IT support system.

“Defence and Airbus Australia Pacific are currently working collaboratively to remediate this issue," a Defence spokesperson said.

This is the latest in a series of technical incidents associated with the Taipan’s operation.

In 2019, a tail rotor vibration forced the MRH-90 helicopters based at HMAS Albatross to be grounded.

This followed a precautionary landing on HMAS Adelaide from an Army MRH-90 a fortnight earlier, prompting officials to temporary suspend the entire fleet.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) again listed the MRH program (AIR 9000 Phase 2, 4 and 6) as a “project of concern” in its 2019-20 Defence Major Projects report.

The MRH-90 Taipan, which first entered service in 2017, has been described by Defence as a “fly-by-wire, all-composite construction, troop-lift helicopter” with the “highest crash-worthy standards”.

The helicopter is built with a large cabin, a rear ramp, weather radar and infra-red technology.

The Taipan has a max speed of 300km/h with a range of 800 kilometres. Charbel Kadib/Defence Connect

Flying operations of the MRH-90 Taipan have been temporarily suspended due to a series of technical incidents. Defence image.

HAWKEI VEHICLE REACHES INITIAL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY The next generation of Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light has reached a significant milestone with the approval of Initial Operational Capability under the Project Land 121 Phase 4.

This brand new capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) will provide a high level of protection for soldiers, with significantly improved mobility enabling it to operate in high threat environments.

Defence image.

Minister for Defence the Hon Peter Dutton MP said the $2 billion project would see the new fleet of 1,100 Australianbuilt light protected vehicles rolled out to Army and Air Force units.

“The Hawkei is expected to reach Full Operational Capability in 2023 and is joining the existing Bushmaster and Protected Medium Heavy Capability trucks to create a suite of protected mobility vehicles,” Minister Dutton said.

“The new fleet of lighter vehicles, which will come with 1,058 trailers, will better protect ADF personnel from blast and ballistic threats.”

NEW FACILITY TO BOOST ADF CAPABILITIES Defence and industry collaboration has been showcased again recently with the official opening of Moog Australia’s new $2 million facility called Factory Four in Heatherton, Victoria.

As a Defence-recognised supplier since 2003, Moog is the F-35 Joint Program Office’s preferred F-35 flap actuation and control systems maintenance provider.

Factory Four will enhance Moog Australia’s capability to sustain the Air Force’s growing fleet of fifth-generation F-35A Lighting II aircraft and Army’s Australian light armoured vehicles and M113 armoured personnel carriers.

Director General Joint Strike Fighter Branch Air Commodore Damien Keddie congratulated Moog Australia on its world-class facility.

“Moog Australia’s new facility will enhance its support to the Australian Defence Force across the land, air and sea domains and create 20 industry jobs in its first year,” Air Commodore Keddie said.

“This new facility will stimulate investment in Australian industry capability, creating jobs and offering Australian businesses more opportunities to export overseas.”

Moog Australia Managing Director Bryan O’Connor said the opening was a key milestone for the company’s futuregrowth strategy.

“We look forward to a bright future and we celebrate our continued growth and expansion in both Australia and the Indo-Pacific region,” Mr O’Connor said.

“The facility is dedicated to the support of the defence and aerospace markets, further developing capabilities to design and manufacture mission critical defence solutions from Australia.” Lawrence Dutrieux/ Defence News.

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PARKS TO PLAY Set in the green Ripley Valley with a Flinders Peak backdrop, Providence offers a wonderful range of parks and playgrounds for children of all ages.

Providence’s very own Splash ‘n’ Play Adventure Park is an award-winning playground guaranteed to entertain children of all ages. With an elevated rope ‘skywalk’ suspended above the ground, as well as a mega climbing spider net and flying fox, this park is equipped with picnic pavilions and electric BBQs. The park also features a cutting edge water park which offers interactive, splashtastic fun for children of all ages. There are also a number of other neighbourhood parks in Providence already built with many more to come, including the fur-friendly

South Ripley dog park and Ironbark Park.

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION Located in the heart of a thriving community, Providence is surrounded by a range of quality education options for your family.

For your littlest family members, the Elephas Education Ripley Valley childcare centre has commenced construction and will be expected to open in early, 2023.

Each morning and afternoon you’ll be able to take a neighbourly stroll and soak in your natural surroundings (maybe enjoy a play in the park on the way!) to Providence’s brand new Ripley Valley State School and Secondary College. This secondary college and its primary school counterpart form a $120 million purpose-built education facility designed to meet the growing residential needs of Providence and the local community.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE The saying, it takes a village, rings true at Providence. This vibrant neighbourhood is a supportive, welcoming community which is focused on a great pace of life for families.

Feel connected amongst like-minded locals through organised family fun 70

community events such as the Ripley Valley Markets, school holiday movie nights under the stars, and Providence Playgroup catch-ups.

If your family has been searching for the great Australian dream; somewhere with open spaces surrounded by nature, full of wonderful education opportunities and a connected, welcoming neighbourhood… there’s no place like Providence.

Visit stockland.com.au/providence to view the virtual tour of the community or call Sam Xinis on 0400 071 576 to find out more about making Providence your home.

There’s never been a better time to follow the sun to Queensland Bask in the backdrop of clear blue skies set behind an iconic mountain peak, green spaces and nearby nature reserves at Stockland’s Providence community in South Ripley.

Located in the Ripley Valley in South-East Queensland, this is your chance to spread out with a house and land package while still being close to work hubs, including Ipswich City, Springfield Central and Brisbane, which is just a 43km^ drive away. Providence is also close to the excitement and employment opportunities at Australia’s largest airbase at RAAF Amberley. With a range of amenities already accessible, including two brand new schools and several parks, you’ll discover that Providence is a fast-growing, welcoming place with a strong sense of community.

Set to become the Ripley Valley’s largest master-planned community, Providence will be home to 20,000 residents over the next 20 years. Could you be joining them? Make Providence your home, call our sales team today!

House & Land Package

House & Land Package

Lot 3833 | Monash 25 Hamptons

By Coral Homes

Lot 3928 | Mapleton Bowen

By Simonds Homes QLD

Stockland Providence 6 Amity Way, South Ripley, QLD

$580,660*

$419,040*

• Family-sized home with 4 bedrooms

• Single storey 3 bedroom home

• Caesarstone benchtops to kitchen, bathroom and ensuite

• Integrated family room, dining space and open kitchen

• Two living areas plus alfresco area

• Master bedroom with walk-in robe and ensuite

• Colorbond Roof

4

2.5

2

3

2

Call: 1800 604 246 Email: providence@stockland.com.au

1

*Price is correct as at date of publication and is subject to change without notice or obligation. Applies to selected House & Land Package only. Subject to availability.

Stockland is only responsible for the sale of the land. Price is based on the Builder’s standard plans and specifications, standard inclusions and preferred building surveyor. Price does not include stamp duty, registration fees, additional costs that may be incurred under the Building Contract (eg due to delays in titling the lot) or any other incidental fees associated with the acquisition of land or a home or the construction of a home. Images are artists impressions only and subject to change.

Price correct as at 01/08/2021. Visit stockland.com.au for full Terms & Conditions. All images and statements are based on information available to Stockland at the time of publication and may be subject to change without notice or obligation.

Map supplied for the purpose of providing an impression of Stockland Providence and the approximate location of existing and proposed third party infrastructure, facilities, amenities, services and destinations, and is not intended to be used for any other purpose. Indications of location, distance or size are approximate and for indicative purposes only. Subject to change. Not to scale. Any future infrastructure referenced in this brochure is proposed for Stockland Providence as at August 2021.

The delivery and location of proposed infrastructure, facilities, amenities, services and destinations is indicative only and may change due to future circumstances. ^All distance and travel timeframe references are estimates only, refer to distance by car or driving time (unless specified otherwise), and are based on information obtained from Google Maps at the time of publication.

Stockland Providence

Reloc atio n

Defence Member and Family Support In 2020, we took the time to reflect on our purpose and vision for the future and we’re excited to announce that we will officially change our name from Defence Community Organisation (DCO) to Defence Member and Family Support (DMFS) from 1 July 2021.

DCO was formed in 1996 when the family support organisations from the three Services were brought together. Since then, DCO has grown to have a nation-wide presence with on-the-ground services delivered from local area offices and ADF Transition centres.

It’s important that Defence members and their families see DCO’s services as something accessible to them as part of their community. Recently we’ve received some feedback that families may think DCO is not part of Defence and that our programs and services are not available to them.

To overcome that misconception, last year we undertook staff and stakeholder consultation within Defence and also with Defence Families of Australia, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and a number of ex-service organisations. This consultation helped us develop a new name that people could look at or hear and immediately know what we do and who we do it for.

There will be no changes to the services we currently provide to Defence members and their families.

The local area offices around Australia will remain and there will be no changes to the Defence Family Helpline number 1800 624 608.

Leading up to the change, you’ll start to see DMFS increasingly used so by the time 1 July rolls around there won’t be any surprises. Families can expect to see a couple of changes online as we change our factsheets, guides, forms and office email addresses to the new name. You’ll also see name changes to our social media channels, google business listings and on ForceNet. The date of 1 July 2021 has been chosen to officially change our name 72

Defence Community Organisation hosts events around the country to help connect families to their new community. Kingsley Klau image.

because it coincides with DCO’s 25th anniversary. This is a chance to look back on where we’ve come from, where we are and where we are going in the future.

Stay tuned for updates on our social media channels.

Meet your local DCO team DCO’s Amberley team is made up of military personnel and civilian staff who provide a range of assistance and information, including support for children to settle into new schools, partner employment and help for families experiencing unforeseen crisis or emergency.

Military support officers are uniformed officers who help with advice and assistance with military matters and support local ADF commanders with member welfare support.

Defence social workers are qualified professionals who are knowledgeable about the ADF and the lifestyle of its members. Defence social workers are able to help members and their families address personal, relationship or Service-related issues.

They can provide assessment, shortterm counselling services or referral to support and resources in the local area.

Family liaison officers have extensive knowledge of the local area and help members and their families connect with the services and support they need. They are also proactive regarding welcome activities and assisting families settling into a new location.

Find out more about your local area Your local DCO office host a range of social activities and information sessions for ADF families—like monthly coffee catch-ups, dinners out and family fun days; or partner employment, relocation or absence from home advice, and the KidSMART and FamilySMART program. All families are most welcome to attend these events and the local DCO Amberley team looks forward to meeting you all.

To find out more about the Amberley office’s social events and information sessions, follow DCO on social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) or ForceNet and keep up-to-date with the latest events on the DCO Amberley page on Eventbrite at DCOAmberleyIpswich.eventbrite.com.au.

R e l o ca ti o n

Families can also access a wide range of information about support and DCO programs from the DCO website.

The website also features a calendar of events hosted by the local DCO office and local community groups, from coffee mornings and partner employment information sessions, to ADF Transition seminars for families thinking about their future beyond the ADF.

family. It is available to all ADF families across Australia.

The placement assistance service is free. Normal childcare fees will apply for any options selected by families.

To discuss your family’s needs, call the all-hours Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608 or email defencefamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au.

Childcare

The DCO Amberley office is at Building 726, Hudson Road, RAAF Base Amberley, next to AAFCANS. You can call or email the Amberley team on 5361 1678 or email them at dco.amberley@defence.gov.au.

Alternatively, you can call the all-hours Defence Family Helpline 1800 624 608 or email defencefamilyhelpline@ defence.gov.au for an appointment.

DCO provides an individual case management (ICM) service for childcare placement to support ADF families when they move to a new area or change their work or care arrangements, such as when a serving member returns from maternity leave.

Specialist early learning staff from Defence childcare service provider, One Tree Community Services, provide support to families who need help to find appropriate childcare. The ICM service provides parents with options that will allow them to decide which childcare service best suits their

Global thinking, Territory spirit.

DCO Amberley

Follow Defence Community Organisation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates and information from your local Amberley team. You can also email dco.amberley@ defence.gov.au to be added to the

Hunter families took a ‘Rock pool ramble’ with an eco tour guide and uncovered the hidden sea life at Boat Harbour, Port Stephens. Karly Smith image.

DCO Amberley monthly bulletin email distribution list. defence.gov.au/dco

The ESSINGTON School Powered by the pioneering spirit of the Northern Territory for over 30 years, our vision is to create an inspiring environment that fuels creativity and imagination, motivates students to be the best that they can be and where everyone can belong.

Global thinking, Territory spirit.

Defence families are a very important and dynamic part of Essington and we heartily welcome students from Defence families into our school.

Enrol Now | enrolments@essington.nt.edu.au | 08 7913 8280 essington.nt.edu.au

73

Reloc atio n

RELOCATING? At this time of year, many ADF members and their families will be relocating. This means many additional tasks to fit into an already busy time of year. Making a ‘To-do’ list can help you plan what needs to be done and keep track of your progress. Here are some tips to make the move a bit smoother.

garden maintenance for issues not considered fair wear and tear.

Entitlements

The cost of living in your new location may be higher or lower than your current location, especially if you are moving between a capital city and a regional area, in or out of Darwin or other remote area. If you are moving into somewhere particularly hot or cold, consider the impact cooling or heating will have on your utility costs.

The first step to a successful move is to know what your entitlements are. The Toll Defence Relocation Guide and the DHA Tenant Handbook will help you navigate this process and alert you to helpful services like fast disconnection and reconnection services for your utilities.

Reconnaissance You, or your spouse, may be entitled to a house hunting trip to visit the new posting location to find a Service residence or home for which rent allowance is payable.

An advance visit also gives you a chance to check out schools, recreation and other local facilities.

Be aware that if, after receiving a house hunting allowance, you reject a reasonable offer of service residence or rented home, you must repay any money received for the house-hunting trip.

Moving out costs Defence will cover the cost of packing and moving your household contents and larger items like motor vehicles.

Running down things like food, cleaning products and toiletries means you’ll have less to move and less wastage.

Any money you save could be put towards restocking at the other end.

The property you’re leaving, including gardens and other outdoor areas, must be left clean and in an acceptable condition. It’s up to you whether you do this yourself or pay someone to help you. If the DHA property has carpet, you will be charged for carpet cleaning after you move out. You may also be charged for things like repainting and 74

If you disagree with an assessment DHA has a complaints resolution p r o c e s s , s e e t h e D H A Te n a n t Handbook for details.

Moving in costs

Now might be a good time to reassess your current budget and make adjustments so that you are better prepared financially for the move.

If you’ve had items in storage that are moving with you, chances are they’ll need a good clean. Furniture like lounges or mattresses may benefit from a professional clean.

Houses come in different sizes and layouts so you may need to buy new furniture to better fit the space.

Consider selling what you don’t need and using the money to purchase items you do need.

Restocking your pantry, cleaning supplies and other things will increase your costs initially, however a larder allowance is available to help with these costs.

Family Arriving in a new location means finding new healthcare providers. If you have private health insurance your insurer may have lists of appropriate providers in the new area.

If you have children with special needs or health conditions, talk to the new school to make sure care or health plans are in place.

If you’re travelling with your family, you’ll need to factor in additional costs of food while you’re on the road. You’ll

receive an allowance, but staying within that allowance can be hard if you haven’t planned ahead.

Also consider the cost of posting Christmas presents to family and friends. It may be more cost effective to shop online and have items delivered directly.

Pets If you have pets, find out the registration requirements in the state you’re moving to. Be aware of any additional costs you may incur above your entitlement for things like extra kennelling or quarantine. Be aware also of state restrictions on pet ownership, e.g. some suburbs have cat containment areas and rabbits are not allowed as pets in Queensland.

Cars If you move states and take motor vehicles with you, you’ll need to register them in the new state. In some states this will require a roadworthy certificate. If you are driving an older vehicle it may actually be cheaper to sell your current vehicle and buy another one when you reach your destination. Research your options before making any decisions.

Insurance You’ll need to notify your car and home contents insurer(s) that the location of your insured possessions has changed. Your insurance premium may go up or down as a result of the move.

If it goes up you will have to pay extra.

If your premium goes down, you should get a refund.

Connect Defence Families Australia is a community of people who understand, and have experience, of what Defence families go through. Connect with other families in your new posting location to share your experiences and get tips from others to make resettling a little easier on you and your family.

Good luck with the move!

Catholic High School servicing the Williamtown RAAF Airbase

San Clemente a Catholic High School in central Newcastle servicing Mayfield, Waratah, Lambton, Tighes Hill, the inner City, Stockton and west through to Fletcher, catering for young people from years 7 to 10.

San Clemente boasts a rich history and is proud to offer a diverse, holistic education in the context of a caring community.

Visit our website mayfieldsanc@mn.catholic.edu.au to learn more.

SAN CLEMENTE MAYFIELD

Relocating?

With a Catholic education the possibilities are greater than you imagine.

Warreg o Hw y

<Toowoomba St Peter Claver

St Joseph’s

Brisbane>

Riverview

North Ipswich

Ip sw ic

St Mary’s College

Ipswich

St Mary’s Ipswich

St Brigid’s

RAAF Base Amberley

Rosewood

Sacred Heart Booval

St Francis Xavier

Mw y

Goodna

Immaculate Heart One Mile

St Ann’s

Redbank Plains

St Augustine’s

Augustine Heights

Good Shepherd

Springfield Lakes

Find out more at bne.catholic.edu.au

h

Ce nt en ar yH wy

With 11 Catholic primary and secondary schools located near RAAF Base Amberley and welcoming students from all backgrounds and faiths, we invite you to meet with our local leaders to find the school that best fits your child.

R e l o ca ti o n

Proud Defence Partner for more than twelve years Nicole Rowley is a proud Defence partner and who has supported her husband throughout his Air Force journey in the past 12.5 years.

Moving around every few years and being away from family and friends has not been easy for Nicole, but luckily, she was able to tap into various Defence support groups and build a strong network in Wagga Wagga.

“Simon and I are originally from Barossa Valley, South Australia," Nicole, mother of two said.

"Simon joined the Air Force 12.5 years ago and has been posted to Wagga, Adelaide and then back to Wagga.”

“I have supported my husband through the recruiting process, recruit training, training at the RAAF School of Technical Training and various deployments.”

“We have been in Wagga for around 18 months for this posting.”

Nicole found it relatively easy to find work within the Wagga area, however she said living in a remote location did make her feel lonely sometimes.

“Fortunately, the local DCO network has been a great assistance, they always offer a great support in helping people meet new partners and link people to services in Wagga Wagga.”

“I regularly attend Coffee Connections and many of the family events they put on.

“Wagga Wagga also has The RAAF, Army, Navy Community House (The RANCH) and Kapooka Neighbourhood House that are fantastic support to new partners and their families.

“I am the Vice President/Public Officer of The RANCH. We hold weekly morning teas, playtime and fitness classes; as well as monthly dinners and kids activities.”

Mrs Rowley said being a Defence partner is a very different lifestyle to get used to, but fortunately many Defence partners are keen to support each other.

“No one else will truly understand what you are going through other than other Defence partners, and because of this they are a great support network to lean on.

“Most military posting locations have local Facebook pages specifically for Defence families that are a wealth of knowledge.

“I ran into a Defence partner that I haven’t seen in 10 years over ANZAC day and it was like no time has passedyou will have friends in every state eventually.”

Nicole suggested for Defence partners to build a strong network as quickly as possible so they can settle into the local area, saying that many partners ended up enjoying the local networks so much that they did not want to leave at the end of the posting.

Helen Marshall, the Family Liaison Officer at DCO Wagga said DCO offered a range of programs and services to help ADF families to manage the military way of life.

“DCO services include a 24-hour Defence Family Helpline, social worker support, assistance with partner employment,

facilitating access to childcare, assistance for dependants with special needs, support for Defence community groups, help for families during crisis and emergency, education support for children and assistance for members transitioning from the permanent ADF," Helend said.

“DCO have offices in all states and territories, which offer a wide range of services and programs to help families manage posting and relocation, and absences from home due to Service reasons.

“Families can contact the Defence Family Helpline on 1800 624 608, or defencefamilyhelpline@defence. gov.au, or visit the DCO website, www.defence.gov.au/dco for more information. Families can also follow DCO on social media to keep up-todate with DCO events and activities.”

77

F eat ure

RELICS REIMAGINED Ex-Avionics Technician Zachary Briggs is bringing art, sustainability and cultural preservation together to breathe new life into historic planes previously destined for the scrap heap.

78

Fe a tu r e

When Zachary Briggs - ex avionics technician in the Royal Australian Air Force - was stationed at Amberley, he would drive past an aviation museum each day on his way to work.

The sight of the historic planes rusting away in the grass intrigued him and when the planes disappeared one day, he knew he needed to find out what had happened to them.

After visiting the museum, he discovered that the planes were being discarded.

“The idea that these planes were being sold for scrap was so sad to me,” says Zachary.

“They were pieces of history that needed to be preserved.”

Zachary was studying industrial design at the time and saw an opportunity to combine this with his aviation experience and an interest in sustainability.

“I went back to the museum with a presentation on how I could repurpose components of the aircrafts into products that would celebrate their unique history,” he says.

The museum was sold on the idea and told Zachary he could take any of the items destined for scrap. With that, Relic Design and Craft Co was born.

Relic Design and Craft Co is staffed by industrial designers, aircraft and aircraft structural technicians who have served a combined 30 years in the Air Force and Army.

By utilising aircraft parts that would otherwise be consigned to the scrap heap, the team creates one-off

sculptures and pieces of furniture with a nod to aviation history.

While the COVID-19 crisis has impacted sales, Zachary says he is able to continue designing and creating these unique pieces solo in his workshop and is currently working on a conference table made from the wing of a RAAF Aermacchi plane for the Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre.

In his spare time, Zachary also volunteers at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre on the Sunshine Coast. He encourages other veterans in the area with an interest in aviation history to join him, saying the increased social connection with other likeminded people is helpful. Find more information at aahcqld.org.au.

Although taking to the skies might be on hold right now, Zachary dreams of seeing a Relic Design & Craft Co piece in the Brisbane Airport departure lounge.

“When I can fly to visit my family again, I would love to see my work displayed in Australian airports and being enjoyed by the public,” he says.

Visit relicdesignco.com to learn more about this unique, veteranowned and operated business.

This article first appeared in the QLD RSL Magazine, reprinted with permission.

79

On T h e Rad ar

Flight Instructor Safety Workshop

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Bankstown, NSW 23 August www.casa.gov.au/education/seminars-and-workshops

The Tocumwal Airshow is a major tourism event held in the Southern Riverina showcasing the aviation heritage of Tocumwal and the region. A full day of family entertainment combining five hours of spectacular flying displays, static displays, food trucks, market stalls and children's entertainment. Witness unbelievable aerobatics from some of Australia’s top champion pilots. From spine-tingling solo performances to hair-raising formations. Tickets available for purchase online.

CASA will be delivering a series of workshops aimed specifically at pilots who hold an instructor rating. Flying instructors play a critical role in flight safety both during the initial training of pilots and ongoing flight reviews. The workshops will include lectures, case studies, professional development and group exercises. Some of the topics covered will include: • Teaching students the importance of pre-flight planning • The importance of checklists • Student debriefing techniques • Improving NAIPS use and NOTAM decoding

Sunsuper Riverfire

Your Aviation Safety Advisors will be available to address general questions. If you are involved in flying instruction, or thinking of becoming involved, join us for the workshop in your area. Registration online required.

This is one of the most electrifying displays in Australia, fired by Foti Fireworks from multiple bridges, barges and city rooftops. Ahead of the pyrotechnics the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force will demonstrate their flying prowess, with Army helicopter displays and the gravitydefying aerobatics of the Roulettes. Not to be missed.

Battle of Britain Commemoration Hobart, Tasmania 10-12 September www.raafatas.com

Brisbane River, QLD 25 September www.brisbanefestival.com.au Sunsuper Riverfire returns this September to ignite the Brisbane city skyline and wrap up three incredible weeks of the Brisbane Festival for yet another year. Tribal Experiences Managing Director and Yuggera and Turrbal man Shannon Ruska will open this spectacular event with a powerful smoking ceremony.

A ‘Gathering of Eagles’ will commemorate the deeds and sacrifices of the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Air Force, Allied and all Air Forces in all conflicts past and present.

The Air Force Association, Tasmania Division extends an invitation to all members past and present, their partners and guests to attend a national commemoration of the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Britain, to be held in Hobart from 10-12 September.

Events include: Happy Hour, Remembrance Service, Dining in Night, Cenotaph Service & Wreath Laying, Barbecue Luncheon. Further details - State Secretary Air Force Association, Tasmania Division -secretary@raafatas.org.au

Tocumwal Airshow

Tocumwal, NSW | 18 September www.tocumwalairshow.com.au Warbirds, aerobatics, stunts, ground displays, food trucks and plenty more!

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Aircraft Showcase

Temora Aviation Museum, NSW 9-10 October aviationmuseum.com.au/event/october-weekend The Temora Aviation Museum’s October Aircraft Showcase event will feature all serviceable aircraft from Temora in the RAAF Heritage collection. Some visiting aircraft may also attend.

At Temora you can get closer to the action as you witness a themed selection of Australia’s ex-military flying history come alive. Aircraft Showcase promises to deliver a full weekend of entertainment for all generations including flying displays, informative commentary, guided tour of static exhibitions, interviews with pilots and veterans, children’s activities, engineering workshop tour, pilot meet and greet.

All tickets must be pre-purchased online, limited to 3000.

Social distancing measures will be in place.

O n Th e R a d a r

Fleet Air Arm Museum The Brisbane Airshow

Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield Cressbrook, QLD 16-17 October www.brisbaneairshow.com.au Postponed from July, the Brisbane Airshow has one of the world’s most stunning backdrops. Set in the Brisbane Valley, 60 minutes’ drive from Brisbane near the town of Esk. Dedicated to the men and women who have served in our armed forces. The show includes the RAAF, Warbirds, World War II Fighters, Jets and Helicopters, aerobatics, skydiving, military vehicles, hot rods, classic cars, Somerset Business Expo, live music, gourmet food, amusement park and lots more. See you there.

Decarbonising Airports: Taking off to net zero future Australian Airports Association Webinar Series on demand www.airports.asn.au/webinars

Nowra, NSW Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4pm navy.gov.au/heritage/museums/fleet-air-arm-museum The Royal Australian Navy invites you to visit the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross Nowra. Explore and experience the story of naval aviation from its beginnings to the present day. The current exhibition "Wings over Water" tells the story of naval aviation in Australia, with aircraft from the 20th Century, ranging from a World War One Sopwith Pup to an A4 Skyhawk jet fighter.

The exhibition also includes examples of allied and foreign aircraft, like the MiG-17 fighter. Showcases and audio-visual displays add to the stories of these aircraft and those who flew and fixed them. Individual displays include the US 135th Assault Helicopter that incorporated the RAN Helicopter Flight-Vietnam and a special exhibit on Admiral Sir Victor Smith. The Museum's flight simulator provides a 'virtual experience', for all ages, on what it is like in the pilot's seat.

Come and have fun.

The Australian Airports Association is a non-profit organisation founded in 1982 in recognition of the need for one coherent, cohesive, consistent and vital voice for all aerodromes and airports across Australia.

The AAA is the leading advocate for appropriate national policy relating to airport activities and operates to ensure regular transport passengers, freight, and the community enjoy the full benefits of a progressive and sustainable airport industry. The AAA offers a range of education and online webinar-based services and training to members and non-members.

The Role of Human Behaviour in Flying Safely

Wings Over Illawarra

Shellharbour Airport, NSW 13-14 November www.wingsoverillawarra.com.au

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) E-Learning Catalogue www.casa.gov.au/education/elearning-catalogue

Wings Over Illawarra is Australia’s largest annual airshow and is held in the Illawarra on the NSW south coast just over an hour south of Sydney. Situated in a picturesque location with an amazing backdrop of the Illawarra escarpment, it is the only major airshow experience within easy reach of metropolitan Sydney and Canberra.

CASA has available online a series of eLearning modules about vital aviation safety topics that you can access using their safety learning platform – AviationWorx. Each module will take between 10-15 minutes. You can exit or re-enter partially completed modules at any time. Modules include – Introduction to human factors in sport, recreation and general aviation, situational awareness and decision making, threat and error management.

Its’ diverse program includes ground displays and flying demonstrations of historic, military, modern and aerobatic aircraft as well as vintage car and motorbike displays, children’s rides and other aviation and technology related exhibitions. In 2021 the event is expanding to include, the NSW Drone Expo, the Oz Flight Sim Expo and a General Aviation Precinct ensuring that there is something for everyone at this year’s airshow.

81

Hist ory

Richard Hillary Australia’s Ace Flyer and Writer Charles Page On 3rd September 1940, the Margate lifeboat was searching the North Sea for a downed pilot, who had come down seven miles off north Kent. After some ninety minutes searching, the lifeboat was about to turn back, when the crew spotted the pilot entangled in his parachute.

RAF fighter pilot, Richard Hillary was suffering from severe burns, and had already resigned himself to death. He attempted to hasten this, by deflating his Mae West, but his parachute kept him afloat, and he was unable to release the buckle.

There was nothing more he could do but shout to the sky, and as he later recalled, ‘There can be few more futile pastimes than yelling for help in the North Sea with a solitary seagull for company.’ Unknown to Hillary, his parachute descent had been observed by a coastguard, and the lifeboat J.B. Proudfoot was already searching.

Hillary’s mind was already adrift, when eager crewmen hauled him into the lifeboat. He was a grim sight, with hands burnt and deformed, and his face hanging in shreds. One of the crew found his mouth and poured some rum into it, though this was hardly enough to dull the shock and pain. By a strange quirk of fate, one of Hillary’s ancestors had been a founder of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Richard Hope Hillary, who wrote the WWII classic The Last Enemy, was born in Sydney on 20th April 1919. His 82

grandfather, Thomas Hillary, had run a sheep station in South Australia.

His father, Michael James Hillary, was born in Carrieton, South Australia in 1886, while his mother, Edwyna (nee Hope) was from north-west Australia.

During WWI Michael Hillary was a Captain in the AIF, served with the Australian Wireless Squadron, was twice Mentioned in Despatches, and won the DSO and OBE for service in Mesopotamia. He later became Private Secretary to Prime Minister Billy Hughes. Certainly, Richard Hillary had a rich Australian heritage.

In 1923, Michael Hillary transferred to Australia House in London. Three years later he left for a government position in the Sudan, and Richard was placed in boarding school in England.

On one school holiday he visited his parents in Khartoum. They spent much time in the hotel swimming pool, which had a high diving board. The young Richard was determined to dive, but from the height, he almost baulked, before his courage took over. This became the pattern of his life – that he would never give up.

At the age of 13, he was sent to Shrewsbury Public School, where he informed his English teacher that he wanted to be a writer. He also developed a passion for flying, after his father took him to Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus in 1933. Richard enjoyed a short joy flight, and then volunteered for aerobatics with the great man.

Then in 1937, he was accepted

at Trinity College, Oxford, where he learned to fly with the University Air Squadron and gained a rowing ‘Blue’.

Hillary and his crew made an unofficial trip to Germany, where they surprised the well-drilled German crews and won the Hermann Goering Rowing Cup. Richard Hillary was an individualist with a slightly arrogant manner, softened by an easy charm and a keen sense of humour. His tall, athletic good looks, made him very attractive to women, and he in turn, was very attracted by them. Life at University was a pleasant mixture of rowing, flying, holidays in France or Germany, parties, girls, and occasional study. Yet, Hillary and his peers were something of a lost generation, seeking a cause.

However, they knew war was coming.

In October 1939, Hillary joined the RAF, and trained as a fighter pilot. After a stint flying Lysanders at No 1 School of Army Co-operation, he was posted to 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron, based at Montrose, Scotland. To his great delight, Hillary was allocated his own Spitfire Mk 1a, s/n L1021, which he named ‘Sredni Vashtar’ after the fierce ferret in a short story by Saki (pseudonym of H.H. Munro). The squadron flew patrols in the area, and also performed flypasts and aerobatics for the children of nearby Tarfside, who idolised the fighter pilots.

After the squadron moved south to Hornchurch, Hillary found himself in the thick of the Battle of Britain, dog fighting over the Kent countryside.

H i sto r y

Spitfire 1a RAF Official Photos 1940

He was credited with five Me109s shot down, plus two probables, and one damaged. Hillary himself was shot down over Kent on 29th August 1940. After crash-landing his Spitfire in a cabbage patch, he made for nearby Lympne castle, where he ‘gatecrashed’ a Brigadier’s cocktail party.

However, his luck ran out on 3rd September 1940, when after shooting down his fifth Me109 he was in turn shot down by Hauptmann Erich Bode of II/JG26. Hillary had trouble with his canopy jamming before take off, and now it jammed while he was trying to bale out. He was badly burned before it finally opened, but he then passed out. Luckily the Spitfire flipped over and he fell out, and recovered in time to open his parachute. After his rescue by the lifeboat he was taken to Margate Hospital, and then the Royal Masonic Hospital in London.

Hillary had suffered horrific disfiguring burns to his face and hands, and endured a long period of plastic surgery as a ‘guinea pig’ in Sir Archibald McIndoe’s ‘beauty shop’ at East Grinstead (the town that never stared). This painful and frustrating time gave Hillary much pause for reflection and with a pencil in his distorted left hand, he began to write.

After his discharge from hospital, Hillary had another narrow escape, while downing a pint at the ‘George and Dragon’ in Knightsbridge. Hillary ignored the eerie wail of the air raid sirens, but just as he finished his beer, a stick of bombs advanced towards the pub, each crump louder than the

Bristol Blenheim Mk V ADF Serials

last. All conversation stopped, as the whistling of a falling bomb rose to a crescendo and sent everyone diving to the floor. The shattering blast left the pub a shambles, but the house next door took the full force of the bomb.

Hillary scrabbled frantically through the rubble and helped to pull out a dead baby. He then found the badly injured mother nearby and gave her a sip of brandy. The mother took one look at Hillary’s face and said, ‘I see they got you too.’ Then she died.

As Hillary was still unfit for active duty, he was sent by the Ministry of Information on a public relations visit to America. He sailed to New York on the MV Britannic, which lost its escort to the hunt for the Bismarck. On arrival, he was attached to the Air Mission in Washington DC, and also spent time in New York. Although kept out of sight, he gave several radio talks and

an interview on NBC, wrote articles, and was feted as a war hero. He was befriended by many celebrities, including the actress Merle Oberon, with whom he had a love affair. Hillary also met the great French authorpilot, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who introduced him to his publisher.

By now, Hillary had completed his manuscript, which went on to become one of the most acclaimed books to come out of the war. It was first published in America in1942 under the title, Falling Through Space. The book was praised by the New York Times, the New Yorker, author J.B. Priestley and many others. After Hillary returned to England, it was published

by Macmillan, who re-titled it The Last Enemy. The title of Richard Hillary’s book was taken from Corinthians 15:26 – ‘The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.’ The book relates 83

Hist ory

Spitfire Mk 1a Wikipedia Commons

the author’s growth out of an idyllic youth into a maturity accelerated by the war. Hillary’s graceful style turned a ‘war’ book into a well-loved classic.

His publisher and biographer, Lovat Dickson, declared, ‘Here is a writer who happened to be a pilot, not a pilot who happened to write a book’.

Hillary then attended a Staff College course, and scripted an Air Sea Rescue documentary. He gained a wide circle of literary and artistic friends, including Mary Booker, who was related to the poet W.B. Yeats. Mary Booker was to become the love of Richard’s life. He also met RAF artist Eric Kennington, who persuaded him to sit for a portrait.

This portrait was later placed in the National Portrait Gallery.

Richard Hillary was a legend now, both as a war hero and as a successful writer. However, many of his close friends had been killed in action, and he felt compelled to honour them and ‘go back’ to active duty. He was still having problems with his hands and eyes. On his left hand he could move his thumb and index finger, and on his right hand he could only move his thumb. He could not even use a knife and fork, but persuaded the authorities to post him back to operational flying. His C in C, Air Vice Marshall Sholto Douglas later

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regretted this fateful decision. Hillary reported to No 54 OTU night-fighter training unit at RAF Charterhall, in Scotland. The base was known by the locals as ‘Slaughter All’ and in the last eight months of 1942 there had been 97 crashes and 17 deaths.

Hillary found himself flying an obsolescent twin-engine Blenheim at night, in thick cloud, howling winds and icing. He could only see out of one eye, and his hands were still so deformed that he had trouble operating all the knobs, buttons, levers and controls. Indeed, McIndoe had written to the station medical officer, asking that Richard be sent back for more treatment. Yet Richard was determined to stay the course, fearing failure more than death. While on leave he told his friend, legless pilot Colin Hodgkinson, ‘I don’t think I’ll see you again ... I don’t think I’m to last it out’.

Prophetically, his was a tragedy in the making, and on 8th January 1943, he was killed in a night flying accident.

Flying in a Blenheim Mk V, with his radio operator Sgt Wilfrid Fison, Hillary was orbiting the airfield beacon light, when the Blenheim spiralled down and crashed into a field at Crunklaw Farm.

The aircraft exploded into flames.

Several farm workers attempted to

recover the crew, but there was nothing to be done. Richard’s gold watch was later found some distance away.

Although it was thought that Richard had lost control due to his weak hands, another pilot, Andy Miller, stated that he had suffered icing the same night and had aborted his exercise and returned to the airfield with some difficulty. It may well have been a combination of these two factors.

Richard Hillary was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, where he is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His ashes were scattered from a RAF Boston by Hillary’s former 603 Squadron C/O, George ‘Uncle’ Denholm, over the same area where Hillary had been rescued. At the same time, a memorial service was held in London at St Martin-in-theFields. Some 1500 mourners attended, including Dennis ‘Sinbad’ Price and Henry ‘Mussel’ Sandwell from the J.B. Proudfoot lifeboat.

In later years an annual lecture was held in his honour at Trinity College, as well as an annual literature prize.

Then in 2001 a memorial to Richard Hope Hillary and Kenneth Wilfrid Young Fison was unveiled close to the accident site near RAF Charterhall.

It is hoped that Richard Hillary will also be recognised and honoured in the country of his birth. Meanwhile, his eloquent voice may be heard on several media sources.

Sources: NAA, AWM – Michael Hillary Imperial War Museum | Channel 4 TV doc Audio From the Past, youtube Bibliography, The Last Enemy, Richard Hillary Richard Hillary, Lovat Dickson | Mary and Richard, Michael Burn | Richard Hillary, David Ross | Australian Air Aces, Dennis Newton

H i sto r y

Glenbrook Memorial Rededication A rededication service was recently held in Glenbrook, NSW, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of five RAAF members killed in a plane crash.

In 1941, a RAAF Avro Anson (serial A4-5) crashed on a suburban street during an aeromedical evacuation.

Residents Pam Thompson and Tim Miers witnessed the crash as children and were present for the memorial service.

Ms Thompson recalled the afternoon when, as a 12-year-old, she was playing in a nearby yard with friends.

“We could hear a plane coming from the west flying very low and looking up we could see the plane with pieces falling from it,” Ms Thompson said.

“It got lower and lower and we all rushed down to the front gate to see and hear the awful crash and great plumes of smoke and flames rising to a great height.

“I will never forget the awful tragedy, the sight and sounds and the after effects we experienced for years.”

The flight started at RAAF Station Parkes at 3.35pm and was transporting Pilot Officer Bailey Middlebrook Sawyer to Sydney to receive treatment for an ear infection.

Also on board was a doctor, Squadron Leader James Rainbow, the aircraft’s pilot, Pilot Officer John Newman, the navigator, Flying Officer Henry Skillman and a wireless operator, Aircraftman Charles Tysoe.

Approaching the Blue Mountains, they encountered overcast conditions and the pilot is believed to have flown at lower altitudes because of the patient’s ear problem.

Residents heard the Anson’s engines at 4.45pm and watched the aircraft emerge from the clouds when a loud crack was heard.

Witnesses saw the left wing shatter and separate and despite the pilot’s attempts to regain control, the Anson dived and crashed onto the corner of Clifton Avenue and Lucasville Road.

The Glenbrook Memorial commemorating the five RAAF members killed in the Avro Anson crash. CPL Kylie Gibson.

An investigation found a structural failure of the wing was caused by either existing structural damage or over speeding in flight.

Aircraft records showed that in 1940, Anson A4-5 sustained damage to its wing when its undercarriage collapsed.

Deputy Air Commander Australia Air Commodore Ben Sleeman said the loss of members was a tragedy.

“They were professionals in their respective fields, bringing a wealth of experience and were charged with training their fellow officers and airmen for a global conflict,” Air Commodore Sleeman said.

“They were valued colleagues and trusted mates.”

He thanked the community and the council for keeping the memory of those killed alive.

“This year, the Air Force marks the centenary of its establishment with the theme of ‘Then. Now. Always’ and will engage with communities in sharing our story,” Air Commodore Sleeman said.

“This commemoration shows that our communities are preserving our memory of what happened then and providing an opportunity for us to come together now to ensure the memory will always continue.”

Flight Lieutenant Eamon Hamilton / Defence News.

An Avro Anson, similar to the one that crashed at Glenbrook. Defence image.

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A ir F orce Cad ets

The Nijmegen ‘Four Day Marches’ – a gruelling, though truly exhilarating & rewarding experience FLTLT(AAFC) Gary Martinic 3 Wing Headquarters, Australian Air Force Cadets Known as the International Four Day Marches in Nijmegen (or ‘Vierdaagse’ meaning ‘the Four Days’ in Dutch) have been run every year in mid-July in Nijmegen, Holland, since 1909. It is an event that sees both civilian and military participants walk either 30, 40 or 50km daily depending on their age and gender, and on completion, they receive a royally-approved medal, known as the Vierdaagse Cross (or ‘Cross for Marching Proficiency’).

Originally a military event with few civilians, it is now mainly a civilian event. Vierdaagse De 4 Daagse is done over 4 days (18-21 July). In 2017, registered participants numbered 42,036 participants, 5,500 of these were military participants, with 3,627 participants which did not complete the event. This has become such a popular marching event that armed forces and cadet participants from all over the world send contingents to take part in the marches. During 2019, over 50 nations were represented at Camp Heumensoord, or ‘Camp H’ the military basecamp. Military teams can have a minimum of 11 participants, or up to 30 personnel, but they can also march as individuals.

In the military category, participants must march 40 km x 4 days (leaving and returning to Camp H, as a team; Fig 1). They must be wearing uniform and pending age and registration requirements, they may need to carry 10kg of dead weight in addition to consumables, in their backpacks.

Military teams usually march as a unit and often sing marching songs, making them very popular with civilian 86

A i r F o rce C a d e ts

walkers (Fig 2). Military teams and civilians on the 40km route follow a slightly different route. Military participants begin after morning ceremony from base. Camp H is erected every year just south of Nijmegen. Each day of the marches is named after the town it passes through. Tues. ‘Elst’, Wed. ‘Wijchen’, Thurs. ‘Groesbeek’, and Fri. ‘Cuijk’.

On the last day of the march, military participants/teams change uniforms to march the final 6km to walk the ‘Entry on the Via Gladiola to the Wedren’.

History and Award Structure The award of the Vierdaagse Cross medal (Fig.3; left) was established in 1909 at the time of the first march, to award successful military participants of the ‘Four Day Marches’. Since 1910, it has been awarded to all participants who successfully complete all four days, both civilian and military. The medal is an official Dutch decoration that can be worn on a Dutch uniform, though many other nations also permit the medal to be worn on their uniforms including Britain and Australia. It is also known as the ‘Cross for demonstrated marching skill’, as defined by Dutch Royal Decree, 6th October 1909. It is awarded to participants by the Royal Dutch league for Physical Education (KNBLO or Koninklijke Nederlandsche Bond Voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding, in Dutch). A cross is awarded in bronze for the first march, silver for the fifth, and gold for the tenth march, with a crown added above the cross for the year after each cross is awarded.

I feel honoured to be have participated (in the 101st) Vierdaagse in July 2017. This was only the second team to represent the AAFC and Australia. The first AAFC team participated during the 100th anniversary year of the Vierdaagse, making history by being the first Australian team to officially participate in this event. Though there also have been individual Australian participants who have participated as either civilian or military individuals.

There are now around 52 AAFC members in Australia who have earned the honour to wear the Vierdaagse Cross to date.

Physical Preparation is the Key to Success We had to spend a lot of time gradually building up our levels of walking fitness by doing as many practice marches as possible. However, we didn’t know how our feet and our upper and lower leg muscles would

react to the stresses of this type of event? Our team soon took on its first challenging practice walk located in the Blue Mountains. We walked from Black Range to the Megalong Valley, approximately 32km distance of stepped hills, valleys, creek crossings and scrub. That particular day the temperature was higher than 36 degrees celsius with a relative humidity above 80%, similar conditions in July in Nijmegen. Due to team members getting bad blisters and leg muscle issues, serious thought had to be given to individualised preparation, to ensure that all members were able to make the full four days of the Nijmegen march. I sought podiatry advice at the earliest opportunity, in an effort to be better advised and equipped before taking on the long distances of the next planned practice marches. Our team also completed a number of practice walks in the Penrith area, near RAAF Base Richmond, each practice walk of 30km+. We also completed the ‘Seven Bridges Walk’ in the city, which was visually spectacular.

A Strategy for Building up Your Training It is recommended that participants use the time in the lead up to Nijmegen to build up their walking distances, and take rest on days off. Allow the body and feet to become accustomed to walking long distances gradually, over varying terrain and in varying weather conditions. Also, to do all practice walks in new AAFC-issued boots so that they wear their boots in as soon as possible. It is important that participants regularly supplement team practices with practice walks of their own every 1-2 weeks, and work up to the 4 days of 40km, giving the body time to rest in between. I would often do a round trip, there and back, on each practice walk, for example, 5km out 5km back (10km total), then 7.5km out 7.5km back (15km), gradually building up to 20km, 30km, and then 40 km. While always looking for routes containing both hills and flat areas that allow you to ultimately build up your distances to more than 40km. Although team members in Nijmegen are required to fulfill the 4x40km requirement, the more one practices long distance walking, the more the body gets ‘conditioned’ and used to walking in uniform, boots and backpack. The day of the hills’ (day 3 of Nijmegen) is the day that participants need to contend with and successfully complete the steep sections of this part of the walk, so any extra effort put into training can only serve to increase one’s level of preparation.

87

A ir F orce Cad ets Fig 1. The grand entrance to Camp Heumensoord showing the characteristic large black boots and large military helmet overhead. A few Dutch military members can be seen in the foreground while behind them the AAFC team is seen about to exit the base for another day’s marching.

Figure 3. Vierdaagse Cross (left) & Orderly (team supporter) Medal (right)

Fig 2. The 2017 Australian Air Force Cadet team marching next to a German military team, while some civilian participants look on (author carrying the RAAF Ensign at right). Note the flags of France, Spain and some other countries in the background.

Fig 4. Having just taken the time to stretch properly the AAFC team move off for another early 4:00 am start.

Fig 5. Members of the 2017 AAFC Team (author third from left, front row) shown shortly after the presentation of their medals, some members shown in their service dress uniform.

88

A i r F o rce C a d e ts

Recommendations on Footwear and Other Kit It is crucial that one wears the boots issued to them on practice walks. Wearing the boots enables one to identify pressure areas and then to apply blister management techniques. Wearing the same type of socks that are planned to be used in the Nijmegen event is important, so the feet can adjust to the boots and socks. Wearing the same DPCU trousers on practice walks, so that any areas of chafing can be identified and remedies sought, is another good idea. Remember, the type of socks worn are the next most important piece of kit that one will need to have sorted, otherwise the feet won’t survive the grueling days of continuous marching. The four main things to look after are; (1) properly caring for your feet, (2) having good-quality socks to do the job (3) maintain regular training, and (4) a good first aid kit. I found podiatry advice and treatments very helpful, and felt that it adequately prepared me for success in Nijmegen. The podiatric stretching techniques were also used before long distance marching.

Rest Breaks While ‘On-the–Go’ During the marching days of the Vierdaagse all the military teams would have between 2-3 rest stops daily, so that the 40km+ daily was broken up into smaller segments, which allowed us to ‘re-fuel’. We were able to stop at the rest tents of the British Military Contingent where we were provided with a hot meal, fruit and drinks, and where we could also resupply our kits and camel packs with water, and take a break. Due to the time constraints placed on the teams (15min before departure) we needed to vacate the space allowing the next teams to occupy the space provided.

Camaraderie, Traditions and Trading at Camp Heumensoord The team humorously remembers the loud morning wake up calls in broken-English “G-o-o-d Morning, Bonjour! - are you ready for another delightful day of marching?” to all the participants at 2.30am, with marching often commencing from 4am (Fig 4). Not so ‘funny’ at the time, but funny in hindsight.. Camp H exhibited an ‘international flavor of friendship’, which encouraged all cadets and military personnel from all over the world, to interact, form new friendships, and for those returning to Camp H, to see old friends. Particularly for impressionable young cadets, these experiences will be treasured, and fondly remembered throughout their lives, aside from the achievement of earning their own Vierdaagse Cross.

Despite the sleep deprivation, the fatigue, sore legs and painful feet, the friendly atmosphere of Camp H to all presented an experience never to be forgotten. And while it is fair to say that walking the required distances of

Nijmegen was very physically and mentally challenging, it was also very exhilarating and most rewarding. Most that complete the Nijmegen Vierdaagse feel a great sense of achievement, relief and euphoria. The tradition at the end of each days marching, was that as the teams that were coming back to Camp H they would march into the main hall, where other teams finishing prior would clap them in.

It was recommended to us that we bring trading material to Nijmegen, which we could use to trade items of military memorabilia with those from other nations – another tradition! Stand down saw members of many military teams trading the likes of patches, pins, hats, belts, and some even entire military uniforms. This was great fun for our cadets, and even some staff, who really enjoyed the interactions.

The ‘Electric’ Atmosphere and Spirit of the Marches Until one experiences the excitment, spirit and welcoming atmosphere of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse one cannot truly appreciate the camaraderie, good will and generosity of spirit of the marches, and of the Dutch people. As we marched, many Dutch children patiently waited on the median strips to provide us with refreshments or to simply give us a ‘high five’ handshake. We would often give them various patches, badges, small toy Koalas or small Australian flags as we marched on through their towns, which they loved. Various musical bands would perform in every town and city that we passed through.

An important tradition of the Vierdaagse was that on the Friday, the last day of the marches thousands of people would line the last few kms of road before the finish (Fig 5) to cheer all of the participants on, with shouts such as ‘congratulations” and “you’ve done it” among many others.

St. Annastraat, is dubbed the ‘Via Gladiola’ for the day (the official flower of the marches) and it is tradition to give them to the participants. The significance of this being that the gladioli, has been a symbol of force and victory since Roman times, when even gladiators were showered with these flowers.

References A number of official articles related to the Vierdaagse Marches have been used as reference material, these are cited below: 1. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prderly_Medal_of_the_ Four_Day_Marches&oldid=762347180 2. H.G. Meijer, C.P. Mulder en B.W.Wagenaar, “Orders and Decorations of the Netherlands”, 1984 External Links: • http://www.nijmegenmedals.com/ • http://www.onderscheidingen.nl/nl/medailles/sport/4dverzorging. html • http://www.4daagse.nl/en/register/distance-and-rewards.html (a note on the medal on the official Vierdaagse site)

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Behind the Scenes of RAAF Base Pearce During June the RAAF Base at Pearce hosted a special ‘behind the scenes tour of the base for invited guests from the Australian Air Force Cadets, Royal Australian Air Force Veteran community and the winners of the Albany Scholarship competition. This year the Royal Australian Air Force will mark 100 years of service to Australia and 2021 will be an important time to reflect on our enduring contribution to the security of Australia and the communities that support our training operations. From modest beginnings in 1921, Air Force has grown into a potent, world-class force which Australia relies upon in both conflict and peace.

When Australia needs us, we are ready to respond. THEN. NOW. ALWAYS. To recognise our past, present and future, the invited guests were provided access to static aircraft, the Royal Australian Air Force Balloon and tours of the facilities.

Members of the Air Force Cadets and Air Force Veterans experience the immersive experience of flying a flight simulator using some of the latest virtual reality equipment. Defence image.

PC-21 Flight

Recognised for service excellence within the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC), Cadet Under Officer Grace Wilton was awarded a flight in one of the Aircraft Research and Development unit’s (ARDU) newest aircraft based in South Australia, the PC-21.

Members of the Air Force Cadets and Air Force Veterans enjoy the opportunity to get up and close with the RAAF Balloon and experience a short-tethered flight at RAAF Base Pearce.

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Australian Air Force Cadet - Cadet Under Officer Grace Wilton with life support equipment in the Aircraft Research Developmental Unit at RAAF Edinburgh, South Australia.

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The inspirational true story of an Allied POW appointed Kapellmeister to the Nazis in Auschwitz.

When called up to fight in yet another World War, Drum Major Jackson promised his beloved wife Mabel that he would return to lead his band and play for her once more.

of the 5th generation F-35 Lightning II, Aircraft of the Royal Australian Air Force provides comprehensive insight to each of the 150 unique aircraft types which have helped posture the RAAF as a responsive, agile and potent force in shaping Australia’s strategic environment. Each aircraft type is categorised into its ‘A’ series number, including technical data plates and a broad range of photos. This book will largely appeal to aviation and military history enthusiasts. An extensively researched, detailed and expertly compiled history of Australian military aviation through the ages. A definitive reference source and valuable addition to any collection, which will be highly sought after especially during this centenary year of the Air Force.

In May 1940, he was captured at Dunkirk and interned in several German forced labour camps throughout Poland. Two years later he was transferred to Auschwitz IV, part of the notorious concentration camp complex where it is not widely known held Allied POWs. When his captors appointed Jackson their ‘Kapellmeister’ (man in charge of music), he seized the opportunity to provide entertainment for his fellow prisoners at rehearsals, and cover for escapees during concerts.

Finally liberated in May 1945, malnourished and gravely ill, Jackson carried his secret war diary—an incredible exposé on five years of life and death in Nazi concentration camps.

Based on Jackson’s diary and written by his granddaughter. A stirring account of resilience.

MASTERS OF THE AIR How The Bomber Boys Broke Down The Nazi War Machine Author: Donald L Miller Penguin Books Pages: 688 in paperback RRP: $19.99 ISBN: 9781529107883

Meet the Flying Fortresses of the American Eighth Air Force, Britain's Lancaster comrades, who helped bring down the Nazis.

Historian and World War II expert Donald Miller brings us the story of the bomber boys who brought the war

AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST ESCAPES Gripping Tales Of Wartime Bravery Author: Colin Burgess Simon & Schuster Publishers Pages: 320, in paperback RRP: $24.00 ISBN: 9781760854294

Australia’s Greatest Escapes is a collection of stories about the most hazardous aspect of the prisoner of war experience – escape. Here is all the adventure, suspense and courage of ordinary Australians who defied their captors; men who tunnelled

to Hitler's doorstep. Unlike ground soldiers they slept on clean beds, drank beer in local pubs, and danced to the swing music of the travelling Air Force bands.

But they were also an elite group of fighters who put their lives on the line in the most dangerous role of all.

Miller takes readers from adrenaline filled battles in the sky, to airbases across England, German prison camps, and onto the ground to understand the devastation faced by civilians.

Drawn from interviews, oral histories, and American, British and German archives, an authoritative, deeply moving and important account of the world's first and only bomber war.

Soon to be a major television event from Apple TV and Steven Spielberg, companion to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. to freedom, crawled through stinking drains, or clawed a passage beneath barbed wire in a desperate attempt to flee captivity.

Featuring stories of Australian POWs from all theatres of war, including one who fled a German work camp during World War I, another involved in a mass tunnel escape from a notorious Italian camp, and an airman who brazenly attempted to steal a German fighter and fly back to England.

We also re-live the tragic saga of the Sandakan death marches in which six Australian escapers became the only survivors from 2000 POWs, and follow the perilous journeys to freedom undertaken by Australian infantrymen following the appalling massacre of their fellow soldiers on the Japanese-held island of Ambon. A great read about the fight to be free.

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DARWIN MILITARY MUSEUMFascinating History on Display The Darwin Military Museum, located at East Point Reserve, shares the incredible stories of Northern Territory’s wartime history, including Darwin’s crucial and often forgotten role in World War II. A must-do for every history buff and family, the Museum hosts a unique and vast collection of artefacts, from uniforms to bunkers, weaponry, photographs, and interactive displays.

Museum's History The Darwin Military Museum was opened in August 1969, highlighting Australia’s military history. The first museum in Darwin, it includes the original concrete command post bunker used by the Australian army in WWII and one of the two 9.2-inch gun emplacements.

In the 1930s, Darwin was an important strategic military base in Australia’s line of defence and the government was heavily investing in its wartime facilities. In August 1932, a workforce of labourers and prisoners from Fannie Bay Gaol began constructing ‘Fortress Darwin’ at East Point Reserve, which proved to be a long and challenging project.

The first of the 6-inch guns, defences to protect the Port of Darwin, were installed in January 1933, and over the next four years, support buildings including observation towers, radio communications buildings and a narrow-gauge railway to deliver

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shells to guns on the front line were constructed. Installation of the two 9.2-inch gun emplacements at East Point began in May 1941 with work continuing until the first Japanese air raid on 19 February 1942, an event now known as The Bombing of Darwin.

During WWII, neither the 6-inch or 9.2-inch guns fired ‘a shot in anger’ as the Japanese air raids on Darwin ceased in November 1943. At the time, the 9.2-inch gun emplacements were not completed, with emplacement number one finished in 1944 and emplacement number two in 1945.

The 6-inch guns were not anti-aircraft guns and as such, proved ineffective in engaging an enemy who flew too high and too fast. Also, no Japanese surface ships sailed close enough to the Darwin coast to be in range of the 6-inch guns.

In the years following the war, East Point was largely abandoned as a military establishment and went through a period of neglect and vandalism until the mid-1960s.

In 1968, Lieutenant Colonel Jack Haydon and members of the Royal Australian Artillery Association of the NT (RAAANT) acquired the lease of land at East Point from the Commonwealth Government. Throughout 1968 and 1969, the RAAANT accumulated a collection of war memorabilia and military equipment to open the Darwin Military Museum, which at the time was known as the East Point Military Museum. Since 1969, the Association

has continued to grow the collection and now holds over 3000 items, although not all are on display.

Bombing of Darwin The Bombing of Darwin is an extraordinary but often forgotten chapter in Australia’s wartime history.

Just before 10am on 19 February 1942, 188 Japanese aircrafts bombed Darwin’s harbour, town and airfield, marking the first and largest foreign attack ever mounted on Australian shores. Unfortunately, the air raid sirens were sounded too late to give warning. The second wave of Japanese aircraft struck Darwin at midday. An astonishing 150 bombs (82,050 kgs of explosives) were dropped on Darwin, killing 236 allied service personnel and civilians, 128 of whom were US military personnel.

From that day until the last raid on 12 November 1943, the Northern Territory was bombed over 70 times. During this time, the Top End community rallied together to support the war effort, with men serving actively in the war and women volunteering at military hospitals, camps and assisting with day-to-day roles.

Often referred to as ‘Australia’s Pearl Harbour’, the Bombing of Darwin changed the city forever.

Museum Highlights The Darwin Military Museum has a broad array of fascinating wartime

Fe a tu r e

artefacts which tell the story of Australia’s wartime efforts, from the Boer War in 1899 to WWII, the Vietnam War and modern conflicts, including Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan.

The Museum’s vast collection includes weaponry, uniforms of Australian, Allied and opposing soldiers, wartime photographs, propaganda pieces and the Defence of Darwin Experience which brings the Bombing of Darwin to life in an innovative, audio-visual format.

Outside in the gardens, visitors will find an impressive range of wartime vehicles and larger artillery pieces on display, from a Portuguese cannon to a 105mm Howitzer that saw action in Vietnam.

Defence of Darwin In February 2012, as part of the 70th commemoration of the Bombing of Darwin, the Defence of Darwin Experience was launched. Exclusive to the Darwin Military Museum, this is a powerful and interactive audio-visual journey that captures the devastation behind the Bombing of Darwin in February 1942. In the air-conditioned theatre, visitors watch a short yet intense, 12-minute film that recounts the attack and shares first-hand accounts of survivors, using actual footage from the event.

The experience is also accompanied by an App, which offers further information, images and a guide for visitors visiting the Museum and wishing to learn more about the Top End’s WWII experience. Visitors can record their family story or response to

the exhibition at the Story Share booth, continuing the conversation about the events of that fateful day in 1942.

Events The Museum exhibits unique displays dedicated to historical events throughout the year including a special display on the Bombing of Darwin Day, on the 19th February every year.

The museum holds its Annual Military Muster, which remembers Australia’s participation in international conflicts, in August every year. In 2021, the Museum will also be celebrating 100 years of the Royal Australian Air Force and 150 years of RAAF Artillery – a momentous milestone for Australian military history.

KEY INFO The Darwin Military Museum recommends guests to allocate 1.5 hours for their visit. There is also a fully air-conditioned café and gift shop on-site.

Tickets: Free for children under five, $10 for children (5-15 years), $20 for adults.

Pensioner concessions apply.

Usual opening hours: 10:00am to 3:30pm, Monday to Sunday. The museum is closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Opening hours during Dry Season: 9:30am to 5:00pm No bookings are required unless for large groups.

Darwin Military Museum, 253 (Lot 8158) Alec Fong Lim Dr, East Point NT 0820 Phone: (08) 8981 9702 info@darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au www.darwinmilitarymuseum.com.au

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B ack Pa ge

Internet Anywhere in the World: SpaceX's Starlink Satellite could be completed globally by September Imagine being able to connect to the internet without using mobile data or be tethered to your home with routers and wires. SpaceX is gearing towards a more practical future. Are you ready?

Access to the internet is almost a necessity in this day and age. Thus, the ability to have the internet without wires or routers would be an incredible upgrade for the way of life for humans and perhaps SpaceX might be able to deliver that very soon.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service has the ability to provide internet to anyone, anywhere in the world and it might happen sometime around September. In February, Elon Musk's company disclosed that Starlink currenlty serves more than 10,000 customers.

Recently President Gwynne Shotwell told news sources, "We've successfully deployed 1,800 satellites and once all those satellites reach their

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operational orbit, we will have continuous global coverage, so that should be like September timeframe, but then we have regulatory work to go into every country and get approved to provide telecoms services."

The estimated 1,800 satellites are only 15% of the 12,000 planned satellite regulators that are confirmed for the Starlink constellation but as per the specialists at SpaceX, it will suffice to give a global connection.

Currently, Starlink has been available as an entry service in a few countries such as Canada, the US, and the UK. Countries that have gone to register to SpaceX's subsidiaries are as follows: Spain, Austria, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, France, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, and South Africa.

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