RAF Air & Space Power 2024 by Global Media Partners

Air & Space

Power 2024

Integrated and Interoperable Deterrence

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Air & Space

Integrated and Interoperable Deterrence Power 2024

Editor Simon Michell

Project Manager Group Captain Paul Sanger-Davies, Director of Defence Studies (RAF)

Editorial Director Barry Davies

Designer Ross Ellis

Managing Director Andrew Howard

Printed by Micropress

Front cover image: AS1 Natalie Adams (RAF)

Published by

Chantry House, Suite 10a High Street, Billericay, Essex CM12 9BQ United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 1277 655100

The battle above: integrating and assuring UK space capability into multi-domain operations

Major General Paul Tedman CBE, Commander of UK Space Command, highlights the urgent need to enhance the UK’s ability to ght in and from space

Deterrence is so much more than just a big stick Air Marshal (Retd) Greg Bagwell, President, Air & Space Power Association

Number 1 Group – integrating the front line

Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin, Air O cer Commanding Number 1 Group, highlights the progress that has been made to integrate the Forces under his command to make them more interoperable and enhance their ability to deter and defend

Ingo Gerhartz Chief

Air Vice-Marshal Jason Appleton, Air O cer Commanding Number 2 Group, explains how the Group has reorganised to achieve more integrated and interoperable capabilities in an ever-evolving world

Agile basing – always operating and ready to y and ght

Air Commodore Ady Portlock, Commander Air Bases, explains how the ability to deploy quickly to, and operate from, non-traditional operating bases improves the RAF’s resilience and exibility

Operational agility through Agile Combat Employment (ACE)

Number 11 Group’s Deputy Director of Operations, Air Commodore Lee Turner, on how the RAF, its allies and partners are focused on becoming ever more agile

Enhancing RAF capabilities

FCAS/GCAP

Air Commodore Martin Lowe, FCAS Programme Director, on the status of the Programme following the integration of Japan into the tri-national project

Responding to the threat environment

BAE Systems’ Herman Claesen reveals the UK’s commitment to maintaining a sovereign Combat Air sector through the Global Combat Air Programme

Australian ACE

Group Captain Michael Sleeman and Group Captain Trav Hallen of the Royal Australian Air Force highlight the importance of embracing Agile Combat Employment in protecting mainland Australia and projecting air power across the Indo-Paci c

RAF Global Enablement

Air Commodore Jamie Thompson, the RAF’s Global Enablement Commander, outlines the high-readiness and globally facing capabilities that his organisation provides

53 The importance of international partnerships

Air Commodore Nikki Thomas, the RAF’s Air and Space Attaché in Washington, highlights the importance of the close cooperation between the UK and the US

GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNER PERSPECTIVE

General Hiroaki Uchikura

Chief of Sta , Japan Air Self-Defense Force

F-35 Lightning

Group Captain John Butcher, Commander of the UK’s Lightning Force, explains the importance of enhancing integration and increasing interoperability with other F-35 eets worldwide

E-7 Wedgetail

Wing Commander Sarah McDonnell, Commanding O cer of Number 8 Squadron, explains the Joint Vision Statement signed by the RAF, RAAF and USAF to coordinate E-7 Wedgetail capability development, testing, interoperability, operations and training

GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNER PERSPECTIVE

Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen Commander, Finnish Air Force

57 Air power lessons from current operations

Air Vice-Marshal Tom Burke, Commander of Number 11 Group, considers the impact of current operations for UK Air Defence

Group Captain James Bolton explains how

ISTAR in the 21st century

Wing Commander Keith Bissett, O cer Commanding Number 51 Squadron, explains how the RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft collects vital intelligence for NATO and its allies, and how Number 54 Squadron achieves such a diverse training task to meet demand for niche skills

Keeping pace with and deterring our adversaries

Andy Start, Chief Executive O cer, DE&S, and the UK’s National Armaments Director

Protector arrives at RAF Waddington

Air Commodore Alex Hicks, Senior Responsible O cer for the Protector Programme, explains how the Test and Evaluation process will be carried out to ensure that the aircraft reaches its in-service date in 2024

Orcus – introducing C-UAS

Group Captain Gary Darby explains how the Orcus system ts into the UK’s future plans for counteruncrewed air systems integration and interoperability

Securing air dominance now and in the future

Chris Stevens, Group Head of Business Development for Air Dominance at MBDA, explains how MBDA’s air-to-air missiles are helping the NATO Alliance and others secure their skies

Enabling

Kevin

General

Cybersecurity in aviation

Air Vice-Marshal Alan Gillespie, Director of the Military Aviation Authority, explains the critical importance of new regulations to ensure that the Defence Air Environment monitors, assesses and mitigates the cyber threat to aircraft airworthiness and safety

106

Building the world’s best AI pilot

Mike ’Pako’ Benitez, Director of Product for Autonomy at Shield AI, reveals how the race to create arti cial intelligence (AI) pilots is already well underway

Building air autonomy

Air Commodore Christopher Melville, Head of the RAF’s Rapid Capabilities O ce, explains the operational roles of low-cost, high-performance ‘disposable’ swarming drones and how they will integrate with other frontline capabilities

Harnessing emerging technology

Cecil Buchanan, the RAF’s Chief Technology O cer, explains his approach to embracing and prioritising the spectrum of current emerging technologies

Digital transformation

Dr Arif Mustafa, the RAF’s rst Chief Digital and Information O cer, talks about how he has overseen the Force’s Digital Capabilities Modernisation and Transformation Programme

110

Celebrating a century of excellence – RAuxAF 100

Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Munro, Commandant of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), describes the key activities taking place to celebrate its centenary

RAuxAF 100 – supporting the ISTAR vision

Group Captain Ryan Mannering and Squadron Leader Becky Kirk from the RAuxAF set out the RAF ISTAR Force’s vision for a more agile, responsive and exible approach to the employment of Reservists

Training – a vital part of RAF war ghting capability

Air Vice-Marshal Cab Townsend, Air O cer Commanding Number 22 Group, highlights how introducing innovation into its training pipeline will improve the RAF’s integration with other air arms

114

Next-generation recruitment and retention

The RAF’s Director People and Air Secretary, Air ViceMarshal Simon Edwards, highlights work to ensure the RAF maintains its e ectiveness through e cient and meticulous recruitment and retention

117

120

Cross-skilled aviators: the key to enhanced agility

Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris explains how the RAF is planning to cross-skill its aviators to ensure it can deliver ACE e ectively using the RAF Whole Force

The fast and the furious: an agile war ghting culture

Air Commodore Blythe Crawford highlights the urgency that is required for western nations to prepare for the eventuality of war

Creating a safe and secure world, together

Babcock plays a critical role in international defence. In a world of significant geopolitical instability, national security has never been more important as defence requirements become increasingly complex to deliver.

Ensuring those critical services are readily available, affordable and long-lasting is a vital task. And Babcock is built for that task.

Now more than ever, what we do matters.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin

KCB ADC, Chief of the Defence Sta

The critical importance of air and space power

These are worrying times. In the past few years, the world has gone from being competitive to becoming openly contested and, in the case of Russia and Iran, is now openly combative. Antagonistic powers are challenging the international system. Long-simmering tensions are coming to the boil. And the shockwaves are being felt through food and energy markets and in the global economy.

As concerning as this might be, we should be con dent that the United Kingdom is safe. We are safe because we are a nuclear power, because we belong to the world’s strongest and most powerful defensive alliance – NATO – and, above all, because of the quality of our Armed Forces and the men and women who serve.

The Royal Air Force is at the heart of this. At home, the Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons provide the rst line of our defence, protecting our airspace 24/7/365; and, beyond our shores,

the past year has con rmed the critical importance of British air and space power in deterring our adversaries, defending our interests and contributing to global stability.

In Europe, RAF fast jets are contributing to the defence of NATO airspace. Our Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities provide situational awareness across the Alliance’s Eastern ank and the crucial Black Sea region, while the air mobility force is maintaining an essential airbridge to Ukraine, supplying lethal and non-lethal aid and transporting Ukrainian personnel to the United Kingdom for military training. We have also recently completed the initial ying training for the rst wave of Ukrainian F-16 pilots, whose skills and combat air capabilities will assist in pushing back the Russian aggressors.

In the Middle East, a decade of operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has proven the RAF to be our most lethal force.

This April and May we have used the precision and proportionality of our capabilities to strike targets in Yemen, which were threatening international shipping in the Red Sea. At the other end of the spectrum, the RAF has been instrumental in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza via a series of precision air drops. Most signi cant of all, the RAF joined partner nations to repel waves of missiles and drones launched from Iran against Israel, thus preventing the con ict with Hamas becoming a full-scale regional war.

Strengthening domestic prosperity

At a global level, British involvement in international air and space power programmes, including Typhoon and F-35, is strengthening our domestic prosperity through the signi cant defence exports generated from our aerospace sector. In parallel, these programmes are enhancing our industrial resilience and augmenting our sovereign independence. The Global Combat Air Programme with our strategic partners Italy and Japan will provide an important vehicle to develop our next generation of technologists, whose expertise is growing to embrace increased levels of autonomy, arti cial intelligence and human-machine teaming.

Our close support to allies and partners, particularly Ukraine, has emphasised the necessity of innovating and rapidly iterating the way we operate and ght. We have recently launched the Defence Drone Strategy and the RAF Autonomous Collaborative Platform Strategy to develop an

array of uncrewed systems that will strengthen our future air power capabilities, especially our combat air mass.

Our aviators also play an essential role in the development of air and space power across NATO, ensuring our capabilities, particularly in Integrated Air and Missile Defence, are t for purpose and that we have the munitions and logistical support required to sustain high-intensity operations now and in the future. We are developing our fth-generation capabilities through the F-35 Lightning Force, operating jointly with the Royal Navy as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike capability. This year, they have been training and exercising with the Joint Expeditionary Force in the High North; next year, they deploy to the Indo-Paci c.

As the Space Domain becomes ever more central to our modern lives and to our defence and security, we are also continuing to invest in this capability and in the resilience of our space-based assets, working in close partnership with our key space allies, especially the US and Australia.

This spectrum of initiatives is enhancing and re ning our air and space power, ensuring it is more integrated, more agile and lethal, and better able to deter those who wish us harm.

I am grateful to the men and women of the Royal Air Force, for all that they do to protect the nation and help it prosper. As we mark the 75th anniversary of NATO, with the Summit in Washington this July, we should be reassured by their contribution to the security of Europe and stability in the world more broadly, and I commend Air & Space Power 2024 to you.

The RAF jointly operates the F-35B with the Royal Navy on board the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers (PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Training solutions

Air Chief Marshal

Sir Richard Knighton

KCB ADC FREng, Chief of the Air Sta

Ready to y and ght

Welcome to this 2024 edition of Air and Space Power, the theme of which is Integrated and Interoperable Deterrence.

When we consider the multiple and multiplying threats facing us, we must use air and space power to deter aggression and to maintain our freedom, security and prosperity, utilising our world-class air and space forces. It is always preferable to deter con ict from happening, rather than having to deal with the consequences of con ict once it has started. A key aspect of deterrence is our proven ability to defend what we value, especially within the United Kingdom, as well as across our interests internationally.

Ultimately, we must be prepared to defeat those who choose to use aggression against us, wherever they are and whenever they try to harm us. For our air forces, that means we need to be ready to y and ght.

E ective deterrence is fundamentally about a ecting our potential adversaries’ decision calculus. We need to understand what they value and what will change their minds. Our adversaries must also understand our willingness and our ability to use air and space power to protect those things which are important to us.

To do this, we need credible capability. Air and space power have unique characteristics that can be used to deny our potential adversaries the ability to achieve their strategic aims. But, to be

most e ective, air and space power needs to be integrated with the other three operational domains – land, sea and cyberspace. Multi-domain operations o er the opportunity to overwhelm and outmanoeuvre our adversaries. By doing this alongside our allies, we enhance our credibility, capability and capacity. Interoperability adds to our strength and enhances our deterrent e ect.

Air and Space Power 2024 provides a timely overview of how well we are enhancing our integration and improving our interoperability to deter our adversaries. It sets out how the UK and its allies are delivering world-leading and worldbeating air and space power. This is set against the strategic backdrop of ongoing con icts in Ukraine and across the Middle East, as well as rising tensions in the Indo-Paci c. It considers the array of initiatives, which are in ight, to ensure we develop air and space capabilities that will make sure we remain ready for the challenges of the future.

Exploiting new technologies

Key to our future success will be the extent to which we can identify, embrace and operationalise emerging technologies as we iterate, innovate and evolve our air and space capabilities. In particular, this includes how quickly we can exploit emerging digital technologies and how e ectively we use autonomy and arti cial intelligence to enable future air and space war ghting concepts. It also covers how we develop, along with our key allies,

next-generation capabilities, including hypersonics to ensure that our ability to conduct long-range precision strike remains potent.

Most importantly, con ict remains very much a human endeavour and our success rests with the quality, innovative spirit and operational resilience of our personnel. This necessitates ensuring that we continue to attract, select, develop and prepare our aviators to face the signi cant challenges ahead. Our ability to utilise the vast range of talents and experience, which exists across our whole force, will be key to our long-term success.

I would especially wish to thank my fellow air chiefs for their key contributions to this leading air and space power publication. They highlight that we are stronger together, with the key source of our collective strength being in the quality of our relationships and how well we work together.

I hope that you nd this array of articles to be both interesting and thought-provoking. These contributions from our aviators, senior civil servants, allies and partners, and leaders across the aerospace industry demonstrate the breadth and the depth of our expertise. The combination of these ideas and initiatives will be essential in achieving integrated and interoperable deterrence. Together, we will be ready to deter those who wish us harm, to defend and, if necessary, to defeat aggression against us and to assist our allies and partners whenever and wherever they need us.

Each year, Royal Air Force Typhoon fast jets deploy to the Baltic and Black Sea to protect NATO’s borders (PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

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Simon Michell

Editor, RAF Air & Space Power 2024: Integrated and Interoperable Deterrence

Integration, interoperability and technological collaboration

The theme of this year’s RAF Air and Space Power publication – Integrated and Interoperable Deterrence – re ects an unwelcome realisation that the West now faces a sophisticated group of like-minded potential peer adversaries with an advanced set of military capabilities. Not since the height of the Cold War has NATO, its constituent Member Countries and strategic partners had to contemplate the possibility of a potentially not-too-distant con ict against an adversary that not only matches our capabilities, but in some areas exceeds them.

In his interview, Air Marshal Alan Marshall, underlines the undeniable truth that, to counter the growing threat, the West must be able to ght together as a single integrated entity across all the operational domains – land, sea, air, space and cyber. Not only that, it needs to embrace an evolved doctrine, one that sees agility and the ability to quickly disperse forces as the only way to counter the enhanced situational awareness that emanates from multi-domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, including the introduction of innumerable intelligence-gathering systems paired with ever-faster missile systems and a multitude

of attack drones. Russia’s use of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles against Ukraine, combined with waves of kamikaze drones, serves up a warning that the West cannot ignore.

ACE – Agile Combat Employment

Readers will notice a common theme across many of the articles in this year’s publication, that of Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Events in Ukraine have spotlighted the urgent need for forces to be able to disperse dynamically across their operating areas, often to remote and austere locations. Air Commodore Ady Portlock’s article on ‘Agile Basing to Fly and Fight’, reveals the underlying concept of ACE within the homeland and how it can be achieved.

Air Commodore Lee Turner highlights how the RAF is developing its ACE capabilities alongside allies and partners for operations away from the home base. In addition, this year, we are extremely fortunate to have a contribution from Group Captain Michael Sleeman, Director of the Royal Australian Air Force’s Air & Space Power Centre, and Group Captain Trav Hallen, Director of Strategic Design Royal Australian Air Force Headquarters. They look at ACE from their antipodean perspective and highlight the

The Protector ISTAR RPAS will enter service with the Royal Air Force by the end of 2024 (PHOTO:

importance of embracing Agile Combat Employment in protecting mainland Australia and projecting air power across the Indo-Paci c, where the tyranny of distance adds formidable complications.

Space – the battle above

The UK’s new Space Commander, Major General Paul Tedman, highlights the vital role that space plays in day-to-day activities for commerce, society as a whole and especially Defence. He also points out that, between them, Russia and China are developing capabilities to contest the domain. As an example, in the short period from 2019 to 2021, the combined operational satellite eets of China and Russia grew by 70%. It is for this reason and others that Major General Tedman highlights a set of responses that the West should take to ensure it can keep up with developments in space.

Space is a vital domain when it comes to another key theme of the publication – Multi Domain Operations (MDO), which rely on the ability to integrate and interoperate and act as one across all the domains and alongside sister services and allies. As a baseline towards this MDO capability, Air Vice-Marshal Jason Appleton, explains how Number 2 Group has reorganised itself to achieve more integrated and interoperable capabilities and to become an MDO-centric organisation.

As ever, the RAF Air and Space Power publication tracks the progress of existing and future capability programmes, including RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft systems), ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance), and GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme). This year is no exception, as we hear from Air Commodore Alex Hicks how Protector’s test and evaluation process will be carried out to ensure that the replacement for Reaper reaches its in-service date in 2024.

An update on the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft is o ered up by the Commanding O cer of Number 8 Squadron, Wing Commander Sarah McDonnell, in which she details how the US, UK and Australia will pool their e orts to develop and sustain the capability over the coming years. As well as coverage of the Typhoon and F-35 fast jets, we also include a fascinating explanation from Air Commodore Martin Lowe, FCAS (Future Combat Air System) Programme Director, of how Japan’s recent membership of the Global Combat Air Programme will enhance the capability and strengthen the industrial and technological footprint to develop the system of systems that will be borne out of it.

Prototype warfare

Emerging technology, especially dual-use technology, is becoming an ever more important element in the ability to retain a technological edge over potential adversaries. Prototype warfare is now, once again, key to developing new capabilities to support existing weapon systems rapidly. This is not as easy as just buying a COTS (commercial o -the-shelf) drone and sending it into battle. Group Captain James Bolton highlights the challenges that this complex process involves.

To complement this, the RAF’s Chief Technology O cer, Cecil Buchanan, further describes the hurdles and pitfalls associated with bringing emerging technology from prototype to operational service. Also, as an acknowledgement of the future of air warfare, Mike ‘Pako’ Benitez from Shield AI, in his article ‘Building the World’s Best AI Pilot’, reveals how arti cial intelligence is being used to advance the development of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles.

MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

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Guided by common goals and collective agility

In today’s era of Great Power Competition, no single nation can succeed alone. The character of war is changing, and the pace of change is unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetime. This pace is de ned by the rapid advance of disruptive technology. As technology changes, potential adversaries adapt and seek to exploit the advancements, shifting the strategic environment. Warfare today privileges a few key attributes, but one of the most vital is agility.

We must solve for agility –adapting to the threat with a new kind of speed, power and balance. Like accomplished judo athletes remain on the balls of their feet to enable the most rapid reaction, adaptation and attack, so too can this concept apply to e ective modern warfare. While agility in and of itself provides a level of increased combat e ectiveness, collective agility can be a gamechanger. Collective agility is achieved when every member of the ghting coalition is synchronised, acting and reacting in concert. Through dynamic and e ective command and control, the entire force package can have superior situational awareness and demonstrate speed of recognition, decision and action needed to seize and maintain the initiative.

A single bird in the air or a sh in the ocean uses agility to e ectively navigate through their domain, but a ock of predatory Harris Hawks or a school of barracudas are a force to be reckoned with. Their collective agility

provides the movement and power to work together with tremendous e ect. Individual squadrons throughout many of our air forces achieve this level of synchronicity. The challenge is synchronising across larger, dissimilar units and, eventually, across air forces. Interoperability and a high level of integration are the building blocks of collective agility. The power of this capability was on full display on 13-14 April when Iran and its proxies launched more than 300 airborne weapons across the Middle East. Partner forces destroyed nearly all of them before they reached their targets. This coalition action highlights the e ectiveness of coordination and information sharing to mitigate threats.

The changing character of war requires that we move and think as one, and the events of last April were a glimpse into the future... a glimpse of the increased scope and scale of actions that will be the hallmarks of future warfare.

Integration starts with us. Common values like respect for sovereignty, liberty and the rule of law form the foundation of our relationships. These relationships translate into strategic real-time intelligence sharing and culminate in integrated battlespace activities. The multinational collaboration we’ve seen in support of Ukraine over the past 28 months is an example of what’s possible. The employment of standardised technology among NATO members and across multiple sectors of our industrial base are

promising rst steps. The rapid development of unmanned aerial systems, embodying bleeding-edge lessons learned from the battle eld, illustrates what can be done at speed and scale when our e orts are aligned. We must be integrated by design, and interoperable by necessity.

As part of the U.S. Air Force’s plan to reoptimise for Great Power Competition, we are scaling training opportunities and expanding exercises to deepen interoperability. This summer, air forces from Germany, France and Spain participated in Paci c Skies 24, a series of exercises in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, Australia and India. In the past six months alone, armed forces from a score of INDOPACOM nations trained with the United States during more than 60 unique exercises. These activities are the rst of many to come. We intend to expand the frequency and scale of our exercises, synchronising with our Allies and Partners not only within, but also across regions.

The character of war is changing, and we must change with it. Agility must extend beyond battle eld capabilities and permeate the very bres of our relationships, resulting in institutional – and, eventually –collective agility. This is our destination. We’ll know we’ve reached it when, just like the school of sh as it changes direction, our actions appear seamless, guided by our common goals and enabled by our collective agility.

An integrated and interoperable Air and Space Force

The RAF’s Air and Space Commander, Air Marshal Allan Marshall, highlights to Simon Michell the importance of an integrated and interoperable Air and Space Force

Eective integration and interoperability are proven means of increasing the overall combat e ect that military forces can deliver. Bene ts include increased synergy, e ciency, agility and resilience, and it is an area where, for the most part, Western nations, allies and partners are more advanced and have advantage. The UK is no exception and, “alongside a proven ability to operate with a ‘Joint’ approach internally, has long been an enthusiastic champion of collaborating

with the defence forces of like-minded nations that share our policy aims,” a rms the RAF’s Air and Space Commander, Air Marshal Allan Marshall.

The pre-eminent alliance that underpins this drive for a cohesive multinational military capability is NATO. However, the UK is also involved in a range of other partnerships that enhance and deepen integration and interoperability, often using the baseline standards of the NATO Alliance. These include collaborations such as the Five Eyes intelligence-

Interoperability among NATO nations is highlighted by the ability to refuel each other’s aircraft in the air

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

An RAF Typhoon, French Air Force Rafale, USAF F-35A, RAF F-35B and a second French Air Force Rafale y together as part of Exercise Atlantic Trident in November 2023

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

sharing group of nations, the Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), which aligns the UK with Nordic and Baltic nations, the Five Powers Defence Arrangements, and numerous bilateral relationships. This level of international cooperation highlights that the UK already has a rm foundation for integration and interoperability, but the journey is far from over. With a clear imperative to maximise the deterrent e ect of forces and, by implication, their potency, the need to pursue further integration and interoperability is clear. “There is still a lot to do. In fact, it is an enduring process,” con rms Air Marshal Marshall, “but, there is no doubt that the western approach to military cooperation is the envy of the other major global powers, speci cally China and Russia, and it is an imperative that we retain our advantage.”

Command and Control is key

In terms of what the RAF is doing to enhance its Air and Space integration and interoperability, a key focus remains on air command and control (C2). Here, over recent years, the C2 of all air activity has been simpli ed and brought together at a central point within Number 11 Group and its Air Component Commander, and this construct is now well understood and established. “By doing so, not only have we been able to better integrate within the RAF, but also with our sister Services via Joint Headquarters, and wider with International partners.” As you would expect, the Space Command Space Operations Centre ful ls an equivalent role, linking into Joint Headquarters, as well as into the US-led Olympic Defender Programme and beyond.

Maximising the delity and timeliness of shared Air and Space awareness information is another important element. Here, in addition to introducing new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and embracing commercially available feeds, such as satellite imagery or open-source information, having the means and policy permissions to share swiftly and securely with partners is paramount. “Those who share the greatest amount of situational awareness, at the highest update rate, and have the policies and permissions to take collective action, have a signi cant advantage in con ict,” reveals Air Marshal Marshall.

Beyond C2 and Air and Space awareness, the ability to operate capabilities in an integrated manner is an evident requirement in order to maximise the overall mass and e ect that can be achieved. Here, the Air domain is well established, with the approach of Combined Air Operations having been in place for decades, allowing di erent platform types, multinational where required, to operate in a synergistic manner. This approach is routinely utilised on operations and practised during training across the globe – examples include the UK’s Cobra Warrior exercise series, Red Flag in the US, Desert Flag in the Middle East, Ramstein Flag in Europe and Pitch Black in Australia.

Alongside agreed tactics, procedures and C2, the interoperability achieved is underpinned by having the right connectivity between platforms and the wider C2 network to securely share orders, targets and situational awareness. Additionally, the ability to share airborne refuelling assets is key. “We have a good baseline for cooperation here and can rapidly deploy

(left to right)

and operate capabilities together across the globe for control of the air, strike, ISR or air mobility missions, but there is much more to be done to reach our full potential within NATO and other partnerships,” says Air Marshal Marshall. “We must keep exercising, pushing the boundaries of, and policies for, cooperation, and ensuring we have equipment that can operate as part of an integrated force, not in isolation.

“The proliferation of common platforms – such as Typhoon, F-35 and, potentially, E-7 – gives us some advantage in this area, but there remains much to be done, as we need to leverage all elements of multinational forces to deliver the greatest deterrent e ect and war ghting capability. An area for particular focus must be our ability to operate together within a contested electromagnetic environment, as the con ict in Ukraine has clearly demonstrated how challenging that environment is likely to be in the future.”

ACE – Agile Combat Employment

In addition to increased interoperability within C2, air/space awareness and air operations, many air forces are also, rightly, reviewing the resilience and survivability of their forces, not just in the air but also on the ground. This is exempli ed in the concept of Agile Combat Employment (ACE), which, while not a new concept, is swiftly gaining renewed traction in the UK, US, NATO and further a eld.

ACE, where aircraft launch, recover and are sustained from dispersed operating locations, often in coordination with allies and partners, enhances

resilience, complicates adversary planning and targeting, and broadens the options available to commanders. Here, in addition to having su cient sovereign enablers and deployable C2, the Air Marshal judges that international interoperability must be a priority. Common enablers along with permissions and training to support others’ platforms are key, to allow nations to use a wider range of operating locations for refuelling, rearming and servicing. “We are trying to make our enablers as generic as possible, so that these resources can be shared. Shared weapons stockpiles and/or permissions for carriage and use of others’ weapons o er signi cant bene ts.”

The ability to maintain, mission programme and even operate others’ assets can also add value; however, here the challenges are likely to be far greater in terms of policy and permissions, hence the priority should be at getting basic levels of interoperability assured as part of ACE, as this is where the greatest value can be added in the near term.

It is clear that Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and uncertainty over China’s intentions in areas of the Indo Paci c, has increased the imperative to deepen integration and interoperability both within and among Air and Space Forces. Air Marshal Marshall insists, “Such is the opportunity that this cooperation o ers that we must invest in it to maximise the e ect that we can collectively deliver, to deter adversaries and, if necessary, prevail in con ict. Our Global Air & Space Chiefs Conference provides an excellent opportunity to further this ambition.”

F-35s from the RAF, Royal Australian Air Force, US Navy and US Marine Corps line up while on Exercise Northern Edge 2023 in the Gulf of Alaska (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

An all-domain web of capabilities

Nick Cha ey Chief Executive UK, Northrop Grumman Corporation

What does the changing global threat environment mean for the air domain?

I think few would disagree that the emerging threat from near peer adversaries is both substantial and rapidly evolving. Our adversaries have increasingly advanced air forces and weapons, capable of projecting power over extremely long ranges and at high speed.

The advent of hypersonic weapons, low-cost high-mass attacks, and nextgeneration stealth all demand far faster operational re exes than our forces have previously faced. And these threats exist on an ever-widening spectrum, blurring the lines between traditional warfare domains.

The air domain, and supremacy of it, remains essential in dictating the dynamic of con icts. But achieving and maintaining that air supremacy is now harder than ever, and that di culty will only continue to increase. Against the near-peer threats of tomorrow, we should accept that air superiority will need to be locally targeted, agile and incisive, and operationally exible.

What capabilities do you see as a priority?

I think we need to look at a wide range of interconnected developments. We must, of course, continue to work hard to

develop and deliver the exquisite nextgeneration platforms. Sixth-generation aircraft, such as the B-21 Raider, and the development of advanced unmanned platforms can provide forces with powerful new capabilities and a decisive advantage for future con icts. This is an area where Northrop Grumman has a long and proud history.

As we have seen in Ukraine, modern air defence is extremely e ective in denying the reliable operation of all but the most advanced air platforms. Persisting in these denied environments requires capabilities that can continue to defeat radar, maintain stealth and utilise LPD/LPI communications. Future developments that leverage very high speed and altitude advantages could prove highly valuable. If we look left of launch, investing in advanced SEAD/DEAD capabilities is also essential. Solutions such AARGM-ER are designed to disable even the most advanced enemy air defences before they have a chance to attack our forces.

Linking capabilities across domains is also an increasingly critical force multiplier. For example, space-based assets are increasingly key di erentiators. The high delity, persistence and low latency of modern space-based ISR provides an ideal complement to long-range, long-endurance air C4ISR platforms like Triton. But space is also ever-more contested. Assuring our assets and monitoring adversary activity is already of paramount importance. Capabilities like DARC are vital to this mission.

Orchestrating this all-domain web of deployed forces and capabilities requires systems that are built from the ground up to be open and interoperable, linking every sensor and e ector into a common picture across services and allied forces. And it is that common picture that will allow rapid and e ective coordination of response to any threat,

while also intelligently managing munitions stockpiles. This is the philosophy behind our IBCS system, which continues to evolve both operationally and technically.

How can we accelerate from concept to execution?

I think a key takeaway is that much of the technology we need is available today. The real challenge is developing solutions for our customers that meet their speci c needs, while enabling allies to work together seamlessly. Key to this e ort is partnership. Modern capabilities rely on industry working together, and at Northrop Grumman we are committed to building these types of partnerships around the world – from national champions to innovative start-ups. Policy initiatives such as AUKUS hold real potential to further unlock a new age of collaboration among allied forces and the industrial base that supports them. Agility in procurement, deployment and improvement of capabilities is also an area I see growing in importance, ensuring our servicemen and women have the right tools when they need them. Employing a digital- rst mindset can help here. Digital engineering allows the rapid prototyping and deployment of new solutions and upgrades, with engineers able to test performance and integration before a single tool is lifted. The employment of advanced modelling and simulation technologies can also allow industry and customers to understand how a set of capabilities can work together to deliver e ect in a future real-world deployment. Finally, we must continue our progress towards truly open, extensible systems built for integration from day one. A resilient and adaptable web of systems – from seabed to space and among allied forces – will unlock the agility, redundancy and information advantage we require to defend against the threats of today and tomorrow.

Achieving Integrated Air and Missile Defence

Northrop Grumman’s Business Development Director, Paul Tremelling, reveals the pathway to achieving an integrated and interoperable air-defence capability

Sometimes not much changes, save for the nomenclature. Commencing on 13 June 1944, the United Kingdom came under concerted cruise missile attack. The British called the weapons ‘doodlebugs’. Approximately 10,000 V1 weapons were launched in a campaign that saw weapon use peak at hundreds per day. The weapon could be surface- and air-launched. Advances by allied land forces in Europe denied the enemy launch sites, and, as logistical targets became available to the enemy elsewhere, weapons were also launched at Antwerp.

Weapon-to-target matching was limited by accuracy, with the wunderwa e employed against cities. They were thought by enemy planners to

deliver a terrorising e ect. A layered defence system, previously used to defend against the crewed e orts of the Luftwa e earlier in the war, achieved some success. Defensive Counter Air ghters, cued by ground-based radar and dependent on voice communications, were able to destroy and disrupt weapons in ight. Anti-Aircraft Artillery, geographically de-con icted from friendly ghters, were also e ective, as were passive defences.

The weapon with no obvious counter was the infamous V2. A trajectory with an apogee of over 80km encompassed both air and space domains, its supersonic arrival and larger warhead setting it apart from its V-weapon stable mate. Allied forces thus employed a ‘left of launch’ methodology,

Interoperability is becoming increasingly important to allied forces’ ability to work together seamlessly

(IMAGE: NORTHROP GRUMMAN)

By using the IBCS system, Polish armed forces are able to connect sensors and air-defence weapon systems that were not initially designed to work together (PHOTO: U.S. ARMY)

with combined bomber raids mounted against targets such as Peenemunde and Wizernes. German forces responded by adopting an agile employment concept of moveable V2 launchers.

Then and now: the all-domain threat

While the parallels between then and now are stark, so are some key di erences. Chief among those di erences is that we must now consider a vast continuum of airborne threats across system size, e ective range, operating height and speed.

Modern-day Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) must be able to defend against the short-range, hand-launched drone and all the way up the capability continuum to the ballistic missile – and everything in between.

Here we see a blurring of domains: there has been discourse concerning the Air Littoral in an attempt to understand threats and responsibility in the very low altitudes. It has been observed that small, disposable drones could be viewed as land-domain weaponry, allowing employment of traditional munitions such as grenades with greater reach and accuracy, but with no fundamental di erence in operator or target set. Counter-UAS systems are sometimes thought to be distinct from Ground Based Air Defence, which in turn is

in some way dislocated from wider control-of-theair thinking. This all-domain mindset must also extend upwards to the space domain, increasingly capable and vital, but also increasingly contested.

The target set is now also as continuous as the threat. Enemy forces might well target critical national infrastructure, government, the defence industrial base and lines of supply. They might target purely military targets, such as bases and barracks, air and sea points of disembarkation and elded forces.

As ever, seeking to defend everything is impractical, and recent con icts have shown that threat nations do not necessarily think or act as we would. From an IAMD sense, this means that we should not expect threat actors to follow western doctrine. It also means that we should have a very hard think about what indicators and warnings would be available and what sensors, bearers and deciders would be available after the opening salvoes of a peer-on-peer con ict.

Fielding an orchestra: interoperability remains the answer

If we were to look at the threat problem in a slightly simplistic way, it could be broken into left of launch, in ight and right of impact. Industry can assist with all three to varying degrees, as the tasks might be characterised as: Understand and Deter; Sense-Decide-E ect; and Survive to Fight.

A truly signi cant challenge is scale. Even if pooled and coordinated, it is unlikely that defence spend across NATO, given the current status of forces and systems, will result in the ability to defend every metre of frontline and every kilometre of depth against a concerted strike. Therefore we have to prioritise and integrate as an alliance. If there is a single lesson to come out of recent con icts, it is that capabilities need to be interoperable with those of our allies.

This interoperability would have an enormous deterrent e ect. Fighting against a nodeless, redundant system is hard and the enemy knows it. Their worst-case scenario would be facing a true system of systems. It would: possess no obvious critical nodes to target; detect and identify threats immediately; self-heal on the loss of any sensor or e ector; and orchestrate assets and preserve magazine depth to defeat massed threats e ciently. It would manage the physical, information and electromagnetic landscapes to best e ect. In essence, it would ght back.

To achieve this means shifting towards a truly distributed command and control (C2) network, with sensors and e ectors decoupled from one another and, instead, ‘on the net’. Further integration of space-based capabilities is also essential, leveraged to

provide pre- and post-launch tracking of threats, force cueing, and a hyper-resilient layer of communication.

Naturally, the enemy will seek to destroy and disrupt interoperable systems. They will target the systems and interoperability itself, notably through the electromagnetic spectrum. The network itself will need to be resilient against cyber and electromagnetic attack. Technologies exist that can help and must be prioritised. Low probability of intercept/low probability of detection (LPI/LPD) techniques exist to deny the enemy easy access to our bearers. It is possible to use arti cial intelligence/ machine learning (AI/ML) to detect inhibitors, and nd ways around them – much as Cold War warriors would have done manually to avoid comms jamming.

Similarly, as the space domain becomes an ever more important part of this new orchestra of capability, it is also more contested than ever before. Threat nations’ space assets are growing in scale and sophistication alongside our own. The defence of our assets in space, and the links between space and other domains, must be considered in concert with assets in all other domains.

From aspiration to execution: reality requires exibility

In terms of aspiration, the defence enterprise is in lock-step here. We have heard various defence seniors talk about interoperability and interchangeability. We have heard the battle cries ‘On the net or o the battle eld’ and even ‘Stop buying new stu and join up what I’ve already got’. At the same time, industry has developed the technologies that would deliver exactly this and both the deterrent and war ghting e ect that we seek. Indeed, at Northrop Grumman, our Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) solution continues to prove that true integration is possible today –whether that be with new space-layer sensors, across allied nations, or with highly capable assets not traditionally associated with IAMD, such as the F-35. There must also be an acknowledgement of industrial realism. Given the necessity for governments to support local and national industry, it is unlikely that the Alliance will adopt a universal, ubiquitous NATO air defence radar, cueing an equally universal surface-to-air missile, using a universal C2 system. Therefore, we need to ensure that these indigenous capabilities that give their countries the freedom of action, modi cation and upgrade that they rightly demand are still able to integrate into a common operating framework. Indeed, the Ground-based Air Defence/Integrated Air and Missile Defence (GBAD/IAMD) contexts and requirements of the US Army and Polish Air Force di er in a great many ways – both are successfully powered by IBCS.

Industry will re ect the desires of the customer, and the customer should be demanding not only open but common systems to allow rapid development, upgrade and integration with future capabilities, both domestic and allied. Military procurements thus need to actively guard against closed, bespoke or proprietary technologies. The obvious bene ts of open systems should not be unpicked by having to choose between them.

The technology is ready now

It is, obviously, possible to share target tracks across tactical data links, such as Link-16. In purely technical terms, a British soldier or airman could, today, engage an enemy target received as a link track from an allied combatant and prosecute an attack. That ‘Engage on Remote’ capability has been possible for well over a decade.

Permissions-based systems following a publish/ subscribe model are a very viable solution. So long as individual nations are prepared to share the required data, this will work across an alliance. The joy of a digital architecture is that nations can still protect what they do not want to share: multi-level and cross-domain guards and gates can achieve both sharing and withholding. That is all to say: the obstacles to successful allied integration are not technical or industrial.

While the developing continuum of IAMD threats is truly vast, the worst thing to do seems to be to do nothing. Indeed every step forward made by the defence enterprise – uniformed, not in uniform or in industry – seems to contribute directly to IAMD. In 1944, the United Kingdom was part of a well-founded and determined alliance. That remains the case today. As nations and NATO evolve solutions, interoperability has to be the hill we die on.

Eighty years ago, the UK came under persistent cruise and ballistic missile attack from V1 (left) and V2 weapons (PHOTO: ODEN’S DAWN/ALAMY)

The battle above

INTEGRATING AND ASSURING UK SPACE CAPABILITY INTO MULTI-DOMAIN OPERATIONS

Major General Paul Tedman CBE, Commander of UK Space Command, highlights the urgent need to enhance the UK’s ability to ght in and from space

The UK and Europe rely on a wide array of satellites to enable essential services, such as power networks

(IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK/ NICOELNINO)

“If you haven’t realised it yet, it’s all about space; space has emerged as our most essential war ghting domain.” Admiral Christopher Grady, US Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Sta – US/NATO Allied War ghter Talks, October 2023

Economic imperatives and military applications

Space is one the UK’s critical national infrastructure sectors. Economists report that circa 30% of the UK economy is enabled by space; Britons rely on about 40 satellites a day to navigate, communicate and transmit data. For example, Precision Navigation and Timing (PNT) services transmit timing signals for banking, farming and electrical power grids, as well as enabling communications across wireless internet and navigation services for rail, road and air.

A 2018 study, undertaken on behalf of the UK Government, highlighted that disruption to PNT services could cost the UK economy £1 billion a day.

Furthermore, as Admiral Grady reminds us, e ects delivered or enabled by space are also central to how we ght. Technological advances in sensing ( nd), decision-making (decide) and precision long-range attack (strike) enable dramatically faster, long-range, all-domain, precision engagements, conferring a strategic advantage over a peer adversary. We now live in an era of advanced engagements where, if it moves or emits, and is not under cover, it will likely be seen and targeted by space-based or -enabled capabilities. Even an unclassi ed review of evolving lessons from Ukraine demonstrates that, when maritime, land and air domain operations have largely ground to a stalemate, space-enabled advanced engagements have dominated.

Adversary-driven threats

Our adversaries also understand the importance of space and are actively developing capabilities to contest the domain. According to a US Defence Intelligence Agency report from 2022, between 2019 and 2021 the combined operational satellite eets of China and Russia grew by 70%.

As part of its emerging multi-domain precision warfare concept, China is deploying capabilities to enable a space-based kill web. On 27 July 2021, China tested the rst fractional orbital launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle ying 40,000km in 100 minutes, demonstrating the greatest distance own and longest ight time of any Chinese weapons system to date. In October 2021, we saw a Shijian 21 satellite grapple a derelict PNT satellite, move it to the Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO) graveyard belt and return to GEO at extraordinary speeds – the counter space applicability is clear.

Three months before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia successfully tested the NUDOL Direct Assent – Anti-Satellite (ASAT) system against one its defunct PNT satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The resultant 1,500 pieces of debris created a collision risk for all satellites in LEO.

We must conclude that China and Russia have weaponised space and demonstrated the will to use ASAT weapons. This evolving threat, coupled with space congestion (circa 9,000 orbiting satellites in 2024 rising to between 60,000-100,000 by 2030), and the absence of comprehensive space governance, treaties and arms-control measures, underscores the urgency for action to assure national security in the face of rapidly evolving threats.

Strategic responses

If the ends are becoming clear, our constrained resources dictate that, regardless of necessity, there is no automatic recourse to greater means, and a trade-o that envisages fewer aircraft, ships and tanks but more satellites is likely unpalatable. A more imaginative blend of ways is required to bridge the gulf between aspirational sovereign capability and the resources available. Illustratively, the most salient elements of this approach could be:

First, ensuring that the public and policymakers are aware of our dependence on space and the threat to our way of life and way of war. Many in the UK understand that space is no longer an enabling operational capability, but a national strategic capability in its own right. Lord Hague wrote in The Times on 29 January 2023 that, “It is well understood that we need big investment in new areas of technology such as drones, sensors and space”. This understanding now needs to translate into policy and the means to deliver and assure space missions to a level commensurate

with the impact of their loss or degradation to our national security. The UK’s 2022 Integrated Review allocated £1.4 billion over 10 years to space capability, which, when added to existing funding, equates to less than 1% of defence’s annual spend.

Second, and closer to home in UK Defence, we must normalise the space domain and ensure its seamless integration into joint operations. Normalising space involves dispelling the mystique surrounding space operations and breaking down the barriers that impede comprehensive understanding and utilisation of space capabilities. This entails fostering a culture of space literacy among policymakers, military leaders and the public, wherein the signi cance of space to national security, economic prosperity and military operations is unequivocally recognised.

Third, and building on this normalisation, we must recognise that space is an inherently ‘Joint’ domain and that the traditional physical domains are increasingly dependent on it. This drives an imperative for an unprecedented level of tri-service cooperation and the need to provide a space frame of reference for our military leaders who have spent most of their careers considering sea, land and air domains.

The Chief of Sta of the US Army (CSA) has grasped the importance of space. In January 2024, he co-signed the ‘Army Space Vision Supporting Multidomain Operations’, in which he states, “Successful operations in and through the space domain will be crucial to our success... simply put, we will be operating under constant surveillance and must invest in the knowledge and forces to counter threat space systems and enable our own systems... developing new space capabilities, organisations and trained professional soldiers to deliver e ects for Army manoeuvre forces is critical to multi-domain operations”. The CSA rightly highlights that failure to mitigate space threats upstream will create deterrence challenges across all domains and increase risk to the Joint Force.

Skynet 6 will enable UK Strategic Command and UK Space Command to deliver information advantage and superiority in both standing tasks and contingent operations (IMAGE: AIRBUS)

UK Space Command will need to work with its allies and partners to maximise joint capabilities

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Denying, countering or limiting the e ects of adversary space systems will be critical to protecting terrestrial forces and winning advanced engagements. Accordingly, we must identify and exploit elded joint capability that could deliver non-traditional space e ects, and better understand where we need to be more competitive to deter and, if necessary, ght and win the battle above. Space is Joint, and Joint includes Space.

Fourth, international cooperation also plays a pivotal role in a ording us access to the space

and interoperability under the banner of its 2022 ‘overarching space policy’. This work is nascent, largely focused on information-sharing, coordination, doctrine and standardisation, and, therefore, represents an opportunity for early investment and in uence.

Fifth, we should learn from US experiences and take more risk to reform procurement processes and cooperate with commercial providers to develop a hybrid military and commercial architecture. Ministry of Defence procurement processes designed for 20th-century large capital programmes are not t for a digital 21st century, where space technology evolution can be measured in just months.

Although some space mission areas have assurance requirements that necessitate government ownership, many could be delivered by accessing dual-use commercial services. There will need to be further analysis to characterise the commercial space sector and the possible risks and limitations of employing the services on o er. However, there are numerous opportunities to incorporate commercial business practices and to generate demand signals within industry that will bring bene t. Procurement reform would allow UK space capability to accelerate, as well as build industrial resilience and capacity through growth of the UK sector, thus supporting the UK’s prosperity agenda.

“Denying, countering or limiting the e ects of adversary space systems will be critical to protecting terrestrial forces and winning advanced engagements”

capabilities of allies and partners. Given the transnational nature of space operations and the increasingly congested and contested space environment, collaboration with like-minded nations is imperative for enhancing deterrence, fortifying space resilience and countering adversarial actions.

AUKUS, with its stated aim of improving joint capabilities, technology transfer and interoperability, represents an existing framework to deepen and accelerate space cooperation, but, to date, explicit space cooperation has been omitted. Including space within AUKUS would bring much-needed emphasis to space collaboration and exploit a deep well of trust to enable classi ed information-sharing and reduce intellectual property and trade barriers.

Equally, the UK should take a leading role in NATO’s space development. NATO declared space an operational domain in 2019 and, subsequently, agreed to develop workstrands related to capability

In conclusion, barely 40 years after the rst powered ight, Field Marshal Montgomery was su ciently convinced of his army’s dependence on the air to state publicly, “If we lose the war in the air, we lose the war and we lose it quickly”. We are now at a similar in ection point in space that demands equivalent vision and contains opportunity and threat in equal measure.

Investment in sovereign space capability and exploring innovative ways to deliver capability are urgently necessary. E ectively framing our dependence on space, normalising the domain, exploiting extant joint capabilities, formalising mutual defence agreements and reforming procurement to develop a hybrid military/commercial architecture are all essential steps towards safeguarding the UK’s national security interests in space. We must act now if we are to deter and, if necessary, ght and win the battle above – it is no longer a choice.

General B. Chance Saltzman

Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force

Competitive

Endurance: integrated deterrence

to prevent con ict in the space domain

Over the past two decades, space capabilities have come to the forefront of US military operations, underpinning the Joint and Combined Force’s ability to perform all-domain command and control, long-range precision res, global movement and manoeuvre, persistent targeting, and missile defence. Our adversaries have recognised this synergy and are elding systems to challenge our advantages in the domain, while increasing their ability to utilise space for their own gain.

At the same time, we have seen the use of space increase at an astronomical rate. Space has become vital for not only global security, but for the worldwide economy and, unequivocally, our very way of life.

Collectively, these fundamental changes in the security environment have led to what I believe is a new era in space. This new era requires a new evaluation of how the U.S. Space Force is oriented to mitigate risks, respond to threats and deter our adversaries – one centred around a theory of success we call Competitive Endurance. It is a working theory of success, not victory, because it seeks to ensure our adversaries are never desperate enough or emboldened enough to pursue combat operations in space. This means space forces must have the ability to endure by sustaining a perpetual state of competition as the preferable condition to crisis or con ict.

At its core, Competitive Endurance is a theory of integrated deterrence –leveraging a combination of defensive measures, resilience-building e orts and credible space control capabilities to dissuade potential adversaries and maintain a favourable security environment. The goal is to ensure our Joint and Combined Forces can achieve space superiority when necessary, while also protecting the safety, stability, security and long-term sustainability of the space domain.

“Space has become vital for not only global security, but for the worldwide economy and... our very way of life”

Competitive Endurance has three core tenets:

– Avoid operational surprise: We must detect and pre-empt any changes in the operational environment that could compromise a safe, secure and stable space domain;

– Deny rst-mover advantage: We must make a rst strike in space impractical and self-

defeating, and thus discourage an adversary from taking such action in the rst place;

– Responsible counterspace campaigning: We must be able to conduct military activities in the space domain that enable us to protect our nation, the Joint Force and the Combined Force from space-enabled attack without generating hazardous, persistent debris.

This theory’s viability rests on our ability to build a coalition to uphold and strengthen a rules-based international order for space. Integral to the success of Competitive Endurance is a robust framework for international cooperation and coordination. Given the inherently global nature of space activities and the interconnectedness of space systems, collaboration among space-faring nations is indispensable for enhancing space situational awareness, promoting responsible behaviour and establishing norms of behaviour in space. Competitive Endurance represents a forward-looking approach to safeguarding interests and maintaining stability in the space domain. By integrating defensive measures, resilience-building e orts, credible space control capabilities and international cooperation, likeminded nations can e ectively deter aggression, mitigate risks and uphold the security and sustainability of space activities for future generations.

Deterrence is so much more than just a big stick

Air Marshal (Retd) Greg Bagwell, President of the Air & Space Power Association, considers the basic elements of deterrence in the context of a changing world

It is with more than a hint of irony that the theme of this year’s Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference is Deterrence, when all we see around us is how deterrence has failed or is failing. But that, of course, is the reason why this is such a vital theme at such a critical time. When seeking to deter an aggressor there are a few basic elements that one needs to consider:

Firstly, you need to have a very good understanding of what the mind, motivation, will and objectives of your opponent are – what we have learned recently to our and others’ cost is that our values and sense of fair play are not shared equally elsewhere. We have some clear-eyed thinking and some toughening up to do. Secondly, you need to identify and agree your own objectives and desired outcomes. Alliances such as NATO can be unbeatable when they are united, and it is especially pleasing to see Finland and Sweden join us here as NATO’s newest members; they have always been close friends and they will strengthen the Alliance immensely.

But while our diversity is our strength, it can also be our weakness. Consensus and clear signalling is vital, and we all have a duty to ensure that our political leadership understands their role is more than just allocating a certain percentage of GDP to defence, and so much more than their own personal or party ambition. National defence, of which deterrence is a vital part, is always a fundamental responsibility of governments, and not just something to worry about come election time or when the wolf comes knocking.

Present a credible counter

Lastly, you must have the tools to back up your words (more of that later); you need to present a credible counter to your opponent’s aims and an unshakeable willingness to meet your own. It is hard to know which of the three elements we have got the most wrong with regard to Ukraine; the honest truth is that we have failed at each one to varying degrees over a number of years and we now nd ourselves at a precipice.

And when you nd yourself at that precipice it is at that time, and only then, when you know that your deterrence has failed. For so long, we convinced ourselves that a major

war in Europe was unthinkable. And not only have we miscalculated the strength or relevance of our deterrence, but also we have forgotten how to react when it fails.

Ever since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, we have heard only about needing to de-escalate the con ict or, at the very least, avoid escalation. The problem is that we have sought to achieve that through our own restraint, rather than impose restraint on the opponent, other than some economic sanctions.

On the horns of a dilemma in Ukraine, we have sought solace in supplying arms and training at arm’s length, and even then we have limited supplies, delayed delivery and, after all that, applied restrictions on its use. I am fairly certain that was not the strongest signal of deterrence to an aggressor, who had no such limits. Even when we had signi cant evidence of failure and weakness of the aggressor, we failed to be ruthless enough to capitalise, and opportunities have been missed to cap or curtail the con ict.

We may be entirely uncomfortable and unfamiliar with a war of this nature, scale and brutality (at least this close to home), but we need to learn quickly and we need to learn well, so that we

“You must have the tools to back up your words; you need to present a credible counter to your opponent’s aims and an unshakeable willingness to meet your own”

With the expansion into space and cyberspace, the world has become more

can both restore the status quo ante and ensure that we don’t make the same mistakes again. Most importantly, we need to re-learn that deterrence is not binary – you don’t just set a red line and hope it’s not crossed. You may need to escalate to de-escalate, and we need to come to terms with the fact that this needs to address the spectre of nonconventional deterrence and the threat of their use, especially when malign actors have no compunction in doing so. Which brings me to my nal point – that of the need to have the tools to back up your words. We have all known that early identi cation of an emerging threat is critical if you wish to ramp-up production and capacity to meet a major threat – in the UK we used to use a 10-year rule. As interstate con ict has faded from memory and an increasing drive for

e ciency for many has reduced our mass, our stockpiles and contingency capacity and infrastructure, meaning that we nd ourselves more poorly prepared for the sort of threat we now face than we would wish.

So we have some deep thinking and questioning to do; those of us old enough will be in very familiar territory, but even in our day there were some rules of the game that meant everyone knew where they

“We need to re-learn that deterrence is not binary – you don’t just set a red line and hope it’s not crossed”

The good news is that NATO remains a strong and credible alliance, but it is under attack even before the guns start ring. We need to be hard-nosed and honest about where we have allowed our capability to atrophy, and equally honest about what can be done in the near term.

stood – those rules have gone and whether it is space, cyberspace, social or other media, the world has become a more complex and less predictable place. So yes, deterrence is more than just a big stick, but without one and the willingness to employ it, it is no deterrent at all.

complex and less predictable (PHOTO: ASPA)

Number 1 Group –integrating the front line

The Air Mobility Force has been fully integrated into No 1 Group. Its A400M Atlas aircraft are seen here delivering humanitarian aid to Türkiye after the devastating earthquake in 2023 (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

“Peace is our aim and strength the only way of getting it.”

FSir Winston Churchill

or Number 1 Group (No 1 Gp), the past year has been a phenomenal period, in which the Group has concluded a signi cant transformation to bring true interoperability across the RAF’s front-line forces, all while consistently delivering decisive Air Power on operations and exercises across the globe. With the Air Mobility Force now fully embedded within the Group, all front-line force elements are now under a single coherent Command, seamlessly docking with No 2 Gp as the Global Enabler and No 11 Gp as the Global Air Component to meet the demands of today, while being prepared for the security challenges of tomorrow. With the Air Mobility, ISTAR and Combat Air Forces working alongside each other, ably

supported by the Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC), this new and unifying structure continues to ensure that the Group is geared and focused to support the RAF’s operational output. The result is a collegiate working environment that enables best use of collective resource and the sharing of best practice, resulting in a structural foundation that has optimised force generation, collective training, readiness and resilience. One of the most obvious bene ts of these changes is a Group that brings the Air Wings together by design, driving a shared understanding of issues and risks, thereby enhancing the RAF’s ability to collectively deter and defend. Central to this success, the ASWC has remained at the forefront of our war ghting thinking, embracing the lessons from current con icts, while maximising the exploitation of the Air and Space domains. The results speak for themselves: the ISTAR Force has delivered battle-winning intelligence

product and operational e ect, often side-by-side with the Combat Air Force on operations; and the Air Mobility Force has continued to provide UK Defence with the ability to rapidly deploy, sustain and recover, remaining fundamental to the timely delivery of Defence manoeuvre. The successful integration of these force elements has been further underlined by success on recent operations, including the proportionate intervention by the UK and US after Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, where the Combat Air Force, supported by the Air Mobility Force, successfully delivered a deterrent e ect in Yemen. Alongside the ISTAR Force providing essential situational awareness in the region, and the ASWC championing rapid capability development through the Prototype Warfare Team, this new structure has helped enhance our approach to operations over the past 12 months working seamlessly alongside No 11 Gp.

Embracing new capabilities

The Group has also continued to adapt to embrace new capabilities to enhance our ability to defend and deter, where examples in this past year are manifold, including: the rst ight of Protector in the UK; continued progress towards initial operating capability for the UK’s second F-35B Lightning Squadron – 809 Naval Air Squadron (NAS); rapid progression towards full operating capability for the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft; growth across the Rivet Joint enterprise and its world-leading capabilities; continued and rapid expansion of A400M capabilities, including parachuting; while also preparing for the introduction to service of the E-7 Wedgetail and its next-generation Airborne Early Warning and Control capability.

As we consider the modern Air and Space Power arena, the operational environment is characterised by rapidly evolving threats and complex security challenges, demanding agile and decisive Air Power, supported by an operational mindset that is focused on ying and ghting. In this, Agile Combat Employment (ACE) remains at the heart of the Group’s ability to deter and defend, where No 1 Gp force elements are focused on being ready to ght from home or overseas.

Delivering humanitarian aid

Con ict, instability and insecurity across the globe, alongside unfortunate natural disasters, have seen aircraft across all force elements widely employed in the delivery of humanitarian aid and non-combatant evacuations. From earthquakes in Türkiye and Morocco, and ooding in Libya, to non-combatant evacuations from Sudan and Israel, the rapid and agile approach of No 1 Gp force elements has been a critical linchpin to support those in need. Furthermore, existing in-service capabilities continue to be enhanced, including the A400M’s record 22-hour ight to Guam as part of Exercise Mobility Guardian, and Typhoon’s successful operations from a public highway in Finland, highlighting the signi cant strides across the Group in support of the development of ACE.

Set against a context of competing demands across Defence and a backdrop of global instability, the integration of all front-line force elements has not only enhanced interoperability, but has also bolstered the RAF’s ability to deter and defend against emerging threats. By building upon the progress made thus far and embracing a culture of continuous improvement, the RAF’s force elements remain focused on delivering today, while preparing to deter and, if necessary, confront the challenges of tomorrow.

No 1 Group is making continued progress towards achieving initial operating capability of its second frontline squadron – 809 Naval Air Squadron (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

This year’s Chief of the Air Sta ’s Global Air and Space Chiefs’ Conference takes place in a time which calls on all of us to take a clear and decisive stand. Our decisions are going to determine our future for decades.

Our level of ambition

The strategic situation, rst and foremost, requires responsive armed forces. It is important to demonstrate and prove that we guarantee security for every inch of any NATO Member State.

Our bilateral cooperation is a leading example of how a trusting and integrated partnership strengthens the air power of the Transatlantic Alliance.

Together with the RAF, we have already implemented Combined Air Policing at NATO’s eastern ank. We have built up a combined contingent, developed synergies, conserved resources and signi cantly increased our interoperability and combined strike power.

The plan for summer 2024 is to deploy the Luftwa e again to the Indo-Paci c region. Our Exercise Paci c Skies will be a clear commitment by European nations to intensify security cooperation with valued partners and democracies. We want to consolidate cooperation, improve our interoperability and exchange experiences. The participation of the RAF side-by-side with the Luftwa e

Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz

Chief of the German Air Force

The Luftwa e at an historical turning point

at Exercises Pitch Black, held in Northern Australia, and Tarang Shakti in India are a strong sign of our cooperation and projection of air power.

Proving the Alliance`s

strength

The RAF is an impressive example of a fully operational and modern air force in Europe. And we are connected on many levels. Our cooperation is not based on a single project, but a wide variety of many di erent initiatives.

Chinook cooperation will raise our partnership to a new level. The enormously increasing complexity of future threats, combined with rapid technological development, requires joint e orts in order to be able to ensure the military’s ability to act. These challenges cannot be solved by one country alone – the coordinated development of strategies and capabilities,

“We are glad to further intensify our already outstanding contacts by becoming part of the F-35 family”

Over the course of the last few months, our cooperation has gained a signi cant new momentum. We are glad to further intensify our already outstanding contacts by becoming part of the F-35 family. The decision to procure this jet strengthens our ability to secure NATO airspace and defend the Alliance together with our partners. Joining the F-35 programme is an important milestone that will further intensify our ties. Shared weapons systems are the best basis for even closer cooperation. This also applies to our decision on the Chinook helicopter. We will also take the opportunity here to draw on the experience of the RAF. The expansion of our close

future cooperation in space and establishing a Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) capability, are therefore essential.

Shaping our future

The Luftwa e is rmly aligned with partners and friends. Together we have found clear answers and together we continue to underline that we guarantee the security of our skies and homelands. Wing-by-wing with our British comrades, we are prepared and willing to proceed to the future, for the good of our countries, the European continent and for freedom and security within the Transatlantic Alliance.

Enabling multidomain deterrence

Number 2 Group’s role is to prepare and operate specialist capabilities to enable the RAF to ght and win from its airbases and on global operations. Its Air O cer Commanding, Air Vice-Marshal Jason Appleton, explains how the Group has reorganised to achieve more integrated and interoperable capabilities in an ever-evolving world

Events of recent years have demonstrated that we are living in a volatile, unpredictable and dangerous world. That is why it is essential for the RAF to continue to innovate and adapt to deliver battle-winning Air and Space Power. This is exactly what Number 2 Group (No 2 Gp) and its circa 14,000 Whole Force personnel have delivered over the past few years. The transition of all RAF stations to sit under a single Group represents a signi cant evolution in how our Command and Control (C2) is organised; further, the creation of

a federation of six highly deployable specialist forces, along with essential support from our Reserves, ensures that No 2 Gp is correctly con gured to deliver integrated and interoperable capabilities, enabling the RAF to y, ght and win.

What has No 2 Gp achieved?

No 2 Gp has delivered change and championed an operational mindset. The internal restructuring of our air bases, under a single 1* (Air Commodore) commander, has been the most signi cant

RAF air bases have been reorganised under a single command –Number 2 Group (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

transformation of our C2 structures since the 1950s. Historically, we trained from the safety of our air bases, with threats and war ghting taking place at range overseas. While we still train from our air bases for deployed operations, we need to be ready and willing to ght anywhere, starting with homeland defence. By adopting an innovative and novel approach, No 2 Gp has delivered a generational restructuring of stations into air bases, with No 1 Gp taking responsibilities for all the operational ying air wings. This allows for greater e ciency and resilience, while optimising our war ghting capabilities.

Six specialist forces, including the Medical Force, enable Number 2 Group to deliver integrated and interoperable capabilities

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

The Global Enablement Force

To enable Air & Space Operations, No 2 Gp has also established the Global Enablement (GE) Force. Commanded at 1* level, the federation of six Forces is made up of 90 Signals Unit, Combat Readiness Force, Support Force, Air Security Force, Medical Force and Air C2 Force. These specialist capabilities make up the deployable ghting force elements within No 2 Gp in a single, integrated organisation. Furthermore, the creation of our Global Response Teams, held at Very High Readiness (VHR), provides a streamlined, focused Theatre Entry capability for Air Enablers, designed to integrate with other VHR units from across Defence.

On any given day, the GE Force has up to 1,600 personnel deployed to 25 points of presence globally.

Furthermore, our Reservist personnel continue to add signi cant value on operations, where they are fully integrated into our units of action. During 2023, deployments in support of crisis events to Türkiye (Operation Greenlighter), Sudan (Operation Polarbear) and the Levant (Operation Chambray) demonstrated where specialists from the RAF Reserve have complemented Regular forces to enable Air Operations in high-threat, austere locations.

From transformation to optimisation

As we look forward, No 2 Gp’s transformation must now turn to optimisation to realise the bene ts of a much-changed 2* (Air ViceMarshal) area of responsibility. These include the development of the ‘Smart Base’ and ‘Next Generation Global Enablement’, which will promote interoperability and the opportunity to be at the cutting edge of technology, while improving the lived experience for all our people.

By cohering both air bases and our Global Enablers under No 2 Gp, we o er choice to the RAF and Defence. Both 1* areas re ect structures that are the most e cient and e ective force designs, while concurrently ensuring the greatest amount of resilience. This will ensure that we are con gured to meet current and future threats and support RAF ambitions for Agile Combat Employment (ACE), with a speci c focus on deterrence, survivability and resilience. No 2 Gp’s role is critical in enabling ACE, from using our air bases to disperse people and capabilities, to our GE Force providing tailored response teams to deter, defend and, ultimately, be prepared to defeat threats.

Developing our operational mindset

Restructuring our forces is one part of No 2 Gp’s optimisation and contribution to the RAF and Defence. We have also championed the moral component of ghting power through the development of our operational mindset. This ensures we are prepared and ready when Defence calls on us to react to a threat or crisis. We will continue to develop our operational mindset and readiness postures through operations, exercises, evaluations and close cooperation with our allies and partners.

It has been an exciting time for No 2 Gp. Our transformation has only been made possible by the innovative spirit, tenacity and dedication of our people, who are delivering operational output every single day. We are more integrated than ever before – we operate and deploy complex capabilities across the world, and our people are ready to defend and ght from the air base. This ensures that No 2 Gp is ready to enable the RAF to y, ght, and win.

A united front to deter threats

Maria

Laine

President

of the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, Boeing

Building a strong defence industrial base

Integration, interoperability and resilience are key performance indicators for today’s armed forces. As leading members of the defence industry, we share these same goals, particularly when they are so critical to preserving and securing global security in today’s uncertain world. But, to achieve an integrated and interoperable modern-day armed force, you need a strong and sustainable industrial base to support it.

Integration is presence

As someone who has relocated across the Atlantic 10 times, I have personally witnessed the importance of being present and deepening ties within the communities where our people are proud to live and work.

In the UK, more than 4,000 teammates work across 30 domestic

locations. In addition, Boeing is embedded with the customer at operational bases around the country, from Lossiemouth to Odiham.

We’re proud of our enduring and expanding footprint in the UK, and across Europe, as we contribute to the region’s tradition of innovation and excellence.

Interoperability is partnership

Just as the armed forces must work together seamlessly, so must members of industry.

As global aerospace and defence leaders, we are committed to continuing our decades-long commitment to support the UK, Europe and NATO missions. Through strong industrial partnerships, we are laying the foundation for future-proo ng the Alliance to robustly deliver current and new capabilities.

– building on our deep ties with academia, through six strategic, long-term research partnerships with universities across England and Scotland;

– supporting UK STEM activities through student outreach, community engagement and apprenticeships;

– collaborating with the UK Government, Royal Air Force and university partners on sustainability projects.

Better outcomes for all

To stay ahead of evolving threats, it is important that governments, industry, academia, think tanks and local communities work together in our shared mission.

A modern defence ecosystem is a uni ed, interoperable ecosystem.

“To achieve an integrated and interoperable modern-day armed force, you need a strong and sustainable industrial base to support it”

Consider, for example, that Boeing works with more than 950 suppliers in the United Kingdom alone. These suppliers are a critical part of our team, and we invest in programmes that support their growth and development.

But we are expanding our network in other ways too. To advance innovation beyond our walls, we are:

– making signi cant investments in UK-based start-ups, through our Aerospace Xelerated programme;

There is no shortage of defence challenges to be solved. Yet the magnitude of those challenges doesn’t outweigh the power of our collective will.

People are our greatest asset. I see it in the courage of the women and men serving in the British Armed Forces, the know-how of industry, the curiosity of new talent and the heart of our communities.

By coming together to solve problems, we can outthink, outpace and overcome the threats facing our world.

Agile basing –always operating and ready to fly and fight

The ability to deploy quickly to, and operate from, non-traditional operating bases improves the RAF’s resilience and its exibility to respond to emerging threats. Commander Air Bases, Air Commodore Ady Portlock , explains what agile basing entails and how it is achieved

Why do we need agile basing?

In the future, RAF F-35B Lightnings will need to be able to operate from multiple, and often austere, air bases at home and abroad (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

The global threats we face are unprecedented. Number 2 Group (No 2 Gp), its air bases and Global Enablement’s federated forces are integral to the delivery of Air and Space Power and our ability to Deter, Defend, Fight and Project from the UK. This is not discretionary and will require a fundamental change to our collective approach from across Air.

The recent brigading of air bases into a cohesive function is an opportunity to better understand and address issues with our air bases and transform them into war ghting capabilities that are resilient enough to deter and, if necessary,

defeat our potential adversaries. Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is the means through which we de ne that approach, the dominant gene in our thinking and a cultural shift.

Our message is clear: for the UK to protect its homeland, to secure strategic advantage, to support its war ghting contribution to NATO, and to respond and recover quickly from crisis, our future bases are vital ground. This may also require us to consider basing options beyond our existing military laydown, potentially leveraging the totality of the UK’s basing capability, including civilian-operated air elds, in support of the National Defence Plan.

What is an agile base?

No longer can we assume the air base of the 1950s is good enough. The Future Air Base will be a resourced, agile, resilient war ghting capability, comprising people, equipment and services to deliver and enable Air and Space Power. They will not be single-platform focused, but instead will be adaptable to enable a full suite of capabilities to be operated from each location. The Future Air Base will need to be able to defend itself against both hard and soft threats, have taut security protocols, and resilience that allows it to sustain agile operations, potentially unsupported, for a xed period, through a contested environment.

will enable Station Commanders to ght their bases and meet the needs of the Operational Commander. This will mean hard investment choices for Air to assure operational advantage and agility. However, this is not a new concept. In the Second World War, a signi cant number of Advanced Landing Grounds were used to bolster the Main Operating Bases. All overseen by Air eld HQ units, elements of the HQ would remain at the main base, while others relocated rapidly to operate from the austere Advanced Landing Grounds, enabling agility, survivability and resilience. As always, we need to ensure that we learn the lessons from the past as we develop the agile base of the future.

“The Future Air Base will be a resourced, agile, resilient war ghting capability, comprising people, equipment and services to deliver and enable Air and Space Power”

Our air bases must no longer stand alone, but form part of a network, comprised of our main and austere forward operating bases, bolstered by civilian air elds, and all able to respond to dispersal plans, adopt resilient force-protection measures, recover and repair quickly. They must have e ective C2 (command and control) at the unit level, enabled by secure and resilient communication nodes, that

Transition from e ciency to resilience –the pathway to agile basing

Our Future Air Bases must be considered a networked, war ghting capability and be placed on a resourced programmatic footing that allows holistic air base capability development across the main and forward operating bases. Evidence-based investment is key; we need to understand our fragilities, baseline our

Agile basing will require air bases to be able to operate independently and unsupported for extended periods

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

critical capabilities and challenge assumptions and ways of working. We need to reset the Service’s focus from platforms to a broader consideration of capability, including critical enablers and our people, within the moral component of our ghting power. Our Whole Force approach must be multiskilled, adaptable, technologically optimised, agile and integrated. We must ensure future support services, including those delivered by our industry partners, are optimised to support the war ghter.

Our Future Stations must have an enduring, cohesive ghting spirit that will require a proactively developed esprit de corps and operational mindset. We have become ‘garrison comfortable’: our war ghting spirit must be exercised, and stretched across the Whole Force, including our Reserve, Contracted and Civil Service cohorts. So, here, we will tighten the seams between training and operational practice.

We will prepare our commanders to be intelligent customers, able to locally in uence the delivery of services that a ect them; we should strive to empower them and allow them to hold risk. The senior leadership across the air base/air wing model must collaborate and build on a team-ofteams philosophy. They will minimise reliance on

formal command-chain dependencies to achieve the mission, instead maximising collaboration between organisations. Stations and their resident Force Elements will be able to work together, even through disrupted communications with higher HQs, and ght through a scenario of limited reach back.

Exploiting technical solutions

As a war ghting capability, an assured digital backbone is key to our operational advantage. This will need signi cant investment and innovation to challenge our current posture at all classi cations if we wish to train as we ght. The Future Smart Air Base will be designed and enabled to exploit technical solutions; we will harness technology that is simple, deployable, appropriately secure and accessible, and train our people to fully exploit it.

We will also continue to invest in our ageing infrastructure. We will signi cantly improve asset condition and capacity across the estate, from our air eld operating surfaces and hardened facilities to explosive storage areas and fuels networks. Energy and climate resilience is essential to strategic advantage in con ict and sustainability in peacetime, and we will continue to exploit opportunities to reduce our reliance on the National Grid.

Continuing investment in infrastructure will improve asset condition and capacity

(PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Trusted partnerships are vital

Susan Addison

Senior Vice-President –US Programmes, BAE Systems Air

What does the partnership between industry and the RAF look like today?

At RAF Coningsby and Lossiemouth, we work side-by-side with the RAF on Typhoon support, ensuring the readiness of the UK’s Typhoon eet where and when it is needed in the UK, across Europe and beyond.

We are currently delivering on an extended agreement to provide technical support and sustainment expertise to the UK’s F-35B eet at RAF Marham. This includes deployment of our people on board the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers to ensure continuous operational support and training to F-35 pilots.

And we are already looking, of course, to the near- and long-term future, working alongside the military and UK and international Governments to ensure Tempest will be at the vanguard of a next generation of combat air superiority.

How has industry responded to some of the major events in recent times?

Close collaboration is also key to meeting the challenges of rapidly changing circumstances. During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, we adapted our ways of working and reacted to ensure continuous, uninterrupted support and supply to keep aircraft and pilots ying.

Our support to the UK’s Typhoon eet has been vital to the RAF’s role protecting NATO’s borders, and our support to e orts in Ukraine has been well documented.

Recent history has provided a number of challenges to our way of life and our security. On each occasion, I’m proud that we have risen – and continue to rise – to those challenges.

How important will the partnership between the military and industry be in a changing threat environment?

The posture of militaries is changing in line with an evolving environment and that means the way in which industry, military, Government and the civilian sector works together needs to evolve too.

UK industry needs to be seen as the sixth domain of national defence – making a vital contribution by providing the essential infrastructure and capability our armed forces require to deter, defend and defeat.

But against the changing environment we see, we must recognise the requirement for an evolution of our collective mindset and a long-term commitment from all parties, from Government to military to industry, to a new kind of collaboration, where

we are in lock-step to drive e ective transition to ensuring readiness, and ensuring we have the tools and abilities to continue to succeed.

Importantly, that includes the UK’s maintenance of robust, credible, essential and independent deterrent capabilities. Sovereign industry working closely with the military sends a powerful message to potential adversaries about the strength of our capabilities.

What role will industry play?

A strong, supported sovereign industry that has the investment to maintain a position at the forefront of innovation and capability is vital to this, and industry itself must play an equally prominent part in this commitment.

The roles we play are only possible thanks to the commitment and pride of our people. Our business is one of innovation, technology, creation and leading-edge engineering. It’s also one that recognises it plays an essential role in the security of the UK and is a vital part of our national defence ecosystem.

We also have something of a unique role, working across fourth-, fth- and now sixth-generation capability, as well as an ability to bring our decades of experience in support and end-to-end training across the globe to bear.

It’s that proven pedigree which means our business has been alongside the RAF for 100 years and more throughout times of change and uncertainty. Now we must ensure that, as a collective, we recognise the world around us and commit to partnerships that will maintain deterrent e ect and ensure readiness.

Operational agility through Agile Combat Employment (ACE)

Number 11 Group’s Deputy Director of Operations, Air Commodore Lee Turner, explains how the RAF, alongside allies and partners, is becoming ever more agile through a collective focus on Agile Combat Employment

Over the past 12 months, the RAF has achieved several milestones in the development and implementation of the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept.

The Agile Pirate series of exercises has focused on ACE development and experimentation within the UK. It has developed the RAF’s ability to operate in an increasingly agile manner, while evaluating the levels of support, and command and control, required to maintain operational outputs in dispersed locations.

Exercise activity has included the deployment of the RAF’s Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to

RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to assess the platform’s ability to operate from an unfamiliar base with minimal support. Later in the year, four Typhoons from XI(F) Squadron at RAF Coningsby demonstrated the ability to deploy at short notice and maintain a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) posture from an alternative operating site, with an optimised support package and reduced numbers of personnel.

ACE development has focused on the exponential development of potential adversarial military capabilities, coupled with the reduction in the number of our aircraft-basing locations.

An RAF Typhoon lands and takes o from a regular road in Tervo, Finland, as part of the Finnish Air Force Emergency Landing Site training event, Exercise Baana

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

And this has taken place against a backdrop of nearly 20 years of conducting air operations within a relatively static and non-contested environment.

The tactical lessons and skills gained during these Agile Pirate exercises are being complemented by the operational-level lessons identi ed by No 11 Group, which executes command and control of the activities. Such experience directly informs the development of the ACE Concept of Operations, while inculcating the required cultural shift within the Service.

The lessons identi ed during ACE development are likely to form a key evidence base for future force design and investment decisions. While applicable globally, this will be particularly relevant to Defence of the Homeland and the National Defence Plan, as well as NATO’s DDA (Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area) concept. The development of ACE in support of each of these areas has been a major focus for the RAF over the past 12 months. To support NATO’s DDA concept, signi cant e orts have been made to integrate with allies and partners through activity across Europe.

In June 2023, personnel from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW), deployed to deliver NATO Air Policing as part of Operation Azotize in Estonia and, while there, they conducted Exercise Tempest Strike. The exercise saw a small detachment of 140 EAW, complemented by support elements from the UK, deploy from Amari Air Base to Orland Air Base

in Norway to conduct forward arming and refuelling of combat aircraft, alongside the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).

Such events provide RAF personnel with the opportunity to re ne their skills; compare tactics, training and procedures; assess the interoperability of equipment; and test the levels of support required in dispersed operations. Overseas ACE serials also lead to greater exibility through increased access and a deeper understanding of potential operating environments. Such understanding is not only tied to the threat environment, but also factors including command and control, logistics, engineering, policy permissions and regulation.

Enhancing NATO ACE

As a result of ongoing e orts to support ACE, several interoperability agreements are now in place between the RAF and allies. A bilateral agreement with Italy has been signed, with work through 2024 to develop cross-servicing for F-35 Lightning and Typhoon. Work is also underway on a bilateral agreement with the US Air Force (USAF), focused initially on developing F-35 Lightning cross-servicing procedures and a reciprocal agreement to the recent blanket USAF recognition of RAF technical competence.

The aspiration for increased cross-servicing capabilities is shared by NATO and work is in progress to reactivate Aircraft Cross Servicing agreements as

As part of Exercise Arctic Phoenix, an Atlas A400M was refuelled using a tactical fuel system – the rst time this concept has been tested in the extreme cold of the High North (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Poseidon MRA1

(P-8A) maritime patrol aircraft rapidly relocated from RAF Lossiemouth to RAF Aldergrove for Exercise Agile Pirate 9, testing the ability to work from an unfamiliar base with minimal support (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

part of the NATO Standardization Agreement 3430, to which the UK is already a signatory. NATO HQ Allied Air Command has also committed to operationalising ACE through a strategic plan to deliver greater coherence across NATO allies – a proposal fully supported by the RAF. The intended end-state is the implementation of the concept across NATO, with air bases fully supporting agile basing for air operations. Regular NATO HQ Allied Air Command ACE symposiums contribute to NATO ACE development.

Learning from our allies

Several allies, including Norway, Finland and Sweden, have a detailed understanding of ACE operations within their homelands – experience from which the RAF has been particularly keen to learn. Exercise Arctic Phoenix saw RAF Typhoon and A400M Atlas transport aircraft conduct integration training with the RNoAF, while assessing operations in the extreme cold weather of the High North.

Other collaborative ACE development opportunities include the Finnish Air Force’s annual Emergency Landing Strip (ELS) training event, Exercise Baana. Here, the RAF was able to participate and expand its collective knowledge of operating Typhoon aircraft from non-traditional operating surfaces, such as the Finnish highway in Tervo.

ACE activity has not been limited to training and exercising, as a variety of conceptual-based events have also taken place across the RAF. These include the inaugural ACE conference, a command and control-focused ‘sprint’ to develop capability, and table-top exercises that have supported the continued progression of the RAF’s ACE Campaign Plan. This activity has stimulated debate and broader discussion on preparedness, resilience and survivability, all of which contribute to maturing the ACE concept and shaping the RAF’s culture.

Looking forward, the RAF will maintain its focus on the ongoing development of ACE as it transitions from concept to business as usual. The immediate focus remains on delivery of ACE within the UK, but broader e orts to support NATO and both allies and partners globally continue at pace.

Core to this will be work undertaken to ensure robust command and control in contested environments, and work to ensure nominated RAF airbases are prepared to receive aircraft under an ACE concept that is closely aligned with NATO. Overseas training events with key allies will continue to enhance interoperability, and ACE-focused experimentation in the UK will persist as the RAF works towards testing its ACE ability by conducting a multi-platform, multilocation ACE evaluation exercise in late 2024.

AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE ON AGILE OPERATIONS

Australian ACE

Group Captain Michael Sleeman, Director of the Royal Australian Air Force’s Air & Space Power Centre, and Group Captain Trav Hallen, Director of Strategic Design – Royal Australian Air Force Headquarters, highlight the importance of embracing Agile Combat Employment in protecting mainland Australia and projecting air power across the Indo-Paci c

Agile operations and agile combat employment (ACE) have become key conceptual pillars of modern western air power. The United States Air Force’s demonstration of ACE across European and Paci c theatres has attracted considerable interest from its allies and partners. The images of Swedish, Finnish and even British ghters landing on roads have proliferated across aviation and military-related social media and news outlets. However, it has been the Ukrainian example of how agility enables survivability that has, justi ably, attracted the most attention. While lessons can be learnt and insights gained from the varied experiences of agile operations across the world, it would be foolish for a country to simply adopt the agile approach that has provided success for

another country. Context matters. The geography, demography, culture and capability of each country di ers, and these variables are critical to the successful implementation and operational execution of an agile approach to air power.

Low population density

Australia is a vast, sparsely populated country. Our land area is comparable in size to the continental United States, our maritime and land jurisdiction covers ve percent of the earth’s surface, but our population density is the fourth lowest in the world. At four people per square kilometre, we have a lower population density than Iceland. Exacerbating these issues is the concentration of our population in a belt that extends along the eastern and south-eastern coastline.

The RAAF is experimenting with ying and landing aircraft from roads as part of its ACE concept of operations

(PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA)

Mobile ATC towers will form a key aspect of the RAAF’s vision to disperse its aircraft across more of its vast landmass

(PHOTO: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE, AUSTRALIA)

Our geographic and demographic situation is both a blessing and a curse. Our remoteness from our principal allies ( rst Britain and then the United States) created the so-called ‘tyranny of distance’. Its relative isolation made attacking Australia problematic and an invasion a near-on impossible challenge. All that was required for Australian air power to support and enable the defence of Australia and its interests was the ability to launch, recover and regenerate air power from across our northern approaches – a capability we demonstrated e ectively during the Second World War. This ability lay at the heart of an expeditionary approach that has de ned Australian air power since then.

A networked expeditionary capability

Things have changed. Today our bases are no longer sanctuaries; they are vulnerable to long-range surface, sub-surface and air launched weapons, and are threatened through the cyber domain. An expeditionary approach using a small number of xed bases is no longer an e ective foundation for Australian air power. Instead, we need to be able to operate across a multitude of diverse, austere and remote bases spread across our north.

This requirement blends two of the critical capabilities identi ed by government in the 2023 National Defence Strategy: to develop a “networked expeditionary air operations

capability” and a “network of northern bases to provide a platform for logistics, denial and deterrence”. These capabilities are fundamental to Australia’s approach to agile operations.

Agile operations aim to enable a small force to operate air power for extended periods, at extended ranges, from remote, austere and poorly connected locations across our north. Our strength is that this is our country; we know it, we understand it and we control it. The challenge is that, although we are operating along interior lines of communications, those lines are fragile and long.

Isolated islands of air power

In many ways, although Australia is a continental land mass, from the perspective of air operations, it is best to see our air bases as isolated islands of air power that are poorly connected at times, disconnected at others. This reality creates two imperatives for agile operations: the locational austerity limits the sustainment and holding capacity of individual locations, and sustainment requires a robust yet adaptive approach to logistics.

As an example of the distances at play, the distance from our main F-35 base, just north of Sydney, to potential forward operating bases in our north is similar to the distance between Kharkiv in Ukraine and the coast of Iceland. In between those two locations is a vast expanse of largely uninhabited desert connected by a basic road and rail network that is routinely disrupted by oods and temperatures in excess of 50˚C.

The spread of combat support personnel across a vast swathe of Northern Australia is a challenge we face. We must be able to generate small packets of disaggregated air power using small teams of quali ed and empowered cross-skilled aviators. This places a burden on training, quali cation and command to execute. It requires us to re-examine our approach to, and management of, risk.

The nal challenge is aggregating air power, which is generated from across a disconnected network of bases, in time and space, to achieve concentrated and integrated e ects. This will challenge our C2 (command and control), data management and planning capabilities, particularly when considered through the lens of combined operations across multiple nations.

Solving this problem is what the RAAF approach to Agile Operations aims to do. We are learning from allies and partners across the world, as well as experimenting through our own exercises and operations. We are learning along the way. When we succeed, the result will be a uniquely Australian approach to air power and the agile way in which we intend to conduct our operations.

RAF Global Enablement

The RAF’s Global Enablement Commander, Air Commodore Jamie Thompson, outlines how the high-readiness and globally facing capabilities that his organisation provides will be at the heart of the RAF’s dynamic force employment

Aforeign government has collapsed; a political crisis is sparked and armed militias roam the streets and countryside of a nation divided. In London, the UK Government looks to the Ministry of Defence to prepare its Very High Readiness Forces, providing military support options to assure the safety of critical assets and enable the evacuation of entitled persons. The Global Enablement sta are engaged and, in short order, our Global Response Team is mobilised and en-route to join with the Joint Force Commander and our partners from across Defence.

In fewer than 24 hours, RAF Regiment Gunners and Tactical Air Tra c Controllers have secured and opened a Temporary Landing Zone, with networked uncrewed air and ground sensors providing Base ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) and Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) capabilities. Alongside them, the

RAF Police process entitled personnel and secure our Air Mobility transport aircraft, and logisticians from the Support Force move people and materiel, while also sustaining aircraft operations.

In the relentless equatorial heat, medics from Tactical Medical Wing triage and treat casualties on the ramp of an A400M transport aircraft. Meanwhile, on the edge of the runway, Cyber Specialists from 90 Signals Unit establish and operate critical communication links to the Global Air Component Commander in the UK, providing command and control (C2) while simultaneously monitoring and protecting the team from threats emerging in the cyber domain.

Reassuringly, fast jets from the RAF Combat Air Force provide overwatch from above, under the guidance and control of the Air C2 Force. This is an agile and integrated force that is equipped and prepared to operate around the globe.

RAF Global Enablement means being able to maintain and support aircraft and equipment while away from the home base

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

The RAF

(PHOTO: INDRA)

Fanciful? Not at all. Over the past 12 months since it was established, this scenario has been played out and tested on crisis operations several times by the RAF and its Global Enablement forces.

The evolving multi-domain threats we face in the contemporary operating environment demand that the RAF is con gured to react and act as the Nation’s rst responder, providing military options to support government planning and, where necessary, deliver lethal e ects. This approach is best achieved through dynamic force employment.

Aiming to be ‘mission agile’

For our Global Enablement forces, this means evolving integrated force packages that can provide a spectrum of capabilities delivered by smaller-scale teams that are able to support a variety of air power needs. These focus primarily on Protection and Sustainment, although the spine of all our activity is assuring Air C2. Rather than being ‘mission-speci c’, this means our teams aim to be ‘mission-agile’, meeting any requirement while already deployed through the employment of enhanced training and technologies.

So how does this all work? Alongside our ability to react to crisis events, we provide the critical enablement for wider Defence-directed activity, such as Air Defence of the UK, a ‘no-fail’ and non-discretionary activity. A component in achieving this is the provision of an integrated Air Defence network of sensors.

The Indra LTR-25 Tactical Deployable Radar of the Air C2 Force provides a mobile sensor, which we use to establish a C2 node in dispersed locations. When deployed, the sensor is connected back into the IBM Guardian C2 network over the Raven Information System. The Raven capability was designed and delivered by 90 Signals Unit, which provides a software con gurable, secure and exible digital backbone that is monitored and secured by our Air Cyber Services and Information Operating Centre.

This is a great example of the way in which RAF and Industry continue to work at the edge of innovation to deliver game-changing capability. When this approach is combined with our highly trained Cyber Specialists and Air C2 Operators, we can rapidly adapt to emerging threats and operational demands.

Counter-UAS capabilities

Likewise, the proliferation of low-cost drones and uncrewed systems has driven the establishment of 2 (C-UAS) Wing, in the Combat Readiness Force of the RAF Regiment. Working hand-inhand with the Joint C-UAS O ce, allies and industry partners, we have delivered a worldclass C-UAS formation that is engaged every day around the globe, supporting UK operations.

Indeed, over the past six months, RAF Regiment Gunners have continued to successfully defeat and destroy UAS targeted at coalition and UK operating bases. In the UK, the Wing delivers essential C-UAS support to the Home O ce, via Military Aid to the Civil Authority (MACA), at key events and occasions. Internationally, they are supporting the development of technologies and tactics to ensure that we can stay ahead of our adversaries.

So how does this relate to Agile Combat Employment (ACE)? The Air Combat Support and Air Combat Service Support Units, which make up Global Enablement, have always maintained an agile approach to combat operations. As the RAF sets ACE as its dominant gene, evolves our forces to better defend the Nation and promotes deterrence in support of NATO, Global Enablement will provide the specialist forces, which will allow us to disperse and operate where required, while also amplifying the ability of our future air bases to operate, protect and sustain air power.

From Mountain Rescue Teams and the Joint Aircraft Recovery Transportation Squadron that reacts to civil emergencies 24/7, through to the ground combat forces of the Combat Readiness and Support Forces, and the ceremonial expertise of the RAF Music Services and the Kings Colour Squadron, we are a global force that is combat-focused and dynamically employed to enable Air and Space Power when and where it is needed. We enable.

deploys its LTR-25 tactical radar to provide a mobile C2 node at short notice in times of crisis

The importance of international partnerships

Air Commodore Nikki Thomas, the RAF’s Air and Space Attaché in Washington, highlights the importance of the close cooperation between the UK and the US and reveals to Simon Michell how this underpins coalition operations against state and non-state threats

The relationship between the US Department of the Air Force and the RAF is perhaps one of the closest partnerships of its type. Built upon the relationship with its forerunner, the US Army Air Force, the relationship has steadily evolved and strengthened. It is much deeper than is generally recognised.

“The scale of our input to the US is impressive. At any one time, the RAF has about 70 Exchange O cers embedded with the USAF, US Space Force and US Space Command, undertaking jobs as if they were Americans,” explains the RAF’s Air and Space Attaché in Washington, Air Commodore (Air Cdre) Nikki Thomas. “There is also a cohort of Liaison O cers, as well as formed units such as Number 17

Test and Evaluation Squadron in California. There are trials and training teams, capability leads and a continuous cycle of exercises across the US, as well as a number of people working in the Pentagon.

“We have instructors in US sta colleges, our people attend their sta courses and we have people helping to run space operations across the US, to name just a few examples of our close cooperation. The relationship goes well beyond just the exchange pilots that most people think of.”

An equal partner

At around 31,000 active and reserve personnel, the RAF is much smaller than the USAF, which has more than 500,000 personnel across the Whole Force –

A USAF CV22B Osprey practises take o s and landings aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, alongside one of 617 Squadron’s F-35B jets

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

active duty, reserves and civilians. Nevertheless, with the exception of a nuclear arsenal, the RAF has a comparable set of capabilities and is, for that reason, considered an equal, rather than a subordinate, partner.

Outside of the US, this is exempli ed in the RAF’s contribution to the US Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Al Udeid, Qatar. This sizeable facility is the US centre for planning and executing air operations across North East Africa, the Middle East and Central and South Asia. The Al Udeid CAOC comprises a coalition of not just the partners in the

intelligence analysts and assets, air-to-air refuelling, space advisors and crucially, operational execution and planning. For example, the UK provides one of the Battle Directors who runs the day-to-day operations. Above them is the CAOC Director 1* (Air Cdre), which the RAF also provides on a rotational basis with the Royal Canadian Air Force.”

China – the future focus

Despite the geopolitical environment becoming ever more unstable with the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US must also focus beyond Europe to the growing threat of a signi cant peer adversary – China. With the People’s Liberation Army’s everincreasing capability development, the US Secretary of the Air Force has recently stated that they are “out of time” and has declared a need to “reoptimize” for “great power competition” with China.

The US recognises the criticality of international partnerships in doing so, with the RAF seen again as a crucial partner, with key enablers that can help counter what is deemed as the ‘tyranny of distance’ imposed by the size of the immense Paci c Ocean. “Just as in the Middle East, we could provide important capabilities and people,” says Air Cdre Thomas. “From Voyager air-to-air refuellers, C-17 strategic transport aircraft, to the RAF Regiment to protect air elds – work is ongoing with an Agile Combat Employment mindset to understand what could be critical in the region.”

“At any one time, the RAF has about 70 Exchange O cers embedded with the USAF, US Space Force and US Space Command, undertaking jobs as if they were Americans”

region, but also other allies and partners from NATO and beyond. As such, it represents a hugely signi cant international partnership arrangement. One of its missions is to plan and prosecute air operations against terrorist organisations in the region, primarily Daesh and ISIS, and, more recently, the Houthis.

As a former RAF Deputy Air Component Commander in the Middle East, Air Cdre Thomas has worked in the CAOC as one of the RAF’s senior aviators and is, therefore, able to highlight the intimacy of the RAF/USAF relationship: “We have been embedded with the US on operations in the Middle East for decades. It has become normal for us to be operating alongside them.

“We provide a number of critical capabilities across the board. This is not only fast jets, it is

Where the RAF-USAF relationship begins to take on more signi cance, especially, in any potential con ict in the Indo-Paci c Region is the fact that the RAF is developing beyond interoperability to deliver interchangeability.

“Through our long-standing close relationship, we are not just making sure we have a uni ed command and control structure, we are also developing an ability for aviators to operate each other’s systems, engineers to maintain each other’s equipment, pilots to y each other’s aircraft and when necessary make operational decisions together.”

This makes the relationship between the two air forces unique. There are no other two countries in the World that share such a close international partnership.

The Combined Air Operations Centre in Al Udeid, Qatar, exempli es the close relationship that has been nurtured between the RAF and the USAF (PHOTO: U.S. AIR FORCE)

Operation Interstorm –the power of partnership

Chloe Barker Managing Director UK Aviation, Babcock International Group

How is Babcock helping the UK Government in its e orts to support Ukraine?

National security has never been more important or complex to deliver than right now and we’re actively working with the UK Government in the delivery of its mission to support Ukraine. As a capability partner, we are rapidly responding to changing requirements and have demonstrated this since the con ict in Ukraine started. We have strengthened the relationships with our customers and partners to enable support across land, sea and air domains. In 2021, we signed a tripartite agreement with the UK and Ukrainian Governments con rming Babcock as the lead industrial partner for the Ukrainian Naval Capability Enhancement programme. As an example, we provide in-service support to Ukraine to maintain naval vessels transferred from the Royal

Navy to the Ukrainian Navy. We are also providing operational and maintenance support to UK-gifted armoured vehicles, including the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. Finally, in the air domain we’ve partnered with the RAF to enable pilot training for the Ukrainian Air Force.

What is Babcock’s role in supporting the Elementary Flying Training (EFT) of Ukraine’s future F-16 Pilots?

We were approached by the RAF to respond at pace to a ‘no-fail’ programme of critical national importance, known as Operation Interstorm. Our role is to ensure the RAF ying instructors and Ukrainian Air Force trainees have the equipment they need, when they need it.

Mobilisation and change at speed have been a challenge and put additional pressure on our systems. However, our teams have gone above and beyond to deliver. Operation Interstorm is a humbling and stark reminder of why our work is so important. Our teams have expressed an immense sense of pride and purpose in their work, knowing they are contributing to something that is not just nationally important, but internationally vital.

How will Babcock continue to support the Ukrainian Air Force pilots?

Operation Interstorm will continue until at least 2025. In March, 10 trainee pilots graduated, and the second cohort is now in training. We are working with

“We have been working with the RAF in delivering ying training for over 20 years, but Operation Interstorm required a di erent way of working”

We have been working with the RAF in delivering ying training for over 20 years, but Operation Interstorm required a di erent way of working. Collaboratively, we established a new operating model that could successfully and quickly provide trained pilots into the Ukrainian fast jet training pipeline. This required a new approach to planning and a restructuring of the way we allocate and resource our Grob 115E aircraft. The results were an even higher level of aircraft availability.

the RAF to generate extra capacity to ensure more Ukrainian pilots are trained at pace. Internationally, we are exploring how we can provide wider support to training opportunities beyond the fast jet lead-in phase.

It’s clear that Operation Interstorm has been a success, with industry and military stakeholders working hand-inglove at every opportunity. This is a true display of partnership in times of adversity, enabling the RAF to provide high-quality, vital ying training to Ukrainian students.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in the spring of 2022 radically changed Finland’s defence model. Thereafter, NATO membership became a logical step, especially as it had the undisputed support of Finland’s citizens. The invasion was the impetus that prompted Finland to proceed, along with our neighbour and close ally, Sweden, on the path to NATO membership. The Finnish Air Force was in agreement, since transitioning from a solitary national defence posture to Alliance membership improves both our capabilities and acts as a major deterrent against the threat of war.

Despite having a 1,350km border with Russia, and the proximity of Russian strategic areas such as the Kola Peninsula and St Petersburg, we believe that we bring a signi cant capability to the Alliance. For example, the Finnish Air Force o ers NATO a ghter force that is trained to operate in austere weather under enemy re. Moreover, we are committed to further developing Nordic air power and its e ective command and control alongside our regional partners, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Air and space power challenges

Without doubt, the long border with Russia poses a challenge. Like our allies in NATO’s southern region, who also share a border with Russia, the ability to defend at depth and utilise air strikes against Russian land forces in the event of hostilities is constrained. Russia can, therefore, mobilise its forces close to

Major General Juha-Pekka Keränen

Commander, Finnish Air Force

Viewpoint from the High North

the border at will. Additionally, Russian SAM systems are also able to hamper air operations along the length of the border. The challenge, therefore, is that air power must be prepared to simultaneously ght for air superiority while contributing to land operations at the very beginning of hostilities.

Unlike our southern partners, however, we have to contend with an Arctic environment that presents signi cant challenges to air operations ranging from low cloud base and high cloud top to snow and icing that impairs runways. Moreover, limited infrastructure and relatively long logistical lines pose additional operational challenges. That said, we and our Nordic partners have adapted our operations to address this. Now, as a member of NATO, we are happy to share our expertise with our allies and partners. Nordic cooperation and the forthcoming NATO Aircraft Cross Service (ACS) programme o er more exible basing and utilisation of operational depth. We are indeed stronger together!

As is well known, the often degraded coverage of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites poses a challenge for operations in northern latitudes. In addition, the High North is particularly susceptible to space weather phenomena like solar ares and geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt satellite operations and communications. Despite these challenges, time, location and navigation services, communication

links and intelligence services must be ensured. Polar orbiting low earth orbit (LEO) constellations o er much, but comprehensive coverage requires a very large number of satellites.

As a small player in the space domain, Finland looks to partnerships to create a strong foundation for our operations in space. We have strong expertise to o er such cooperation. For example, the Finnish company ICEYE o ers weather-independent syntheticaperture radar (SAR) services designed for the northern environment.

The future

The High North’s geopolitical signi cance stems from its maritime routes, resources, climate conservation and territorial claims. These attributes explain why Russia and China are expanding and strengthening their air power capabilities in the region. To address this expansion and the unique challenges for air and space power in the High North, NATO and its partner nations should bolster their presence and deterrent posture in the region, enhance air and space power capabilities, invest in state-ofthe-art technology and strengthen cooperation among allies and partners.

Finally, as all the Nordic countries are now in NATO, our aim is to use air power as a platform for collaboration, thereby strengthening the Alliance and security in the Arctic-NordicBaltic area. With Finland procuring the F-35 and Sweden Gripen E, Nordic air power cooperation is set to evolve further in the years ahead.

Air power lessons from current operations

Air Vice-Marshal Tom Burke, commander of Number 11 Group, considers the impact of current operations for UK Air Defence

Russia’s actions in Ukraine and the Iranian strike on Israel are a stark demonstration of an evolution of threats in the air domain.

Coordinated mass attacks from long-range weapon systems – including one-way attack drones, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and hypersonic vehicles, potentially supported by space and cyber e ects –require a root-and-branch review of our air and missile defence (AMD) posture, noting that the supporting doctrine, both national and NATO, already exists.

E ective defence begins with our ability to detect, track and identify threats. Recent operational events in Ukraine and Israel have emphasised the need to improve our ability to detect threats at range to maximise the impact of e ectors. The increasing variety and complexity of modern air threats, developing and proliferating at pace, reinforces the need for early detection.

Early warning is critical to the e cient allocation of AMD e ectors, both kinetic and

non-kinetic. Air planning, experimentation and wider UK Defence force testing has further reinforced the requirement for a system of systems that can concurrently detect, track, identify and engage threats while remotely connected to the wider Air Command and Control (C2) network that is responsive and survivable in a degraded physical and electronic environment.

The increasingly contested nature of the electromagnetic spectrum, across multiple domains, adds signi cant challenges to achieving e ective C2. Russia has also demonstrated the danger of C2 being too centralised, resulting in repeated operational and tactical failures in the air domain and loss of capability.

Iran’s attack on Israel

The recent Iranian attacks on Israel demonstrated the fundamental importance of interoperability with allies and partners in shared Air Domain Awareness (ADA), which is a fundamental building block for e ective

Russia’s constant missile attacks on Ukraine have underlined the importance of e ective air and missile defence (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ SODEL VLADYSLAV)

AMD. It requires the continued development of cross-domain and Alliance-wide information sharing.

Air attacks are now coordinated and synchronised, congesting and cluttering the air picture, presenting dilemmas for AMD. The UK’s Defence Command Paper Refresh underscored the need for capabilities, such as the E-7 Wedgetail, to manage these complex threats. Our collaborative, Alliance-wide approach to detection, identi cation, targeting and engagement will continue to serve as a powerful force multiplier through the provision of early warning – where allied integration is essential.

In the context of the United Kingdom, the ability to detect threats over continental Europe or in the High North a ords us signi cant geographical advantage.

Prolonged con icts, such as those in Ukraine and Israel, have highlighted that using high-cost weapons systems against relatively inexpensive threats is unsustainable. Ukraine’s Air Commander, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, noted this as a balance of attrition in the “war of the drones”. The ‘cost per shot’ is now an important factor when conducting AMD.

Changing economics of AMD

Low-cost weapons systems have changed the economics of AMD, making it crucial to balance the e ector to the threat. The normalisation of massed, mixed waves of one-way attack drones, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons and ballistic missiles has served to denude both Ukraine’s and Israel’s high-end air defence e ector stocks.

The sustainability of AMD e ectors must be considered. Investing in emerging low-shot, low-cost kinetic and non-kinetic systems will help address the high costs associated with traditional AMD systems. Balancing sustainability with e ectiveness must be considered for a sustained AMD campaign.

Importance of rapid dispersal

Russia’s action in Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of rapid dispersal from Main Operating Bases and C2 nodes, which has been fundamental to the Ukrainian Air Force’s survival and e ectiveness.

Agile Combat Employment (ACE), a concept involving the dispersal of assets within an enemy’s targeting cycle while maintaining the required operational tempo, is a key strategy for maintaining homeland security. While some Cold War lessons on concealment, camou age, deception and facility hardening will of course apply, we must recognise that the threat environment has fundamentally changed.

The C2 and logistics requirements (which may be contested in the information environment through Cyber etc) associated with ACE prosecution are vital. We must procure and exercise the capability to enable this dispersal at both tactical and operational levels, and the RAF has a welldeveloped Campaign Plan, linked to both an extensive lessons process and, of course, integrated with allies and partners as a key development within the construct of homeland defence. Rapid dispersal through ACE provides a crucial layer of resilience within homeland defence and is an enabling function within AMD under Passive Defence.

Although AMD focuses on defending against incoming threats, this generally only removes the e ector itself, rather than the system that launched it or the facilities that manufactured/maintained it. Removal of the source provides longer-term bene t to homeland defence – sometimes o ence is the best defence. It is, therefore, vital that O ensive Counter-Air (OCA) operations are considered a fundamental part of AMD, neutralising adversary Anti Access Area Denial capability and, thus, the components it seeks to protect can provide a more lasting solution.

The challenges facing homeland defence are at their most acute in over 30 years. However, to meet these challenges, we must invest in both the physical and conceptual components of AMD and the collective mindset required. We have the knowledge and understanding of the adversary to enable success.

From early warning, allied integration, resilience and o ensive operations, these lessons provide a roadmap for protecting and defending our nation. The insights from recent con icts o er valuable guidance as we navigate this new era of homeland defence and security.

Recent missile and drone attacks on Israel highlighted the need for interoperability for coordinated defensive actions (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ OREN RAVID)

In an increasingly interconnected world, awareness of the necessity for multi-domain operations, both jointly and in combined capacities, has become more pronounced. This underscores the importance to unite allies and friends to e ectively counter threats across all domains and various theatres. Control of the air and unrestricted access to the space domain are pivotal conditions for conventional forces to sustain credible, integrated and interoperable deterrence. By integrating force elements in the High North, the Nordic allies in NATO contribute to the Alliance’s coercive courses of action.

The rising demand for sensor and weapon systems in the air and space domain has led to a rapid increase in the number of actors and platforms, thereby complicating the operational environment. As these domains become interconnected and congested, cross-domain and multi-dimensional threats are evolving. It is essential to avoid organisational thresholds that could hinder e ective development.

Reassessing strategies

Sweden is currently transitioning from a national doctrine, centered on strong defensive capabilities, to a multinational deterrence and defence context, marking a signi cant shift in grand policy and strategy. As an ally within NATO, Sweden can enable its Air Force to fully utilise its strategic potential to contribute to Allied deterrence.

Major General Jonas Wikman

Commander, Swedish Air Force

A Swedish Air Force perspective on contemporary air and space power challenges

It is now imperative for Sweden to adopt a proactive approach to join the collective defence concept. The development and innovation of o ensive capabilities must precede those of our adversaries. Adaptability and innovation are core requirements for our war ghting concept. Innovation must keep pace with the changing operational environment, as power projection for credible deterrence is becoming more challenging. Enhancing capabilities to counter potential attacks that combine sophisticated high-end weapon systems with basic, low-cost weapons is crucial. We must deploy a range of defensive capabilities, balancing cost, capability and quantity against diverse threats.

a position as a high-value ally by leveraging our operational legacy.

The importance of friends and allies

The mutual strength of air power and alliances derives from trust and the shared belief that synergies arise when we seek to enhance each other’s strengths and compensate for our weaknesses. The Nordic countries, sharing a common understanding of the military challenges in our region, are adopting a collective Nordic approach – The Nordic Air Power Concept. This concept is not an alternative to, nor a competitor of, NATO. Rather, it provides an opportunity for proactive collaboration, ensuring synergies,

“As an ally within NATO, Sweden can enable its Air Force to fully utilise its strategic potential to contribute to Allied deterrence”

Historically, innovations for agile combat employment and dispersed operations devised by the Swedish Air Force were groundbreaking. These were forged under the pressures of a demanding operational environment that shaped multicapable airmen and required mission command. In this new era, the Swedish Air Force is eager to gain

and fully integrated force elements, ready for deployment as needed.

Allies and friends are prerequisites for continuous access to the air and space domain, forming the foundation for credible deterrence. As the operational environment evolves, it is crucial to foster innovation and strengthen collaborations to maintain a robust and adaptable defence posture.

OPERATIONAL EXPERIMENTATION IN THE BATTLESPACE

Prototype warfare

Unlike traditional approaches that rely heavily on proven systems and doctrines, prototype warfare champions the notion of operational experimentation to test the limits of innovation in real-world scenarios. Group Captain James Bolton explains

The rapid integration of relatively cheap commercial drones into the battlespace is a classic example of the bene ts of prototype warfare (PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ DMYTRO SHEREMETA)

At its core, prototype warfare is an innovative approach that encourages deploying unproven, new or novel technologies and tactics in live operational environments. This method accelerates the development cycle of new military capabilities and provides invaluable insights into their practical application and e ectiveness. Operational experimentation within this framework is critical for military forces aiming to maintain a strategic edge in an era of rapid technological evolution and unpredictable security threats.

The strategic value of prototype warfare transcends simple technological innovation. By fostering a culture of operational experimentation, militaries can leverage the element of surprise, deploying novel capabilities that adversaries are ill prepared to counter. This approach not only disrupts enemy strategies, but also enhances the ability of forces to adapt swiftly to changing battlespace dynamics – a critical advantage in asymmetric con icts such as the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The creative application of drones, electronic attack systems and other low-cost improvised

solutions has highlighted the potential of prototype warfare to o er signi cant advantages, even in challenging scenarios. It allows forces to creatively utilise and integrate technology or innovative ideas at a lower cost than conventional methods, particularly when encountering more potent adversaries. Furthermore, real-world testing environments provide understanding and adaptability unattainable through simulations or controlled trials alone, enriching military forces’ strategic depth and operational exibility.

It is essential to recognise that prototype warfare capabilities do not aim to replace high-end systems like F-35 or HIMARS. Instead, they o er distinct bene ts that supplement these advanced technologies. These advantages encompass rapid evolution and the capacity for large-scale rapid deployment. Consequently, prototype warfare functions not as a rival to high-end capabilities, but as a force multiplier, enhancing military e ectiveness by providing exible and rapidly deployable alternatives alongside existing assets.

Challenges and considerations

Despite its potential, prototype warfare presents unique challenges that necessitate careful consideration. The primary concern revolves around the risks of deploying unproven, often commercialo -the-shelf technologies, which could result in operational failures or unforeseen vulnerabilities.

Moreover, the challenge of scaling prototype warfare capabilities introduces another layer of complexity. Producing large numbers of a speci c capability, only to switch production to a new variant within days, requires a manufacturing and supply chain framework that is both highly adaptable and exceptionally responsive. This agility of output, while maintaining the integrity and e ectiveness of each capability, is critical in an environment where technological superiority can shift rapidly.

Assessing the performance and impact of these innovations, particularly in competitive and volatile environments, demands robust evaluation frameworks that meticulously consider performance, e ectiveness and mission success. Ethical implications also arise regarding the potential impact on civilian populations and the use of rapidly developed technologies in sensitive scenarios.

Addressing these multifaceted challenges necessitates a balanced approach, emphasising robust risk management, ethical oversight and continual learning from operational experiences. Senior leadership endorsement is crucial for navigating these challenges e ectively. Their support for proactive experimentation and willingness to take calculated risks is vital for seizing opportunities and retaining a strategic advantage. Ultimately, embracing a exible

and iterative approach to decision-making is essential. This methodology enables continuous re nement and adaptation in response to evolving circumstances, emerging threats and stakeholder feedback, ensuring that prototype warfare capabilities can be scaled and adapted swiftly without compromising operational readiness or ethical standards.

Synergistic collaboration

The e cacy of prototype warfare hinges on the synergistic collaboration between intelligence, operations/plans, and science and technology (including industry and academia). This interdependent triad underpins developing and deploying innovative technologies, ensuring they are informed by accurate intelligence, seamlessly integrated and synchronised into operational plans, and founded on the latest scienti c advancements – all based on a shared understanding of the problem set. It is crucial to emphasise that this endeavour is not merely a scienti c project but a problem-solving, outcomes-based e ort. Therefore, it is operationally led, prioritising practical application over theoretical exploration. The successful implementation of prototype warfare necessitates overcoming traditional barriers and stovepipes within military organisations. Resistance to change, bureaucratic inertia and the weight of historical precedent often hinder innovation. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach encompassing collaboration, operational coherence and a commitment to continuous testing and evaluation.

The ability to code and recode without thirdparty permissions is key to prototype warfare (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Deploying unproven commercialo -the-shelf technologies requires robust risk management

(PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK/ PARILOV)

Moreover, this approach demands a shift in how military procurement and development are traditionally handled. Agile procurement processes, exible contracting and a collaborative mindset are essential for facilitating rapid iteration and deployment of prototype technologies. This will require a cultural shift within defence organisations, fostering an environment where prototype warfare can thrive.

and the agility to adapt to evolving situations. Therefore, a successful prototype warfare approach depends on more than just technological advancements; it is focused on the underlying concepts and the speed of their integration, evaluation and potential improvement.

Prototype warfare represents a paradigm shift in modern warfare that aligns with the dynamic and

“By embracing the essence of prototype warfare, military organisations can ensure they remain at the cutting edge of technological innovation”

A crucial element of successful prototype warfare involves consistently integrating new capabilities and, subsequently, upgrading them. The rapid pace of technological advancement means that military hardware and software can quickly become obsolete. Armed forces must prioritise speed of delivery, ensuring that the latest technologies are brought rapidly to the battlespace.

However, being the rst to develop and deploy advanced military technologies does not assure success in con ict. The outcome of military endeavours hinges on various factors, including the competence and training of personnel, the calibre of intelligence and strategic decision-making,

unpredictable nature of contemporary con icts. By embracing the essence of prototype warfare, military organisations can ensure they remain at the cutting edge of technological innovation, ready to face the challenges of the modern battlespace.

This collaborative approach, emphasising rapid integration and the continuous upgrading of capabilities, o ers a blueprint for maintaining strategic advantage in an era of rapid change and technological advancement. As we look to the future, the successful adoption of prototype warfare principles will likely be instrumental in shaping the outcome of con icts in the 21st century and beyond.

ISTAR in the 21st century

In the lead up to and in the years since the invasion of Ukraine, ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) assets and capabilities have provided NATO’s ‘eyes and ears’, supplying vital information to enable commanders and policy makers to make informed decisions.

Joint, which provides Wide Area Surveillance through detection of signals in the electromagnetic spectrum. This air element works closely and collaboratively with 54 Signals Unit – a ground process, exploitation and dissemination (PED) organisation that conducts analysis of air-derived electronic surveillance data.

The RAF’s three RC-135W aircraft collect electronic intelligence on behalf of the UK, NATO and other partners (PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Thanks to its capability, reach and agility, the RAF’s RC-135W Rivet Joint is often deployed as the UK’s rst military response when it comes to placing a Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) gatherer near an area of interest to deliver direct insight through information and intelligence.

The term ISTAR is wide-ranging and includes capabilities from narrow-aperture ‘drinking straws’ to wide-aperture ‘hoover’ data-collection systems. Number 51 Squadron (No 51 Sqn) operates the air element of the Airseeker enterprise – the UK Rivet

The two Airseeker units work as part of a Task, Collect, PED cycle that re nes the datacollection process through exploitation and further information gathering (as per Figure 1, opposite), so that they can share information and intelligence to those that need it, in a time and format that the requesting commander needs.

In constant high demand

The RAF’s Rivet Joint has been an important node in a network of ISR/ISTAR assets since its rst UKbased operational mission in the summer of 2014.

With three UK Rivet Joints, from a global eet of only 20 US & UK RC-135V/Ws, the aircraft are in constant high demand, so their use is synchronised at the operational and strategic levels. Its early years of UK service were spent ying over Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Europe. Now, after 10 years of operational service in the RAF, the UK Rivet Joint has primarily been patrolling Eastern Europe, as well as the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Risk of interception

The overt presence of the Rivet Joint, near to an area of collection, is not without risk, however. Airborne NATO Intelligence patrols have been routinely intercepted by aircraft from other nations. These ‘shadowing’ missions are routinely safe and professional and are, for the most part, undertaken with mutual respect between nations.

The ‘weapons event’ in the vicinity of the Rivet Joint in the Black Sea on 29 September 2022 was a deviation from this and publicly denounced by the Secretary of State for Defence on 20 October 2022. Since then, UK Rivet Joint missions into the Black Sea, given its proximity to a con ict, have been coordinated with Typhoon fast jets to ensure the UK Rivet Joint is escorted and protected.

The insatiable demand for the Rivet Joint’s intelligence products has been such that No 51 Sqn ew a record breaking 1,380 ying hours in 2022-23. This operational demand is due to the aircraft’s detection capability and the ability of the airborne specialists on board to conduct near real-time analysis. This data can then be distributed in a wide variety of formats to ensure supported commanders can maintain information advantage. Where a task cannot be answered directly from

within the Airseeker enterprise, the wider ISTAR Force, or others, can combine their data with other sources to provide actionable intelligence.

Technology is ever-advancing and to maintain a competitive edge the Rivet Joint programme never stands still. Each aircraft is part of a cyclical baseline system to ensure that the extensively modi ed C-135 aircraft (Boeing 707 derivative) remain at the very latest standard. The result is a collector that is at the forefront of capability with the very latest digital technology.

Need for exceptional training

People are at the heart of our capability, and their ability to extract the best out of the sensors and the environment is critical to the actionable intelligence that the Airseeker enterprise delivers. We are fortunate to have an array of experts, trained by the RAF’s

The intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance process

An RAF Typhoon escorts a UK Rivet Joint (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

In October 2023, an RAF Rivet Joint aircraft spent 11 days training with partners on Exercise Resolute Hunter (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

No 54 Sqn, the Advanced ISTAR Academy and the USAF’s 338th Combat Training Squadron. No 54 Sqn ensures that the 13 specialisations that make up a UK Rivet Joint crew are trained to the highest standard, so that our analysts have the situational awareness to exploit the highest-priority signals in a contested and congested environment.

Training ensures that our people can work e ciently and e ectively in the most complex environments. To achieve training with the minimum of operational impact, No 51 Sqn routinely ‘cocrew’ with US crews on operations and exercises.

For the rst time since 2019, No 51 Sqn ew its own aircraft at an overseas exercise – Exercise Resolute Hunter in October 2023 – enabling us to exercise our tactics and procedures as a UK crew. This was essential, because of the challenge that Resolute Hunter’s scenario and intelligence constellation provided. Over the 11 days of execution, the entire multinational ISR/ISTAR constellation and intelligence chain was thoroughly tested in a complex scenario.

Routine information sharing

It is important to recognise that Rivet Joint SIGINT collection is not just for the bene t of the UK. Its data is shared with allies and partners, including routine information sharing with NATO. Since before the invasion of Ukraine, UK missions have been coordinated with the USAF’s European Command (EUCOM) Rivet Joint aircraft, own by the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron and the 488th Intelligence Squadron from RAF Mildenhall. Together, we have

“Rivet Joint SIGINT collection is not just for the bene t of the UK. Its data is shared with allies and partners”

been patrolling across Europe to develop NATO’s understanding of what potential adversaries are doing.

Strategically, the overt presence of a Rivet Joint is a message in addition to the valuable intelligence that the aircraft collects. Indeed, the rst NATO aircraft to y in Finland, following the country’s accession into NATO, was a USAF Rivet Joint from RAF Mildenhall. UK and US Rivet Joint aircraft and crews have continued this routine presence, in addition to the more routine ying areas of the Barents, Baltic and Black Sea regions.

With instability across the eastern edges of Europe, the RAF’s ISTAR and other capabilities have been in high demand. The UK Rivet Joint represents an exceptional collection capability, with motivated and adaptable operators on board, supported by an exceptional PED team, who can analyse and disseminate information and intelligence at a speed of relevance to commanders at all levels. The patrols along the eastern ank of NATO provide signi cant intelligence to the UK, its allies and partners, both independently as a Rivet Joint enterprise and, more importantly, as a key cog in an array of capabilities.

Celebrating 10 years of Rivet Joint’s cutting-edge capability

Jules Ball

UK Chief Strategy O cer, L3Harris Technologies

What is Rivet Joint and how is L3Harris involved?

The 10th anniversary of RAF Number 51 Squadron’s (No 51 Sqn’s) maiden operational sortie of the RC-135W Rivet Joint (RJ), under the Airseeker programme, was celebrated in May of this year. Regarded as our ‘ears in the sky’, the RAF now has three such reconnaissance aircraft in its eet, with two in constant squadron use. Widely employed on military operations to monitor, collect and analyse electronic communications and radar signals, the second and third RJs arrived in the UK in 2015 and 2017.

Flown by No 51 Sqn, based at RAF Waddington, they are part of the RAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Force. L3Harris develops missionisation for the airframes and provides concurrent programmed depot maintenance and mission systems upgrades. L3Harris enables a nose-to-tail overhaul every four years, ensuring the RJ retains cutting-edge intelligence,

surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The vast sensor-suite upgrades enable detection, identi cation and geolocation throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.

What is RJ’s strategic value?

The RJ aircraft have been deployed extensively for Operation Shader and on other operational taskings, and are currently active in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. Through visible reconnaissance ights, the UK sends a clear message to potential enemies that their activities are being closely monitored. In this sense, it serves as a strategic deterrent, helping to maintain regional stability. It can also be used to support diplomacy by garnering accurate, near real-time intelligence to inform diplomatic e orts and shape foreign policy. In the ongoing war in Ukraine, the UK RJ is a vital capability in providing time-sensitive ISR to consumers ranging from the UK national leadership to war ghters on the edge of the con ict.

How is RJ integrated with our allied partners?

RJ is an extraordinary example of air power integration. For the purposes of sensor and system upgrades, the three RJs are considered an extension of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Rivet Joint eet which ensures the technology is both state-ofthe-art and consistent across the wider force. They are integrated by design with the other 17 USAF RJs that L3Harris also developed, upgraded and maintained. The aircraft are interoperable with NATO and Five Eyes nations, and this

has provided a foundation for joint exercises and operations. The RAF has previously reported how UK RJs have been refuelled in-air by both US and French Stratotankers, again demonstrating interoperability with allied platforms.

What lies beyond RJ for L3Harris in terms of ISR?

At L3Harris, we are proud of our close partnership between our engineers and No 51 Sqn. Globally, our ISR capabilities stretch beyond RJ, with deep expertise and experience in air and space technology, working with customers around the world.

“Rivet Joint is an extraordinary example of air power integration”

For example, L3Harris is leading the industry in business-jet missionisation, designing mission-tailored solutions on platforms of all sizes, o ering a one-stop solution for ISR aircraft engineering, complex system integration, aircraft modi cation, ight testing and certi cation, contractor logistics support and electronic warfare.

More widely, we are bringing to market a range of data-centric technologies that are platform-agnostic, designed to connect our armed forces and those of our allies, across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains.

FCAS/GCAP

Air Commodore Martin Lowe, FCAS Programme Director, o ers insights into the status of the Programme following the successful integration of Japan into the tri-national project

From its inception in the release of the Combat Air Strategy in 2018, the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Programme was to be both ‘international by design’ and developed to counter the threats of the future. But, the simplistic view of the FCAS Programme requirement as described in the Strategy – “to deliver the capabilities required when Typhoon leaves service” – is misleading. Given the rapidly evolving nature of state threats and our assessment of their capabilities in the long term, FCAS will be a very di erent military capability to that provided by Typhoon.

How di erent? The most obvious di erence is that the FCAS, as the S in the acronym suggests, is intended to be a system of capabilities, not just an aircraft platform. That means a combination of: crewed platforms; uncrewed collaborative platforms – variously named ACPs (autonomous collaborative platforms), CCAs (collaborative combat aircraft) or just adjuncts; advanced weapons and missiles – all connected together to deliver the required e ect.

The system of capabilities will not end there, though. The UK’s FCAS will also include other air capabilities, such as F-35 , E-7, P-8 and Protector, as well as land, maritime and space-based capabilities,

Each of the three GCAP nations –Italy, Japan and the UK – will need to start replacing some of their existing fast-jet capabilities in the late 2030s

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

such as the Type 45, Type 83 Future Air Dominance System destroyers and Future Ground Based Air Defence. All will be linked together in a way that enables surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting, weapons control and other activities across domains.

will be designed to transition to uncrewed and autonomous operations in the longer term. However, at the moment, the human brain’s capacity to adapt to the new, unusual and creative, combined with the associated judgement and

“The GCAP aircraft will be a low observable, highly survivable, highly networked, data-driven platform with the range, persistence and payload to complement F-35”

At the heart of the future UK system will be a next-generation combat aircraft. It is being delivered by the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in partnership with Italy and Japan. The GCAP aircraft will be a low observable, highly survivable, highly networked, data-driven platform with the range, persistence and payload to complement F-35 as part of the system of combat air capabilities in which both will operate. And it will be supported by a sovereign industrial base that will provide the freedom to modify and operate the capability with little dependence on other nations.

Initially, at least, it will be crewed. The GCAP aircraft and associated wider system capabilities

experience provided by a person in a cockpit, is considered fundamentally necessary in some part of the future combat air system.

International partnership

Given the UK’s history of combat aircraft collaboration with Italy through the Tornado and Typhoon programmes, and our common involvement in the F-35 programme, collaboration with Italy on a nextgeneration programme is a natural and, perhaps, obvious step. Collaboration with Japan might have come as a surprise to some, though. However, Japan is also an F-35 operating nation, and has a sovereign combat air capability in the Mitsubishi F-2 that is

Initially, at least, the GCAP aircraft will be crewed, as human judgement and experience is considered necessary

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

GCAP will develop a system of capabilities comprising a manned aircraft with complementary unmanned vehicles (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

due to retire in the mid-to-late 2030s. It has invested considerable sums in developing its national combat aircraft industries and ew the X-2 demonstrator aircraft in 2016 in support of its F-X programme. Indeed, there is remarkable alignment between the three Nations on all aspects of the Programme. We all share the same view of future threats and, as F-35 operating Nations, want a next-generation capability to complement the F-35. Aside from the common military capability requirements, all three Nations have a history of national combat aircraft development and share the ambition to sustain those industries, which provide a range of wider economic bene ts, as well as a sovereign industrial base to deliver the freedom to modify and operate the aircraft independently.

Rapid progress

GCAP is a programme that is moving fast. From the standing start of the Prime Ministerial announcement in December 2022 to launch the programme, a formal Treaty was signed by all three Nations just a year later. That Treaty provides the framework for the formation of an international programme o ce, to be based in the UK and resourced by all three Nations, which will be established later this year. A trilaterally agreed, full systems Requirements

Document was nalised in January 2024 along with a common concept design, such that, by 2025, the aim is for the new programme o ce to raise a long-term development contract with an industrial consortium – comprised of BAE Systems in the UK, Leonardo in Italy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan – to deliver that design requirement.

At the same time, secure systems for collaborative design across the Nations are being procured and investments in infrastructure are being made in all three countries. Engine and aircraft demonstrators are being built, a mission systems ight test aircraft is being developed and transformative approaches to digital design and advanced manufacturing are being piloted. The Programme already employs 3,500 people in all parts of the UK, and thousands more in Italy and Japan.

Make no mistake, GCAP has to move quickly if it is going to deliver next-generation combat aircraft capabilities for the UK, Italy and Japan in the timeframes envisaged. While it is certainly the case that the Programme is a national choice by three governments to retain sovereignty in the combat aircraft sector, the heart of the Programme is the delivery of a relevant and e ective future military capability. As news reports reveal, our potential adversaries are not hanging around either.

Providing a combat-winning edge

Tom Wallington Head of Air Domain, UK Sales and Business Development, MBDA

What is MBDA doing around collaborative combat technology?

MBDA believe that collaborative e ects are vital in a data-driven battlespace, where every opportunity to hold an advantage over adversaries could provide a combat-winning edge. We are, therefore, increasing the pace of development of advanced collaborative technologies, and identifying new ways to exploit these technologies in our current and future weapons.

The advanced sensors on board our weapons already gather and share information about the battlespace as they approach targets, improving situational awareness and coordinating their actions. Through the opportunity to include our Orchestrike technology in products like SPEAR3, MBDA is demonstrating how collaborative capabilities can improve e ector survivability and thereby reduce the overall number of weapons required for mission success – in turn, reducing cost and maximising stockpiles.

Furthermore, MBDA is developing the technologies needed to spiral future Orchestrike functionality into our wider tactical and deep-strike portfolio. This includes broader connectivity, software architectures and AI-driven algorithms to maximise combat e ectiveness, while maintaining the requisite level of human involvement. The aim is to provide three core functions: threat avoidance, collaborative targeting and automatic target reallocation.

With our proven expertise in this area, MBDA is uniquely placed to provide our customers with world-leading products that deliver highly optimised e ects in the most contested environments.

Hi-tech and high performance often comes at a cost. How does MBDA balance this with needs of economy and scale?

MBDA recognise that our customers need a blend of capabilities for di erent situations – from exquisite capabilities required for high-end war ghting through to the mass and utility more suited to more permissive environments.

SPEAR is an example of a weapons family that delivers this breadth of choice. SPEAR3 was designed for the RAF to deliver a range of e ects, providing tactical exibility for current and future platforms. However, the family approach to SPEAR takes this exibility one step further, providing a missile airframe that retains the same platform integration while creating a suite of e ectors by adjusting internal components. For example, we have developed the complementary electronic warfare variant SPEAR-EW and a lower-cost variant, SPEAR-Glide. In the latter, the propulsion system is removed in favour of a larger

warhead alongside basic networking and guidance. This increases the opportunity for greater combat mass, while minimising additional integration time and costs.

Both the MOD and RAF now have drone and Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) strategies. How can MBDA assist customer ambitions in this area?

The role of drones and ACPs continues to develop at pace. MBDA are acutely aware of the opportunities and challenges these platforms bring to our customers, and where we can play a part.

Our primary focus in this area is the work we are doing to ensure that our weapons can be integrated quickly and cheaply onto any future uncrewed system. MBDA have a proven track record of integration onto multiple platforms; Meteor can be carried by ve di erent combat aircraft. Likewise, we have integrated Brimstone not just on a number of combat aircraft, but are proving it on Protector for the RAF. Additionally, we are in the process of integrating the weapon onto a quadcopter drone, demonstrating our ability to rapidly adapt and optimise our e ectors for use on ACPs and, in future, on Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs).

Beyond the agile integration of our weapons onto larger ACPs, MBDA can play a key role in the safe, secure coordination of all ACPs to optimise their utility across the future battlespace, providing autonomous collaborative e ects. Adding Orchestrike to the battlespace will unlock the power of e ector-to-e ector teaming, alongside traditional Tier 1 ACPs.

As our customers’ approach to ACPs evolves, MBDA stands ready to integrate our products: on new platforms, and in the wider battlespace.

Responding to the threat environment

Herman Claesen, Managing Director, Future Combat Air Systems, BAE Systems’ Air sector reveals the UK’s commitment to maintaining a sovereign Combat Air sector through the Global Combat Air Programme, and highlights the importance of close cooperation between government and industry

Launched in 2018, the UK Combat Air Strategy con rmed the sovereign Combat Air sector as a critical national asset, and set out the UK’s strategic priority to remain at the leading edge of Combat Air system development to protect our people, project global in uence and promote our prosperity.

Proliferation of technologies to wider international actors – state or non-state – is increasing the threats that these types of systems create. This means it is more important than ever that we deliver a sovereign solution that ensures the UK and its allies can operate in the most hostile and non-permissive environment.

GCAP aligns with other international collaborations, such as AUKUS (IMAGE: BAE SYSTEMS)

Today, we are all witnessing key trends driving a rapidly shifting global environment. These include those that shift the distribution of global power, the pace of technological change and the role of the nation-state actor as the key catalysts in instability. In the years since the UK Combat Air Strategy was launched, these trends have accelerated.

The imperative is, therefore, clear for the UK to continue to invest in the sovereign capability for the long term, and to ght and win in this hugely challenging environment of the future, developing capabilities that are not available today.

As per the RAF’s Air Operating Concept, it is clear that air power remains critical to successfully

deliver military supremacy and multi-domain operational advantage. This includes the core roles of air power as de ned by the RAF: control of the air, surveillance and reconnaissance, air intelligence and attack.

Global Combat Air Programme

The programme to acquire next-generation combat air capabilities is a direct response to the changing threat landscape that the UK and its allies face. In the years since its launch, a signi cant amount of progress has been achieved by government and industry working together to progress the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which has Tempest at its heart; delivered through the partnership with Japan and Italy on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Successive policies and reviews have reinforced the military necessity for Tempest and the wider FCAS programme, as well as its wider national value. In an ever more challenging security environment, it is more critical than ever that the UK is able to deliver sovereign solutions that retain control of national security, the defence purpose, and global reach and in uence.

Tempest will ensure sovereign freedom of action, freedom of modi cation and freedom of export – all of which can only be delivered through the appropriate investment in national capability, technology and human capital.

Key to responding to the rapidly evolving threat environment is the ability to understand it at the requisite levels of classi cation. The

transformational enterprise partnership between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry on the FCAS programme creates a trusted environment that bene ts the programme, supported by broader culture, behaviour and transparency, going beyond the contractual, commercial and legal considerations, which also underpin the changed ways of working.

In this environment, joint teams from across the MOD and industry work together to translate threat assessments into operational analysis and, subsequently, the requirements that are shaping the future of the programme, as well as, critically, the military capability to support the UK and its allies to ensure control of the air.

We often hear talk of fourth-, fth- and sixthgeneration aircraft, but these labels are becoming less accurate and have always been prone to opinion and interpretation. Future generations of capability are better characterised by a continuous evolution, enabled by rapid and exible upgrades, rather than de ned generations and products. A continuous digital thread, through-life, for Tempest being a key enabler to this, with a far greater exploitation of software adaptations and capability updates delivered through a exible development programme.

Tempest, and the wider FCAS environment, will need to deliver a step-change in capability. Central to delivering this next-generation capability will be:

– Exploitation of the ‘System of Systems’ beyond the crewed core aircraft, including the seamless integration of potential uncrewed Autonomous Collaborative Platforms and next-generation e ectors;

The UK’s Future Combat Air System has Tempest at its heart (IMAGE: BAE SYSTEMS)

– Connectivity and data exploitation enabling the system to operate as an integrated capability, across the combat air system, broader air system and across domains, seeing FCAS as being a critical multidomain operations-enabling programme;

– Sensing capability generating unparalleled levels of data on-board the components of the system, combined with the necessary next-generation levels of processing and analytics capabilities driven by arti cial intelligence and machine learning to provide commanders with the advantage through tactical and strategic situational awareness;

– Range and payload capabilities that will enable the system, including Tempest, to deliver the broad scope of missions demanded of it, and;

– Low observability and survivability that will allow the system, including Tempest, to operate in any environment, no matter how non-permissive and electromagnetic spectrum denied.

The UK’s FCAS programme, and our international partnership through GCAP, is building on a wellestablished track record for the UK’s sovereign combat air sector in delivering critical national value across the nation, reaching far beyond the critical military capability delivered to our Armed Forces.

As clearly articulated in the UK’s Combat Air Strategy, the sovereign Combat Air sector is a hugely important contributor to UK in terms of the economic returns, industrial capability, employment, skills and education opportunities it delivers across the UK’s regions and across a highly diversi ed national supply chain, with many innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and academic institutions playing a key role.

Developing global partnerships

Furthermore, the UK sovereign Combat Air sector has consistently proven its value internationally in developing and underpinning critical global strategic partnerships for the UK. GCAP sits alongside the likes of AUKUS in delivering UK policy in the Indo-Paci c, as well as the role of cementing our European relationship with Italy and our integration in critical European defence architectures.

All of this international strategic bene t also translates to long-term export opportunities, further advancing the prosperity agenda for the UK and our international partners.

The national imperative to retain and develop sovereign combat air capability is clearer than ever, and can only be developed through continued joint partnerships, investment and resourcing between government and industry, keeping us on track to deliver this critical next-generation capability.

Tempest will ensure the UK’s sovereign battlespace supremacy (IMAGE: BAE SYSTEMS)

International society is now at a turning point in history. The free and open international order, based on the rule of law, is facing serious challenges. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has entered its third year. In Northeast Asia, where I live, Japan is surrounded by China, Russia and North Korea, creating a di cult security environment. Indeed, Mr Kishida Fumio, Prime Minster of Japan, often says, “The security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Paci c are inseparable”.

No country can ensure its security entirely on its own, and no one can doubt the importance of multilayered collaboration among allies and partners. Thus, we are now working together with our ally the US and like-minded countries to integrate at various levels. Regarding this contribution, I would like to focus on Interoperability.

Interoperability is a common expression nowadays. In my understanding, it has three pillars:

– Asset/Materiel interoperability,

– Procedural interoperability,

– Human interoperability.

Asset/Materiel interoperability: Although development of networking technology is making the linkage easier, using common assets has always been the foundation for better cooperation. For example, Japan operates the F-35 fast jet and Patriot

General Hiroaki Uchikura

Chief of Sta , Japan Air Self-Defense Force

Deterrence through three pillars of interoperability

air-defence missile system, which many other nations also possess. In addition, we are promoting the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with the UK and Italy.

Procedural interoperability: Commonisation of operational procedures and doctrines leads us to improve readiness and reinforces our deterrence by strengthening actual cooperation.

In April, leaders of the US and Japan issued a Joint Leaders’ Statement and concurred that they are working together, across all domains and at all levels, to bring alliance cooperation to new heights. Undoubtedly, this partnership is not limited at the bilateral level. For instance, various endeavours with nations such as Australia and the Philippines create multilayered regional frameworks where the

“Good rapport among leaderships serves as an ampli er that helps to overcome multiple di culties”

Human interoperability: Despite the world we currently live in often being referred to as the ‘Digitalised Society’, face-to-face interaction remains essential. I am con dent that good rapport among leadership serves as an ampli er that helps to overcome multiple di culties.

As evidence of this, I have enjoyed working with Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton as a fellow Defence Planner since 2016, and, furthermore, by coincidence, General David W. Allvin, Chief of Sta of the United States Air Force, and Major General Jan Dam, Chief of the Royal Danish Air Force, were my classmates in the US Air Command and Sta College in 1998.

alliance serves as a force multiplier. Together with these like-minded countries, we are working to realise a Free-and-Open-Indo-Paci c.

So far, I have stressed that what is important for deterrence is interoperability and cooperation with allies and like-minded countries. As a nal note, I would like to borrow our Prime Minister’s words from his statement in April in the U.S. Congress: “Peace requires Resolve.”

This year, the Japan Air SelfDefense Force (Koku-Jieitai) has marked the 70th anniversary of its foundation. In this anniversary year, I am greatly looking forward to tackling challenges together.

An unwavering commitment to protecting the skies

Pratt & Whitney F100 and F135 engines power 14 European air forces’ air superiority mission

Steven M Shepro Vice President, Integrated Customer Solutions for Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney

A clear mission fuels the innovation to ful l it. Without the drive to overcome tomorrow’s challenges, advances in aviation would be at a standstill. The ghter engine development history of Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, embodies that drive to win and gives the war ghter a generational edge in global propulsion technology.

Five decades ago, Pratt & Whitney’s F100 engine powered the F-16’s maiden ight. As a former F-16 pilot, it was plain to see that its leap in power, performance and reliability was game-changing for our air superiority, with a 50% increase in thrust-toweight over its predecessor. It was the clear powerplant choice for us and our allies, with the F100 now in service with 23 air forces. Approximately two-thirds of global

F-16s are F100-powered, with the most advanced F100s powering F-16 Block 72s.

The F100’s advance has continued, evolving from the rst elded fourthgeneration engine to now incorporating operationally proven fth-generation technologies, such as state-of-the-art digital electronic controls, advanced thermal coatings, improved turbinecooling capabilities and prognostics. This makes the F100 a trusted and experienced ghter propulsion solution.

“Approximately two-thirds of global F-16s are F100-powered”

Pratt & Whitney also delivered a leap in technology for fth-generation propulsion for the F-22 and F-35, powering the world’s premier stealth ghters. Already, 17 international partners have joined the F-35 programme. With 40,000+ lbs of thrust, an unmatched low-observable signature and the most advanced adaptive integrated engine control system ever created, the F135 engine delivers the capabilities for the F-35’s most critical missions. Supported by a robust and interconnected global industrial base, the F135 engine has not only proven its superiority in operations, but also in a ordable sustainment needs for years to come.

F135 Engine Core Upgrade

Like the F100, the F135 engine also continues to advance. The F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) will incorporate next-generation technologies, delivering the durability and performance needed to fully enable Block 4 capabilities and beyond for the F-35. Easily retro ttable in all variants, the ECU will ensure F-35 operators can accomplish their most challenging missions. Pratt & Whitney’s extensive F135 experience, with more than 1,200 delivered engines maintaining full mission capability rates of over 94%, will ensure the F-35 is durable and has long-lasting performance.

In my current role leading Integrated Customer Solutions for Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney, I have the privilege to work with a dedicated and ingenious team that delivers propulsion to our service members and international partners leading the missions to protect freedom. Since the 1920s, Pratt & Whitney engineers have innovated to design cuttingedge and dependable engines – over 7,000 of which are in service with 34 armed forces worldwide today.

The F100 and F135 alone have surpassed 30 million and 800,000 ight hours respectively, and have proven to be among the safest, most capable and reliable ghter engines in service. From fourth-generation to fth-generation propulsion, Pratt & Whitney continues to unlock greater potential for the advanced aircraft required to y, ght and win.

F-35 Lightning

Group Captain John Butcher, Commander of the UK’s Lightning Force, explains the importance of enhancing integration and increasing interoperability with other F-35 eets worldwide, and what this will mean for the UK’s front-line capability

With the commissioning of 809 Naval Air Squadron in December 2023 and the growth of the Squadron taking place throughout 2024, the UK Lightning Force is driving towards its Full Operating Capability achievement in 2025, which will essentially be the ability to deploy two frontline squadrons. This marks a major milestone in the UK Lightning Programme and represents the steady state of UK fth-generation aircraft until 2033, when the third front-line squadron will form.

As we look ahead to the intervening years and maintaining constant readiness to deter our adversaries, one of our main focus areas will be enhancing integration and increasing interoperability with other F-35 users across the globe to increase broader front-line capability. As NATO reinforces its

defensive border, we need to be mindful that, by 2035, there are expected to be over 600 F-35s operating in Europe, and integration with these assets will be key.

ACE – Agile Combat Employment

To be able to maximise this single-type capability dominance, there are several engineering elements in particular that we need to work through as we look towards Agile Combat Employment processes, and we are going to need to be able to work seamlessly with other F-35 partners for us to exploit the fact that NATO will largely operate a single combat aircraft type in F-35.

We need to be able to ‘plug in’ to other bases around Europe at a moment’s notice to remain agile, exploiting the advantages of a single platform type. We will be seeking to share the ability to refuel

Exploiting the maritime base will be paramount for the F-35 in the future – not just among NATO allies, but also with other nations that operate the aircraft (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 saw a UK-led Carrier Strike Group deliver the sort of F-35 missions that will be key to future operations

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

and conduct basic servicing on each other’s jets to allow exibility, including potentially varying the use of each other’s weapons where required.

Some of this work has been done already. Recent carrier deployments have witnessed the Norwegian Air Force conducting hot pit refuels to support diverts of our F-35s from the carrier, so we are already starting to make progress in this space. We have done this before with the United States Marine Corps, when we used to ‘pool’ our jets together at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, so these principles are not new.

What does need to be developed are new structures for us to work in, to ensure we can do this more simply and without additional burden. This work is vital to ensure the integrity of NATO, and we need to be operating seamlessly around NATO’s airspace. This will ensure that, if we do need to ght wars together, we can do so with agility and with less reliance on our own support structure that may be relatively xed and defensive.

Utilising maritime bases

In an agile context we must consider the utilisation of maritime bases with F-35B. For the UK, and also for Italy, we have the added opportunity to exploit the maritime base; retaining the option to strike the enemy deep from the sea, but then recover for fuel to a land base with potential options to re-arm and strike again, before returning to a carrier that will have moved location for self-protection or future strike positioning.

Developing this as a concept will be critical to underpinning agility in the air domain. The

Queen Elizabeth -class carriers, along with a NATO Strike Group, the likes of which we saw on Exercise Steadfast Defender, demonstrate the leadership of a UK Carrier Strike Group at the centre of a NATO exercise and provide a brilliant capability to enable F-35B strike operations in the future.

Maintaining network access

The other critical area of development will be to ensure that aircraft operating information networks remain accessible. This is a particularly challenging area as we all have sovereign data to protect and cybersecurity to maintain, but nding a way to ensure we retain good airworthiness data of servicing activity, while making sure we can continue to y and ght, is essential. Finding our way through this to ensure we keep this incredible capability serviceable throughout whatever the ght may look like, and ensuring that the assets can continue to ght after any con ict we battle through, is a fundamental requirement.

The development of cross-servicing activity with F-35 users will a ord the front line greater exibility in the use of the Air System and provides an agile employment methodology to operations with other nations. The opportunity to exploit the maritime base as the Strike Group remains mobile is unique to the UK and Italy in Europe, and with the US already using this capability and Japan considering taking the same path, the numbers of maritime bases are likely to increase in potential areas of con ict in the coming years. Making sure we take advantage of interoperability with other F-35 users will undoubtedly be critical to success in the next major con ict.

AUKUS COLLABORATION DELIVERING GLOBAL AEW&C

E-7 Wedgetail

In a move that will achieve the highest levels of Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) interoperability and integration, the RAF, RAAF and USAF have signed a Joint Vision Statement to coordinate their E-7 Wedgetail capability development, testing, interoperability, operations and training. The Commanding O cer of Number 8 Squadron, Wing Commander Sarah McDonnell, explains

IThe E-7 Wedgetail Trilateral Working Group met in February 2024 at RAAF Base Williamtown –the rst Working Group to be conducted in Australia (PHOTO: RAAF/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

n 2023, the Chiefs of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), RAF and USAF signed a letter cementing E-7 Wedgetail cooperation and, in doing so, decreed a Joint Vision Statement that formally acknowledges trilateral collaboration in pursuit of a world-leading AEW&C capability. More speci cally, the Joint Vision talks of the intention to share costs, minimise duplication of e ort and di erences in design, while accelerating E-7 Wedgetail capability delivery. Further, it acknowledges the need for the trilateral relationship to ensure collective national leverage of acquisition and sustainment programmes, both to assure interoperability across training and testing and to futureproof integrated action in support of operational demand. Behind this Joint Vision is a thriving programme of integration.

The RAF and the USAF have already established a footprint of personnel training and operating alongside their RAAF counterparts within RAAF No 2 Squadron, such as the RAF’s Seedcorn detachment. The embedded pilots, mission crew, engineering o cers, aircraft technicians and operations personnel have been integral to the Squadron’s broad range of activities since the Seedcorn programme began in 2018. Gaining vital experience across the operational and maintenance domains, Seedcorn personnel have been fully integrated within the Australian Defence Force. Similarly, personnel exchanges are working to grow the trilateral science and technology skill-set that will continue to integrate, generate and sustain E-7 Wedgetail operations and capability development. There is intent to maximise innovative research

through development, testing and evaluation of advances in technologies that will foster architectures, technology protection and modularity.

Flight Lieutenant Adam Beasley, an RAF Exchange O cer and E-7 Wedgetail Mission Computing System Asset Manager at the Airborne Surveillance, Control and Intelligence System Program O ce at RAAF Williamtown, says that these regular trilateral engagements have “supported the RAF and USAF eets in the move towards further cooperation”. He explains, “My position here is a re ection of the three nations’ drive towards the establishment of a cooperative programme under the Air Force Chiefs’ E-7 Wedgetail Joint Vision Statement.”

A series of E-7 Wedgetail Trilateral Working Groups have already taken place. This is a key forum for enabling the sharing of platform information and capability roadmaps, with the intention of aligning policies and accelerating operational output of all three national programmes. The joint development of concepts for the training and education of military personnel will also adapt and improve the skills required to operate and maintain the E-7 Wedgetail in a variety of operational theatres. Progressing from these discussions, the Trilateral community is working towards the creation of a combined E-7 Wedgetail Programme O ce.

In February 2024, at RAAF Base Williamtown, the home of the E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C capability, Australia hosted its rst E-7 Wedgetail Trilateral Working Group. Throughout the week, RAF representatives from DE&S, Air Capability, the ISTAR Force Headquarters and No 8 Squadron were provided with the opportunity to tour the AEW&C operations, maintenance and support facilities, as well as conducting a familiarisation with the RAAF E-7 Wedgetail aircraft itself.

Operation Kudu

This continued cooperative engagement will further support the Chief of the Air Sta ’s Air Operating Concept. The E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C capability will be a vital asset for both the UK and NATO against the pervading threat to European security from Russia and in supporting allied interests across the Indo-Paci c region.

The RAAF has recently proven the value of the capability within the European operating environment, having completed a six-month deployment to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as part of Operation Kudu. The E-7A Wedgetail aircraft supported the multinational e ort to provide early warning for potential threats from Russia outside of Ukraine, and to help protect a vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. While operating outside Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian airspace, the

E-7 Wedgetail integrated with partners, including the US, accumulating around 250 ying hours, with missions averaging ve hours in the air.

Testament to the strength of collaboration is the intent and relentless pursuit of interoperability, irrespective of the maturity of each national programme. While the RAF nears delivery of its rst E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, which is expected to enter its test and evaluation phase in early 2025, the RAF’s Seedcorn detachment will continue to support RAAF No 2 Squadron, deploying globally with E-7 Wedgetail again in 2024, including on Exercises Paci c Edge, Red Flag and Pitch Black.

In considering the combination of E-7 Wedgetail as a single international programme, the UK now has the ability to concurrently in uence design from inception, direct and in uence testing and evaluation, while learning lessons from both platform delivery and deployment on operations. The vantage point of omnipresence across a platform’s lifecycle is undisputedly unique. And it is absolutely a force multiplier in terms of capability, which will undoubtedly enhance the UKs delivery of operational e ects.

In 2023, the chiefs of the RAAF, the RAF and the USAF –(left to right) Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton and General Charles Q. Brown Jr – agreed to collaborate on E-7 development (PHOTO: RAAF/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

E-7 Wedgetail on the tarmac at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as part of Operation Kudu (PHOTO: RAAF/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Keeping pace with and deterring our adversaries

Andy Start, Chief Executive O cer, DE&S, and the UK’s National Armaments Director, outlines recent steps to improve the integration and interoperability of the UK’s Defence capability

It’s a sad fact that threats to our freedom and security are growing, and we know that our adversaries are working harder than ever to outpace us.

Our job, all of our jobs, is to deter future con ict and to encourage nations to take the route of peaceful rebalancing, rather than being seduced by the apparent shortcut of war. This means all of us in the allied Defence enterprise have a responsibility to be faster, more e cient, more innovative, more integrated and more productive.

For DE&S, that’s working even more cohesively with our industry, international and mission partners to ensure we make the most from the almost £13 billion worth of operational support and new systems we deliver each year.

DE&S teams manage more than 2,600 contracts, across more than 550 programmes, with hundreds of suppliers. And I’m proud that, together with our industry partners, we deliver an impressive 98% of key user requirements for

front-line commands and around 90% of strategic milestones.

Among these are the maintenance, support and upgrades of key in-service platforms like F-35 ghter jets, Typhoon, A400M, Reaper, Poseidon P-8, and Hawk, while we bring Protector into service, enhance Typhoon and complete the build of E-7 Wedgetail.

Elsewhere, our Future Capability Innovation team is rapidly developing uncrewed systems in line with the new Drone Strategy, and this summer Space Command’s rst satellite procured by DE&S, under the MINERVA Programme, will be launched.

Additionally, we’re busy executing the multi-billion-pound munitions strategy, which is buying more of our existing air-to-air and air-tosurface missiles, as well as developing exciting and capable new ones. As we rapidly develop advanced hypersonic missile capabilities for the UK we are negotiating contracts with over 90 organisations – large and small – to secure their places on a £1 billion framework.

Staying ahead

But, we cannot rest on our laurels and there is more we can do. Recent events in Ukraine and the Middle East have brought into sharp focus the critical need for the UK and our allies to stay ahead of our adversaries. To address this, we have radically reassessed and redesigned our operating model from the ground up, engaging over 1,500 people, including DE&S sta , industry small and large, and the front-line

commands. They included Deputy Chief of the Air Sta , Air Marshal Paul Lloyd, whose contribution was key in ensuring we can help the RAF and its partners to achieve the aim of an integrated and interoperable deterrence.

As part of our new operating model, we have established a Battlespace Integration Centre as an asset for the whole of Defence. This is part of the Digital Exploitation for Defence Programme, which is aimed at improving the integration and interoperability of the UK’s Defence capability, including Integrated Air & Missile Defence. Our new operating model will ensure our systems better integrate to maximum e ect. It will also set up projects for success from the start, encourage the use of spiral development and improve the availability of systems once in service. And by playing our part in the new Integrated Procurement Model, DE&S will better align the needs of our allies, front-line commands, industry and our workforce to increase the deterrent e ect.

As the UK’s representative on the NATO Conference of National Armaments Directors, I’m pleased to say that NATO, the world’s most powerful military alliance, is more aligned, integrated and interoperable than it has been for over 20 years. We are collectively responding to the threats.

When it comes to deterring the very real threats we face, there’s no question that we stand so much stronger if we are together.

Protector arrives at RAF Waddington

The rst of 16 RG Mk1 (MQ-9B) Protector Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS) has arrived in the UK, ready to operate from its home base of RAF Waddington. The Senior Responsible O cer for the Protector Programme, Air Commodore Alex Hicks, explains how the Test and Evaluation process will be carried out to ensure that the aircraft reaches its in-service date in 2024

Protector RG Mk1 (MQ-9B) is a world rst in aviation: the rst Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) to be certi able for operations in all classes of airspace. The Protector Programme will deliver a stepchange in RPAS Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability, harnessing a suite of next-generation sensors and systems that will provide access to international airspace. The updated systems, coupled with UK weapons, will bring a technological edge over our adversaries. Leveraging the RAF’s RPAS pedigree and experience gained over several years of sustained operations by the Reaper Force, No 31 Squadron

at RAF Waddington will assume operational responsibility with Protector in 2025. As the programme pivots from a manufacture to an in-service phase, the Protector enterprise is entering an exciting period of Test and Evaluation (T&E); the immediate focus is to ensure the safe and e ective integration of Protector RG Mk1 at RAF Waddington to enable an In-Service Declaration (ISD) later this year.

First steps for test and evaluation

The start of the T&E journey saw a bold commitment to y Protector in UK airspace in 2023. Against a challenging delivery context, the rst Protector was exported to the UK in September 2023 – some four

Protector underwent extensive ground testing before making its maiden ight at RAF Waddington (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

months ahead of schedule – following a phenomenal e ort by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) and the US Government. In parallel, similar Herculean e orts were achieved at a remarkable pace to deliver the enabling infrastructure, information services and networks, which spanned numerous military and supplier organisational boundaries.

No 56 Squadron, as the designated T&E squadron, with support from various airspace, air safety and technical leads, developed a test plan that would demonstrate the safe integration and operation of Protector for the rst time at RAF Waddington. In November 2023, following a series of ground tests, the milestone was achieved, comprising a successful ight and a series of circuits at RAF Waddington.

Protector reached the milestone of making its maiden ight in the UK on 17 November 2023

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

This momentous achievement marked far more than just a successful ight: it showcased the signi cant collaborative and innovative e ort that had been expended across the Protector Enterprise in de-risking a number of technical elements, and provided further con dence in the next phase of the programme.

No 56 Squadron is due to start the formal T&E phase for the programme in June/July 2024. It will test operators, maintainers, industry partners and a plethora of Defence enablers to sustain and develop a new capability. For the operators that have graduated from the US-based Operational Conversion Unit, it is an opportunity to develop and re ne the tactics, techniques and procedures learnt in the synthetic environment. For the maintainers on No 31 Squadron, who have received extensive training in the US-based facility at Desert Horizon,

this phase will provide an opportunity to test and develop the maintenance and recti cation procedures on a new air vehicle and the associated Certi ed Ground Control Stations (CGCS).

Building on success

As part of an incremental growth path for the 16 aircraft and their associated ground equipment, ve simulators and eight ground stations, further work will see the sustainment arrangements mature with the supply chain. From operating, maintenance, airworthiness, airspace integration and logistical perspectives, this phase of T&E will exercise every part of the programme to generate and sustain a ying programme, ready for an ISD. The lessons learnt will be fundamental to building a capability that is ready to declare an operational capability and provide support to our international partners, who have the same goal of operationally deploying their capability.

As the MQ-9B lead customer, the UK is uniquely positioned to lead the MQ-9B International Cooperative Programme (MICP) – a club of nine Nations at various stages of acquisition, yet with a common goal to exploit the capability o ered by MQ-9B. By 2028, it is estimated that 12 nations will be operating approximately 150 MQ-9B aircraft, and this could expand to 16 nations and about 250 aircraft by 2030. Having selected and certi ed UK weapons, sensors and systems to the UK MQ-9B, there is a signi cant opportunity for UK industry to also supply equipment to all international partners.

Bene ts and opportunities

MICP o ers nations signi cant nancial and schedule bene ts and opportunities. As an international community, the UK-led MICP has the potential to coordinate the development of exquisite ISR capability, sharing those costs accordingly with partners and to strengthen cooperation, integration and interoperability under a NATO and/or bilateral framework. With NATO as the cornerstone of collective defence, there is a signi cant opportunity to expand the current MQ-9B capability to include Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) and Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR) surveillance capabilities under a NATO ISR Force.

The success of the UK’s Protector T&E phase and graduated build-up to an operational capability will set the tone for other MQ-9B nations, de ning the pace and ambition of this next-generation RPAS capability. What is clear is that Protector is at the cutting edge of RPAS technology, forging existing and new partnerships and providing new pathways for battle-winning ISR capability with its allies.

Protector – for operations in all classes of airspace

Jonny King

Vice President, General Atomics

Aeronautical Systems UK

How is the UK’s rst Protector performing in its trials programme?

The RAF took ownership of its rst Protector aircraft in October 2022, but this and subsequent aircraft have remained in the US for test, evaluation and training. The rst Protector to come to the UK arrived in early October 2023 and was assembled by the RAF’s No 31 Squadron, guided solely by the technical publications that came with it. A temporary Ground Control Station (GCS) was built and connected to the UK military satellite network for the rst time ever. The rst ight from Waddington took place on 17 November 2023.

Rigorous tests and weapons trials are ongoing in the US, while full installation of the rst GCS occurred at Waddington in April 2024, with the rst synthetic training system being installed in the RAF’s new facility a month later. Full end-to-end testing of the new set-up at Waddington started in June.

How will the Protector expand its capability from initial to full operating standard?

Two of the main di erences will be an increase to the full complement of aircraft and crews, and installation of the full detect and avoid system. Other capabilities will also be added.

Protector is a unique Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) as it is the only RPAS in the world that has been

designed from the ground up to be certi able for operations in all classes of airspace. As part of this, there is a detect and avoid system that ensures it can be safely integrated with all other types of air tra c. Over time, Protector’s detect and avoid system will be expanded from allowing operations in most classes of airspace under air tra c control to operations in all classes of airspace.

How can Protector enhance the ability of the UK and its partners to operate in an integrated and interoperable way?

One of the major di erences from the Reaper is Protector’s ability to land remotely without needing a local Ground Control Station. Taxiing, take-o and landing can all be carried out over satellite links, so Protector can be deployed and operated exibly anywhere in the world. By its nature as an RPAS, Protector has multiple robust data links, not only to control the aircraft, but also to distribute all the ISR data collected from

its various onboard sensors. Adding Link 16 will further integrate Protector into the NATO network, and adding a maritime capability will enable teaming with P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and naval assets in the maritime domain.

How could the GA-ASI Protector Short Take-O and Landing (STOL) wing set advance integrated and interoperable operations further?

In November 2023, we ew a smaller Mojave RPAS from HMS Prince of Wales This proved the concept of operating this class of RPAS from an aircraft carrier that does not have catapults and arresting gear. We are now developing a STOL wing set for Protector that will enable navies to take the multi-role capabilities of Protector to sea. This will provide navies with a highly exible, organic and longendurance aircraft that can be rapidly re-roled for missions such as Airborne Early Warning, Anti-Submarine Warfare, Maritime Surface Surveillance and Strike.

Orcus – introducing C-UAS

Operated by the RAF Regiment and introduced as part of Project Synergia, Orcus can detect, track, identify and defeat hostile drones. Group Captain Gary Darby explains how the system ts into the UK’s future plans for C-UAS integration and interoperability

IThe RAF’s developmental Orcus system forms a baseline for Defence’s xed-site C-UAS capability

(PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

f events globally over the past few years are anything to go by, the need to be able to combat enemy UAS activity will become a fundamental principle of air power. For example, the past two years of con ict between Ukraine and Russia have shown to the world the impact that a relatively low-cost capability can have on the battle eld.

More recently, as seen by the use of commercialo -the-shelf (COTS), Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS) in Israel by Hamas during the 7 October attacks, these UAS can be used as part of a coordinated e ort to conduct e ective ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) sorties and strike attacks against defences ahead of any main force movements. Finally, in April 2024, in its unprecedented attack against Israel, Iran used military-grade UAS as part of a complex attack alongside cruise and ballistic missiles, saturating Israeli air-defence capabilities and causing Israel to burn through expensive air defence assets.

While we are often drawn to the operational impacts of UAS attacks such as those above, there are also signi cant economic impacts. Due to the Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea area from November 2023 to January

2024, a reported 30,373 cargo ships were redirected around Africa. This increased journey times by eight to 10 days on average, with an estimated additional cost of $1 million per ship and an increased cost of $160 billion on the goods they were transporting.

Meanwhile, UAS and missile attacks against Russian oil facilities by Ukraine in a similar time frame reduced Russian oil production by a reported 11%. The impact of UAS attacks against Critical National Infrastructure and key transportation links alone demonstrates the need for robust Counter-UAS (C-UAS) capabilities.

As with the threat from improvised explosive devices (IEDs) seen in Afghanistan and Iraq, an enemy’s ability to both strike and x well-equipped military forces is now a low-cost reality. The creation and proliferation of COTS and militarygrade UAS globally is rapidly enabling both state and non-state actors to create their own e ective air forces, capable of launching from within the homeland or from thousands of kilometres away.

Rapid Sentry

In 2006, the RAF Regiment ceased to operate its organic Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) system. As part of an urgent capability requirement for a ‘hard kill’ e ector in Theatre to combat a direct Risk to Life, the Rapid Sentry missile system was procured and delivered in 2022 to operate alongside the RAF Regiment’s C-UAS Detect, Track, Identify and Defeat (non-kinetic) Orcus system. Rising to this enormous challenge, relearning their GBAD roots at pace and with urgency, to date the RAF Regiment has utilised these complementary systems together on operations, kinetically engaging multiple enemy UAS to great success – ultimately saving lives.

Furthermore, operating as part of a wider Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) system with allies, the RAF Regiment has enabled e ective C-UAS defence against a hostile and active enemy. Designed as a system of systems, scalable to the task and rapidly portable in nature, the Orcus and Rapid Sentry capabilities have fundamentally enhanced the RAF’s ability to operate in contested air environments, both at range and pace.

Need for a dedicated C-UAS workforce

As shown by the events in Ukraine, Israel and further, rapidly evolving C-UAS capabilities to defend on global operations and within the homeland are becoming key assets. While Orcus/Rapid Sentry are Defence’s initial foray into countering this UAS threat from a xed-site perspective, given the rapidly changing technology and enemy Tactics, Techniques and Procedures in the operation of UAS, the speed at which C-UAS must move challenges procurement processes.

Equally, the need to rapidly ‘evergreen’ capabilities to avoid obsolescence has never been greater. What is evident is the need for a dedicated professional workforce to operate such C-UAS systems. While the vast majority of this will need to come from the RAF Regiment, a blended workforce is also required to provide the intelligence picture, engineering and logistical support and air battlespace awareness to ensure the system ts within the wider IAMD architecture. It would, of course, not be possible to talk about the RAF’s C-UAS without talking more broadly about the other services’ C-UAS capabilities. The RAF remains Defence’s lead for C-UAS, and part of that is delivering governance structures through 1* (Air Commodore) and 2* (Air ViceMarshal) Boards. It remains the role of the JCO (Joint C-UAS O ce) to cohere, coordinate, in uence and exploit C-UAS opportunities across Defence, supporting the existing governance structures.

Future development

In terms of future development, it will be critical to be able to interconnect C-UAS capabilities, whether they be static, mobile at sea or airborne. It will also be fundamental to be able to do this within a coalition of allies and partners. This will allow C-UAS e ectors to operate within IAMD networks to allow the rapid sharing of warning and targeting data. The rapid evolution of ‘at-the-edge’ technologies, including e ectors such as direct energy weapons like Dragon re, which lower the cost of C-UAS capabilities, will need to be at the heart of the wider UK Defence approach and will be largely applicable across land, sea and air domains.

The UK’s Dragon re laser weapon will o er a much more cost-e ective way of countering drones in the future (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Securing air dominance now and in the future

Chris Stevens, Group Head of Business Development for Air Dominance at MBDA, explains how MBDA’s air-to-air missiles are helping the NATO Alliance and others secure their skies

Current global events underscore the paramount importance of air dominance in defending national sovereignty. Control of the skies is increasingly challenging, and future air battles are likely to be fought in highly contested air space. This, combined with the proliferation of stealth technologies, electronic warfare (EW) and the advent of sixth-generation ghters, heightens the need for highly capable air-to-air weapons.

(left to right, top to bottom): F-35B and Gripen; KF-21, Rafale, Typhoon; MICA (RF), Meteor, ASRAAM and MICA (EO) (IMAGE: MBDA)

MBDA is a world leader in the air dominance market. Outside of the US, MBDA supplies approximately 50% of the free world’s air-to-air missiles. MBDA’s air-to-air missile systems equip the latest generation of aircraft in-service with many of the world’s air forces. These include the Typhoon, Rafale, Gripen, KF-21, Mirage 2000, Jaguar,

LCA Tejas and, soon, the F-35A and F-35B. This extensive integration of weapon systems has resulted in a portfolio of combat-proven capabilities.

Operations Shader and Harmattan MBDA’s air dominance portfolio includes the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM), which, as well as boasting exceptional speed and agility against traditional targets, has proven highly e ective against unconventional drones. It was used in the rst operational air-to-air engagement conducted by an RAF Typhoon, which was the rst RAF air-to-air missile ring during Operation Shader – the UK’s contribution to the global coalition against Daesh. Complementary to its beyond visual range (BVR) counterparts ASRAAM has also proven to be extremely versatile, as demonstrated

by its successful employment by Ukrainian forces to defend themselves from airborne threats.

Similarly, the MICA missile system, integrated on Rafale and Mirage 2000, has played a crucial role in enforcing no- y zones during Operation Harmattan, the French military intervention in Libya. The MICA family, a multi-mission air-to-air missile system, provides tactical exibility with its radio frequency (RF) and infra-red (IR) seekers. MICA missiles are a crucial component of the French and international partners’ air forces’ arsenal and have a dual-role capable of handling both BVR and short-range combat scenarios with very high performance in both.

MICA has constantly evolved and now the MICA New Generation (NG) will soon be operational. An active electronically scanned array (AESA) seeker for the RF variant and advanced IR dual-band matrix for the IR variant will bring performance to the next level, while enlarging its target set. The range of the MICA NG family is also improved, thanks to a combination of dual-pulse motor technology, propellant increase and improved sensing. Equally important, air carriage hours are notably extended while maintenance frequency and cost are reduced, thanks to the optimisation provided by the introduction of a new health and usage monitoring system (HUMS).

Then there is Meteor, the world’s only ramjetpowered BVR air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) boasting an innovative propulsion system, giving it the largest no-escape zone (also known as range-turn-and-run or ‘RTR’) of any air-to-air missile on the market. This unique propulsion system also allows Meteor to maintain high average velocity throughout the time of ight, giving it very high energy reserves at intercept.

Meteor’s unrivalled end-game performance means, on average, fewer missiles are required to achieve a kill. This e ciency reduces the number of platforms required on a speci c mission, freeing up valuable resources and reducing the logistic footprint across combat air and the wider force, e ectively providing the war ghter with increased combat mass and a substantially reduced cost-per-kill.

F-35 and Meteor

By the early 2030s, there will be more than 600 F-35s in Europe. By the end of the decade, Meteor will be integrated and available on both the F-35A and F-35B. With the growing threat to Europe from Russia, the need to deter aggression is more critical than ever. Meteor, a tactical weapon with strategic e ect, will complement AMRAAM on NATO’s Eastern ank, countering the most severe

By the end of the decade, the Meteor missile will be certi ed on the F-35A and F-35B (IMAGE: MBDA)

airborne threats. Imagine having a sniper in the sky; that is the capability Meteor brings to the F-35. As a European missile in the heart of Europe, it o ers advantages such as stockpile sharing, an alternative supply chain and the power to compel the enemy to respect the most capable BVRAAM available.

Never satis ed, MBDA is constantly evolving its capabilities through internal R&D investment and collaboration with its customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Analysing and understanding both current and future threats is a core competency of MBDA, built on decades of experience. Our cutting-edge capabilities and collaborative approach with customers have resulted in an unrivalled portfolio of air-to-air weapons.

MBDA has signi cantly invested in virtual simulation and testing for its weapon systems. By balancing cost, time and capability for its customers, MBDA tests, experiments and demonstrates systems and concepts in a simulated environment subject to real-world constraints. The virtual battlespace, enabled by a new Digital Battlespace Facility in the UK, allows customers and engineers to freely explore and rapidly iterate concepts in complex scenarios. This maximises learning before investing in complex development programmes, reducing risk, time and cost while optimising capability. As weapons e ects

and capabilities become increasingly softwarede ned, digital engineering is even more important against a backdrop of rapidly evolving technology.

MBDA also continuously tests, veri es and develops in-service capabilities. By working with customers and utilising systems such as advanced hardware in-the-loop (HWIL) facilities, MBDA can validate current capabilities and develop new functionalities in a constant evolution, ensuring con dence and tactical advantage throughout the life of a weapon system.

At a system level, MBDA is able to o er unrivalled support to its customers. In the early stages of any programme this can be on the best mix of weapons for a platform and inventory, as well as partnering with customers to ensure optimum integration and performance is achieved. In-service, MBDA is able to provide tactical advice and on how to optimise the use of capabilities such as datalinks to guarantee tactical advantage. With sixth-generation platforms on the horizon, this ‘system-of-systems’ integration and support will become increasingly important.

E ects Management System

Network-enabled weapons represent a signi cant evolution in modern and future warfare, and MBDA already leads the way with weapons such as Meteor, which features a two-way datalink. However, MBDA is also developing its E ects Management System (EMS), which will be a key feature of all its future weapons. EMS will o er a coherent set of capabilities across all weapons, making it a true ‘force multiplier’. EMS will be an integral part of new combat air programmes – Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) – and will also bring capability enhancements to legacy programmes. As a primarily digital capability, EMS will be tailored for each customer, providing sovereign capability and signi cant force-multiplication potential. EMS will unlock a world of possibilities as sensing and networking systems evolve.

Looking to the future, MBDA is making a signi cant investment in next-generation air-to-air missile (NGAAM) technologies. As threats continue to evolve rapidly, key areas of development will include sensing, propulsion, miniaturisation and networking. Modularity will also be a key feature of our nextgeneration weapons family, providing tactical exibility and signi cant savings for customers.

All of these core capabilities reside within the company’s unique European collaborative business model, its industrial partners and global supply chain. Indeed, MBDA is uniquely positioned in Europe to lead and deliver these types of complex collaborative programmes, just as it has done so successfully with Meteor.

Meteor’s unique propulsion system allows the missile to maintain high average velocity

(IMAGE: MBDA)

Enabling strategic advantage to combat the shifting character of warfare

Kevin Craven, Chief Executive O cer, ADS Group, highlights the action needed to increase production capacity and ensure the delivery of an e ective level of deterrence

If one thing is clear from the ongoing war in Ukraine, the ever-challenging geopolitical environment, and instability in our supply chains, it is that the changing character of warfare has been determined by the intersection between traditional tactics and emerging technologies. Fundamentally, the lack of understanding of the level of risk that sits within the defence industrial base in current military planning has been laid bare. Ongoing use of missiles and air power has highlighted the importance of air defence in protecting critical national civilian and military infrastructure. This has prompted questions among our members, some of whom have asserted that the high risk that the UK has taken against Integrated Air & Missile Defence (IAMD) is one of the lessons that should be learnt from the war in Ukraine.

The primary lesson learnt, however? The cost when deterrence fails. That cost cannot be accurately measured – it is a cost in lives, a cost to the environment and, of course, a nancial cost. More evident than ever, it is a cost that we as a nation and as an industrial ecosystem cannot continue to bear.

The UK must transform the relationship between the Government, Industry and our Armed Forces to coherently and e ectively address a wide range of issues that impact our commitment to NATO and our national interest, in order to deliver that crucial new element of deterrence that leads to a more exible industrial capacity. The post-Cold War peace dividend can no longer be relied upon, and so the

Currently, UK production capacity for munitions and weapons is inadequate to meet the needs of our world, or to rapidly build up or maintain sovereign contingency stockpiles. This is less a question of feasibility, than of necessity. Stockpiles of weapons, ammunition, spare parts and the full spectrum of equipment for our soldiers, sailors and aviators (from body armour to radios) must be su cient to underpin credible deterrence. The existing commercial and industrial arrangements in the UK do not lend themselves to rapid increases in stockpiles as the ability to ramp up production, and test and evaluation facilities, is often measured in years rather than months.

“There must, therefore, be a balance struck between stockpile levels and the manufacturing capacity that is required to replenish them”

UK must fully understand where risk currently lies in national contingency and military deployment plans, and develop a strategy in consultation with Industry to address this.

Any upcoming Defence Review must include a method to ramp up production capacity in a way that is tested against the demands and attrition of a war ghting scenario, and is not only sustainable, but also suitably incentivised.

There must, therefore, be a balance struck between stockpile levels and the manufacturing capacity that is required to replenish them. However, if this is a war of economics, our industry stands ready to support, deliver and innovate to allow for military capacity that truly enhances operational capability and strategic advantage. It remains to be seen whether there will be the e ective climatic conditions for our members to do so.

Today, we undoubtedly live in a contested, competitive and congested world. Geopolitical instability and new, more advanced threats – including counter-stealth, hypersonic weapons and unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs), as well as emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) introduced by numerous actors into not just the ‘traditional’ aeronautical environment, but also the cyber and space domains – will substantially endanger the West’s ability to exercise air power in the near future.

Recently, NATO set a new baseline for its deterrence and defence posture in line with its 360-degree approach, across all domains and against all threats and challenges.

Deterrence has always been a core element of NATO’s overall strategy and is based on a exible, tailored and sustainable posture built over ve pillars: capability, credibility, communication, time responsiveness and sustainability/persistence.

Focusing on capabilities, the Italian Air Force (ItAF) is looking for a more agile, relevant and sustainable organisation via a technological and cultural leap that embraces all aspects of our force-generation process. In fact, we are involved in several major capabilities development programmes, which aim to consolidate our fthgeneration eet, acquire new systems for Integrated Air and Missile Defence, update our air mobility eet and improve our Command and Control (C2), Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electronic Attack (EA) capabilities.

General Luca Goretti

Chief of Sta , Italian Air Force

The role of interoperability and integration of conventional capabilities in deterring adversaries and tackling strategic threats

Moreover, ItAF is investing in the cyber domain to enhance cyber defence skills to ensure the required cyber resilience of our critical infrastructures and information technology (IT), internet of things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) networks and systems to protect our aircraft through a cyber avionics capability. Furthermore, we are focusing on aerospace surveillance and control through the acquisition of new high-altitude platforms for information collection, by strengthening our network of sensors for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) and by keeping pace with the build-up of our experience on suborbital and manned space ights.

Lastly, we are nalising the concept phase of a sixth-generation weapon system (GCAP – Global Combat Air Programme) that will not only be an ‘aircraft’, but also a ‘system of systems’ with a combination of: a low observable and open architecture core platform; fully integrated collaborative combat platforms (adjuncts) with di erent levels of automation using arti cial intelligence (AI); a combat cloud to provide decentralised computing capability; and a high-bandwidth datalink to enhance connectivity.

Sixth pillar of deterrence

However, in the current era of systemic competition, this is not enough. I strongly believe that interoperability among allies will be as important as national

capabilities development, almost like a sixth pillar of deterrence.

After the Cold War, intra-NATO interoperability deteriorated as Member Countries modernised their forces at a pace and complexity to suit their own policies and budgets. But, in the last decade, the importance of e ective interoperability has regained prominence. Without doubt, in a future confrontation with a peer-/near-peer opponent, the need to have highly connected and compatible combat systems is becoming extremely important.

For this reason, we think that interoperability shall be a core capability that is worth pursuing by design. In fact, it is already shaping GCAP’s development. And, I’ll go a step further: being interoperable represents the baseline for military forces to become fully integrated. With that in mind, ItAF has worked hard to build an advanced international training system – IFTS (International Flight Training School) and OTI (Operational Training Infrastructure), which could allow crews to y complex, multi-domain operations. These training institutions will teach both how to manage complexity and work e ciently together in an integrated fashion.

By pursuing this path, ItAF will continue to be a credible and highly e ective partner within any coalition, fully committed to building state-ofthe-art interoperability and integration conditions that will represent, together with advanced capabilities, a force multiplier in deterring potential adversaries in all ve domains.

Cybersecurity in aviation

New regulations have been introduced to ensure that the Defence Air Environment monitors, assesses and mitigates the cyber threat to aircraft airworthiness and safety. The Director of the Military Aviation Authority, Air Vice-Marshal Alan Gillespie, explains their critical importance to delivering our future missions successfully

The aviation industry has always been positioned rmly at the forefront of progressive technology, including advanced navigation and communication systems, complex electronic hardware and the increased use of networked infrastructure. Digitisation and the adoption of modern programmable technology have provided us with many aircraft advancements, incredible e ciencies and the potential to reduce operator workload; but, crucially, such technology now plays an integral role in the safe operation and airworthiness of all air systems. The importance of cybersecurity in aircraft design and aviation operations must not be underestimated. The consequences of a successful cyberattack on any aircraft could be catastrophic, compromising both public safety and national security. Cybersecurity considerations must include the protection of aircraft and supporting systems from intentional unauthorised electronic interaction, or, to put it simply,

a malicious cyber threat. As a contemporary example, civilian airlines around the world are experiencing a signi cant rise in GPS jamming incidents. Such cyberattacks are directly compromising aircraft location services and navigation systems, which can cause signi cant operator confusion and have obvious grave consequences. It is possible to mitigate against the potential for compromised data, through considered design and, if necessary, with enhanced security processes.

Cybersecurity for airworthiness

Defence-operated air systems feature extensive embedded software and programmable hardware. We must manage these systems appropriately, ensuring through-life Con dentiality, Integrity and Availability. This requires a Cybersecurity for Airworthiness (CSA) approach to be embodied throughout the Defence Air Environment (DAE). This includes both our internal and external organisations,

New regulations developed by the Military Aviation Authority will help to assure networks and data in the Defence Air Environment (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

where we design, develop, maintain and operate our air systems. It is vital, then, that cybersecurity risk assessments are conducted against all our air systems and the supporting organisations.

The increasing sophistication and prevalence of cyberattacks present a real threat to the safe operation of modern military air systems. For some platforms, the cybersecurity risk is naturally low, but with our array of modern exquisite capabilities there is a signi cantly higher risk. We need to identify these risks and look to protect our air systems accordingly.

With ever more sophisticated air systems, there is an increasing need to ensure that the link between the air and the ground remains secure

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

By implementing systematic cybersecurity through-life, assessing all risks and ensuring that the ongoing action required is managed, we can achieve and maintain a robust level of protection. Looking forward, we need built-in resilience to ensure that our platforms can detect, respond to and recover from any cybersecurity incident. Crucially, though, we must remember that there is an ongoing and progressive threat to our air systems – the cyber threat will continue to evolve and adapt over time, and so should we.

Cyber-resilient ground systems

We must also consider our supporting ground systems. We often rely heavily on other information systems and networks, and routinely download and upload critical data to support both the capability and the mission. To fully exploit technology to our advantage, we have to include these ground systems, any network connections and the supporting elements as part of the air system security perimeter.

All systems that interact with our aircraft must be hardened to assure platform data and information. To do this, we need to fully understand the information ows and carefully manage our platform-speci c data. This may be through

additional technical solutions, but could also be through methods such as considered access control, robust storage procedures and comprehensive vulnerability management, all underpinned with consistent operational and personal security.

Supply chain management is another important element in ensuring a level of con dence in our air systems. For all our systems, products and services we should be using trusted defence suppliers, who can o er cybersecurity protection to a level that is matched to our requirements. There is a need to securely handle, transport and store items such as programmable equipment and software, but importantly we need robust procedures to support security-savvy personnel.

Secure by Design (SbD) has been launched Defence-wide to encourage projects and programmes to put many of these questions at the heart of what we do. This is a great step forward in our approach to system design and continuous assurance of our systems. SbD has many complementary elements and supports the concept of CSA well. There is a di erence, however: CSA makes the direct link between cybersecurity threats to functions of the air system and the inherent risk to the airworthiness; SbD focuses on the safety-oriented design and continued safe operation of air systems.

The latest Defence standards for air system certi cation include the CSA requirement, where these apply to new platforms and any future modi cations to existing air systems. The Military Aviation Authority (MAA) has also introduced CSA-speci c regulations. These regulations will ensure that current and future air systems are assessed for cybersecurity threats, and that suitable mitigations are put into place to address any potential impact on airworthiness and air safety. These regulations also address the requirement to inform the accountable owners and the holders of speci c cybersecurity airworthiness and safety risks, so that these can be fully understood, owned and integrated into core air-safety management activities.

In the DAE, we face an ever-increasing level of cybersecurity risk. The MAA has equipped the regulated community with CSA regulations to ensure our air systems are appropriately protected from this non-traditional and emerging threat. These new regulations will ensure that military air systems are assessed and appropriately protected from cyber threats to airworthiness and air safety across the whole system lifecycle.

The global cybersecurity threat is evolving, and we all have a responsibility to play in the work we do, be it the continued airworthiness of our air systems, enhancing ight safety, or simply protecting our people. The MAA looks to engage and support the regulated community as required.

Digital transformation

Since becoming the RAF’s rst Chief Digital and Information O cer in early 2022, Dr Arif Mustafa has overseen the Force’s remarkably quick and comprehensive Digital Capabilities Modernisation and Transformation Programme. David Hayhurst reports

Under his new title of RAF Director Digital, Dr Arif Mustafa describes RAF Digital’s four primary objectives, in accordance with directives set by the Chief of the Air Sta . These include:

First: Operational Advantage – essentially, “enhancing our operational mindset in a complex world which is becoming more contested”, and supporting our operations – in particular, Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Integral to this is the ability to provide the digital means to fully support RAF frontline activities, “making sure that they have the ability to operate e ectively and e ciently”.

Second: Lived Experience – essentially, “giving our sta the technology to ‘do their day jobs’ as e ciently and e ectively as possible”.

Third: Decision Superiority, “using our data to enable more informed decision-making, putting our data in a format that allows people to nd, understand, manipulate and query it, and essentially do something positive with it”. It also facilitates the use of arti cial intelligence (AI) and higher-quality data sets.

Fourth: Resource Optimisation – using digital technology to minimise the burden of “mundane, transactional, very people-heavy activities” through appropriate digitisation and automation.

The BICES information system is used to support the large international exercises hosted at RAF Waddington (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

“This liberates our busy sta to devote their valuable time on higher-value activities where their skill and expertise are better applied.”

“We have built a number of systems that play into these areas”, he explains. Within the realm of Decision Superiority, a very promising example is the DRAKE Programme, initially created to help the RAF in determining future pilot training numbers. “We are looking to apply the technology created for DRAKE to other disciplines, modelling a pipeline of resources to other professions, such as engineers.”

And, most critically, RAF Digital is “now delivering key technology solutions required within the Command.”

RAF Digital co-hosted the inaugural Quantum Computing Fair for Defence with IBM (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Mitigating perennial risk factors

As the Force faces an ever-widening range of threats in all domains, RAF Digital is intensely focused on mitigating two factors of perennial risk: cybersecurity and challenges inherent to daily RAF operations.

In the rst, there has been a great deal of recent progress in determining system data vulnerabilities and how these can be mitigated. “We now have the best view of these we’ve ever had,” Dr Mustafa says.

With regard to operational threats, “we’ve improved the technical infrastructure of the digital environment.” And with the need for full threat assessment capability never being more paramount, or more challenging, “being able to absorb, interpret and analyse relevant data – and then do something about it – that leans very heavily into Decision Superiority and how we use our data to do that. We have started pulling together a lot

more insights from our data, and employing modern tools that allow us to interpret it more e ectively”.

Director Digital is also keen to highlight that none of the recent and ongoing breakthroughs in his professional domain could have happened without access to the knowledge and talent found in the network of industry and academia that is a mainstay of the RAF’s Whole Force.

A recent, very productive example of channelling multiple such resources was the inaugural Quantum Computing (QC) Fair for Defence, hosted by IBM in April, in collaboration with RAF Digital.

Dr Mustafa also stresses that critical RAF systems, such as DRAKE and RAF AI ASIMS (a digital tool for analysing accident and near-miss data), have all been developed through intensive Whole Force teamwork: “None of these have been built by only one entity.”

With Digital Operability becoming an increasingly vital component of the Force’s overall Digital Strategy, e orts are intensifying to ensure that the RAF can more fully integrate and interoperate with its Sister Services, as well as with international partners and wider NATO allies. “Increased activity with our NATO allies, and changes to the way the RAF is set to deliver Air Power as we embrace ACE, has magni ed the demand signal for NATO services and interoperability,” explains Director Digital.

Enhanced resilience and mission assurance

“In the past 24 months, RAF Digital has focused on network remediation to ensure that the foundations are set for better resilience and mission assurance. In the next 24 months, RAF Digital will expand the Blue Service network to several Air Stations. This will improve information services, allowing personnel to take advantage of improved access to applications and information sources.”

Moreover, interoperability capabilities have been greatly enhanced by the recent delivery by RAF Digital of BICES (Battle eld Information Collection and Exploitation Systems). This US-provided J2 capability, which also has utility in enabling NATO C2, is being operated from RAF Waddington in support of the UK’s largest multinational exercises.

“We have since procured more BICES equipment, which is planned to be installed this year at 10 additional sites. This demonstrates Air’s (and RAF Digital’s) commitment to be able to better interoperate and integrate with our allied partners on operations and air exercises”, says Dr Mustafa. “As a result of the various workstrands under our Digital Operability programme, our military capabilities will be more integrated, prepared and available to support operations and activities in response to global situations as they arise.”

Building the world’s best AI pilot

Arti cial intelligence (AI) pilots will revolutionise military capability on land, at sea and in the air. Mike ’Pako’ Benitez, Director of Product for Autonomy at Shield AI, reveals how the race to create AI pilots is already well underway

Leading air forces, including the RAF, have all realised that Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP) will play a pivotal role in enhancing the mass, lethality and survivability of their forces in ways that will not only revolutionise military capabilities, but also rede ne the very strategies and concepts of modern warfare. Drones, which have long-performed dull, dirty and dangerous missions, will soon add di cult missions to the list.

The key to unlocking this next-generation potential is AI pilots (ie autonomous systems). All ACPs – whether disposable, attritable or survivable – require AI pilots. Without them, ACPs could not exist. Conversely, the better the AI pilot, the better the ACP. In this world, software is not only the enabler, but also the key discriminator.

The race to create AI pilots is already well underway. Shield AI, a venture-backed US defence company, aims to build the world’s best AI pilot. That leads to the obvious question: what exactly constitutes the world’s best AI pilot?

It starts with a design that is modular, portable, adaptable and scalable. Being modular means there are well-de ned interfaces to permit the interchange of components without impacting the performance of other pieces – a critical feature for continuous performance improvement. Portability ensures that the AI pilot can be e ciently integrated across di erent types of ACPs, whether disposable, attritable or survivable. They must also be adaptable to support various mission sets (counter-air, strike, mobility and so on).

Shield AI’s highperformance AI pilot can intelligently and reliably execute missions in complex and dynamic environments across a range and scale of ACP operations (PHOTO: SHIELD AI)

A Shield AI autonomy engineer prepares an AI-piloted MQM-178 Firejet ight in February 2024

(PHOTO: SHIELD AI)

Finally, the best AI pilots must be designed to be scalable into teams to create a ordable, intelligent mass. Collectively, these design attributes ensure that the technology can quickly be absorbed, updated and adapted to remain operationally relevant for ACPs to achieve their cost-imposing potential.

Machine-speed OODA loop

The best AI pilots must also be performant, pro ciently executing assigned tasks and tactics with a speed and precision far surpassing human capabilities, with a machine-speed OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) loop running dozens of times per second for continuous tactical assessment and re nement throughout a mission. The best AI pilots have their performance quali ed and quanti ed via design reference missions (DRM) using digital twins in synthetic environments.

to make ACPs a fully operational combat capability – the tools to properly mission plan, interact, train and debrief with AI pilots.

This collaboration begins with foundational education and progresses through e cient and manageable human-machine interactions. The educational phase ensures that the aviator is fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to interact e ectively with the AI pilot.

Next, these interactions require an environment. The best AI pilots have digital twins integrated into aviator simulators, permitting the planning and execution of training scenarios with AI pilots that e ectively and e ciently build comfort in the nuances of predictability and performance. These digital twins ensure that aviators get ‘sets and reps’ on the ground with the exact same AI pilots they will y alongside in the air.

Completing the learning cycle, the best AI pilots are equipped with special tools and analysers that permit post-mission debrief –arguably the most important part of any mission. Much like aviator debriefs, this addresses what happened, why it happened and whether disconnects were the result of a perception issue, a decision issue or an execution issue.

Calibrated trust

This training cycle is essential for optimising the synergy between human intuition and machine e ciency – a term referred to as ‘calibrated trust’. This will soon enter the lexicon for every aviator interacting with AI pilots – here’s why: as the AI pilot advances in performance, it can be trusted to take on more complex tasks with greater precision. Consequently, this alleviates the cognitive and

“As the AI pilot advances in performance, it can be trusted to take on more complex tasks with greater precision”

A DRM is a scenario that contains the speci c objectives, operational activities, environmental interactions, constraints and condition variables that the AI pilot is expected to encounter and manage successfully. The best AI pilots routinely use DRMs to benchmark performance and continuously validate reliability, robustness and resiliency improvements to meet the ever-evolving ACP mission needs.

Notably, an AI pilot alone is not enough –human-machine teaming is the true force multiplier. Achieving synergy between aviator and autonomy requires the ancillary items

physical demands on its human counterpart, freeing the aviator for enhanced decision-making, increased operational e ciency and the potential for scaling operations without proportional increases in human resource allocation.

The future is here. Superior AI pilots will amplify strategic advantages, making it a non-negotiable requirement for maintaining a competitive edge in the increasingly volatile national security landscape. Ultimately, ACPs – enabled by AI pilots – will become a cornerstone of 21st-century deterrence. Therefore, only the best AI pilots will do.

Building air autonomy

The introduction of low-cost, high-performance ‘disposable’ swarming drones will be a game-changing milestone. Simon Michell asks the Head of the RAF’s Rapid Capabilities O ce, Air Commodore Christopher Melville, to explain how this can be achieved, what operational roles they will be able to perform and how they will integrate with other frontline capabilities

The February 2024 Defence Drone Strategy underlines the fact that, in many cases, relatively cheap, commercially available drones have become an integral, if not fundamental, element of con ict on land, at sea and in the air. They have forced a rethink in the way nations and paramilitary groups arm themselves and expect to wage war today and in the future. It is no surprise then that, having introduced the Reaper UAS system in Afghanistan in 2007, the RAF is now actively researching and testing various other types of unmanned aerial systems, particularly the types of Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACPs) frequently associated with swarming drones. The aviator leading much of this activity, Air Commodore (Air Cdre) Christopher Melville, explains why: “Lots of things arriving at the same location,

at the same time, with a unity of purpose and an ability to replan and regroup following attrition, is a really e ective way of overwhelming a target whilst optimising resilience of your own air package.”

Increased endurance

“The RAF has some outstanding crewed aircraft, but when the space you want to operate in is highly contested, you might not want to risk the lives of your aircrew. Consequently, you need to nd a di erent way of getting into highly contested environments to either nd something, deliver/retrieve something or, perhaps, even strike a target.” Another major advantage of uncrewed systems is their increased endurance, thanks to the absence of humans and their associated life-support systems – giving endurance measured in days, weeks or months, not hours.

The RAF’s new Protector drone is an example of a Tier 3 ACP, the loss of which would alter the way that the RAF would operate (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Costing as little as a few thousand pounds per unit, COTS quadcopters are a perfect example of a Tier 1 disposable ACP

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Drone categories

There is a hierarchy of ACPs in use by the UK military, which groups them into three main categories:

– Tier 1: Disposable – ACPs with a life cycle of one or a very few missions,

– Tier 2: Attritable – ACPs expected to survive the mission, but where losses are acceptable,

– Tier 3: Survivable – ACPs of strategic value whose loss would a ect the way a force ghts.

Put into context, a Tier 3 ACP might be a highly valuable strategic asset, some of the capabilities of which are likely to remain classi ed, such as the RAF’s new Protector UAS, which is replacing the Reaper. Tier 2 is akin to an ACP, which is often used for intelligence gathering over a shorter range – not as highly valued as Tier 3, but nevertheless a valuable asset. And Tier 1 might be a quadcopter that is available o -the-shelf.

As might be expected, the higher the Tier, the higher the value to the force, and, therefore, the fewer in the inventory. Signi cantly, the Tier 1 quadcopters could cost as little as a few thousand pounds. Hence, it is the Tier 1 drones that are most associated, although not exclusively so, with swarming, due to their quantity and a ordable lethality.

Although much less expensive than the Tier 2 and 3 drones, the Tier 1 drones are already having a massive impact on military strategy, doctrine and procurement. Their use in Ukraine and in the Middle East has sparked a frenzy of activity across the globe as nations rush to develop and eld them. However, just buying a quadcopter does not necessarily deliver a military advantage, as Air Cdre Melville explains: “In many cases, it is the software that is more important than the hardware.”

That said, it is not just the software itself, but the ability to code, recode and test the ACPs yourself as threats evolve and new environments are entered. This continuous upgrade and test concept, sometimes referred to as ‘Prototype Warfare’, is a critical part of the overall capability and has ushered in an era of rapid development not seen in the UK military for some time.

“Low-cost drones, perhaps like nothing else, have enabled the RAF to get back to a design, develop and eld drumbeat in the sort of timeframes we have not seen for a very long time in the British military,” says Air Cdre Melville.

Nexus – delivering integration and interoperability

The ability to spirally upgrade is not the only prerequisite that a force needs to ensure that its drone doctrine is e ective. The ability to integrate and interoperate ACPs across the battle eld requires data mobility and assurance. The intelligence that the ACPs gather is no good unless it can be accessed and used to make decisions according to the commander’s intent.

In Nexus, the RAF has the necessary data fabric that it can overlay across the battle eld and that every asset can use to share data. “The beauty of Nexus is that the RAF has already designed, developed and elded a Combat Cloud system to which we own the rights,” explains Air Cdre Melville. “The RCO was instrumental in creating it. That means we can rewrite the software as and when we need to, without asking for permission from any third party. This gives us incredible agility and sovereignty to enable air autonomy.”

Harnessing emerging technology

Cecil Buchanan, the RAF’s Chief Technology O cer, explains his approach to embracing and prioritising the spectrum of current emerging technologies, and the possible routes to the development, procurement and utility of leading-edge capabilities at the pace of relevance

TECHNOLOGY: “The scienti c knowledge and the physical manifestation of objects and associated processes embedded in systems deliberately created to help solve speci c problems.” Professor Olivier De Weck, MIT

The war in Ukraine is demonstrating that the ability to harness technologies at pace, absorb them into capabilities and exploit them to operational advantage remains critical to success on the battle eld. Driven by rapid exploitation of commercially available technology, the rate of technological change in deployed systems appears exponential. With technologies doubling in capability (or halving in cost) every two years or less, within a decade we will see military systems that are

more autonomous, networked, multi-domain and precise, permitting hitherto unimaginable improvements in whole-force capability. Having largely relied on Defence-sponsored technological innovation for successes throughout its history, the RAF must increasingly harness this democratised technology revolution or we will lose.

Traversing the valleys of death

Like innovation, technology is harnessed when embodied in products or processes being used to address speci c user need. To illustrate this I have adopted a simple maturity framework (see next page), derived from the 2023 US Department of Defense Science & Technology Strategy, to explain the various characteristics and challenges associated with technology maturation from scienti c understanding through product embodiment to frontline service.

The use of commercially available drones during the war in Ukraine highlights the need for technology exploitation at pace (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Research and Development maturity pipeline

(GRAPHIC: US DOD S&T STRATEGY)

To get the technological innovation we need into service there are typically three valleys (of death) that require traversing. The rst valley exists between scienti c research, the knowledge bedrock on which all technologies build, and incorporation of this knowledge into proof-of-concept or rst-of-a-kind technological prototypes. These prototypes typically focus on the development and demonstration of one or two key technologies rather than a complete system.

The second valley exists between technological prototypes and the subsequent maturation and integration of those technologies with the slew of other technologies needed to create a useful product capable of addressing an actual user need. The nal valley exists between early product instantiation and scaling into service. This is often caused by optimistic programming assumptions on time and cost to service or late-breaking learning in Test & Evaluation that demands rework.

Irrespective of the genus or genesis of the technology there are common challenges in navigating from idea to in-service:

– A speci c technology rarely delivers a useful capability, but rather a judicious combination of technologies is required to deliver a useful capability (think of the numerous technologies embodied on a standard mobile phone to give useful functionality). As a result, the focus during product development is largely on integration into a cost-e ective product that can be readily adopted by the user.

– Prototypes rarely get scaled into service without productionisation e orts to su ciently ruggedise the design and address critical integration challenges associated with operational usage, even for one-o higher risk operations.

– Product development costs can typically be 10 to 100 times that of prototype development. This is often a source of disillusionment to senior decisionmakers who see a prototype and ‘want it in service’ quickly and cheaply, and results in many successful prototypes not being pulled through into product.

– Some emergent system properties are not amenable to ‘a priori’ assessment and will be only discovered within the Test & Evaluation phase.

– Where existing Commercial-O -The-Shelf (COTS) or Military-O -The-Shelf (MOTS) products are available, the levels of integration needed may require them to ‘regress’ to prototype or product (re)developments. As a minimum, they need to be tested within a whole-ofsystems context in a Test & Evaluation phase prior to being scaled into service.

Harnessing critical technologies

A few technology families are projected to form the critical competitive edge for new or improved products and processes. Within the UK, the core families span: arti cial intelligence; engineering biology; semiconductors; future telecommunications; and quantum technologies. These technology families are the focus of concerted investment across UK government departments to build national strategic advantage and are kept under review by the National Science and Technology Council. The 2023 Defence Command Paper identi es additional Defence-unique technologies, including: robotics; human augmentation; ChemBio; directed energy weapons; and advanced materials.

Where we work on prototype or product developments that harness these critical technologies, we strive to complement activities across Defence

and leverage the extensive knowledge created within the UK enterprise from broader government and private investments. Contrary to our early history, these broader government and private investments are usually many times greater than that of Defence, with e ective crossgovernment and national partnering increasingly critical to our successful exploitation.

In addition, we are working closely with allies, from fundamental research through prototype and product developments, creating active collaborations that harness the best ideas and capabilities from our collective nations. Speci c examples of these technology development include:

– Harnessing nancial-sector COTS technology to enable pre-production prototype developments in operationally relevant environments, in timelines measured in weeks rather than months or years;

– Openly sharing the PYRAMID mission systems architecture and the NEXUS data article standards with industry and allies to lower or remove barriers to entry, increase the competitive marketplace, reduce vendor lock-in and enable multi-domain data sharing; and

– Working with small and medium enterprise entrepreneurial companies and national centres of excellence to realise Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) pre-production prototypes at pace with designs that are readily scalable.

People, ideas, machines – in that order

It is easy to get caught up in the breathlessness and apparent boundless possibilities of individual emergent technologies. However, we must get the order right. People, not technologies, ght wars, and our war ghters have problems that scientists and technologists need to understand, frame, reframe and address with practical solutions delivered at the pace of relevance (typically measured in days, weeks or months, not years).

The technology valleys are real and need to be lived in, often spanned initially by social contracts – between busy, motivated, government, industry and academic personnel taking the time to create connective tissue and co-create ideas to solve pressing military need. We must do more of this valley living if we are to succeed. The decorated pilot and military strategist Colonel John Boyd got it right – “people, ideas, machines – in that order”.

Future ghter Tempest will feature PYRAMID systems architecture, simplifying software compatibility between aircraft (IMAGE: BAE SYSTEMS)

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF EXCELLENCE RAuxAF 100

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) is looking forward to celebrating its centenary in 2024. Its Commandant, Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Munro, describes the key activities taking place to celebrate its rst 100 years, highlighting its achievements and identifying opportunities for the Reserve to continue to be a relevant, capable and useable component of the RAF Whole Force

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force is the volunteer reserve element of the Royal Air Force and, in modern parlance, is its ‘operational’ reserve. Since the Force’s founding Act of Parliament 100 years ago, in October 1924, it has provided vital additional personnel to the RAF during con icts and other operations, constantly evolving to meet the needs of the time.

Recruiting for the new force began soon after the Act was passed, with the rst ying squadrons being formed in 1925, close to major cities in Ulster, Glasgow, London and Edinburgh. Initially, these were bomber squadrons, but during the 1930s many of the 21 squadrons rerolled into ghter squadrons, just in time to provide vital additional aircraft, pilots and groundcrew for the Battle of Britain.

Auxiliary Air Force (AAF) personnel were mobilised at the start of the Second World War,

including the newly formed AAF Barrage Balloon Squadrons. In the Battle of Britain, the AAF provided 14 of the 62 squadrons in Fighter Command and were credited with around 30% of the accredited aerial combat victories. This was a truly remarkable contribution and an excellent example of regular and reserve integration and interoperability, illustrated not just by the results, but also, by the peak of the battle, regulars and new recruits being posted into AAF squadrons, and experienced auxiliaries promoted and posted to regular squadrons. In 1947, the pre x ‘Royal’ was conferred by King George VI in recognition of the AAF’s wartime achievements.

After the war, the force’s ying squadrons were re-equipped with modern jet aircraft, and new additional roles were created in ghter direction and ground defence. However, the 1957 Defence Review chose to refocus investment away from

RAF Reservists from Covesea Flight, RAF Lossiemouth, provide communications and operational support to Exercise Joint Warrior

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

manned aircraft, which resulted in the vast majority of the force being stood down. Some Maritime HQ units survived and formed a basis on which to rebuild the force from the 1980s, reaching today’s level of 31 units within Air Command, plus others in Land Command and UK STRATCOM. These units cover a wide range of capabilities, including: RAF Regiment, Police, Logistics, Medical, Media, Intelligence and Cyber, plus less numerous, but nevertheless vital capabilities, including aircrew.

All are fully integrated into the regular chain of command, typically at Wing level. Many of the units are located on RAF bases, allowing them to easily produce real utility during duty weekends –for example, loading and unloading aircraft, and producing intelligence products. This, once again, demonstrates integration and interoperability and creates excellent ‘retention-positive’ job satisfaction for volunteers. Such high degrees of integration and operability among many of the RAuxAF’s capabilities increase competence and make mobilisation for operations much easier.

The future vision

The RAF Reserve is a key component of the RAF Whole Force, integrated by design and embedded across the RAF, through both Individual Augmentees (IAs) and Formed Units. It provides routine and contingent utility across the full range of military professions and military tasks, and at all scales of e ort in the delivery of Air and Space Power.

Air Reserves Optimisation (ARO) is the Reserve pillar of Astra, the RAF’s journey to a modern Whole Force by Design. It puts in place the foundation for growth and modernisation of the RAF Reserves, building on and retaining all that is good in terms of people, values and professionalism, while innovating and improving where we need to. The golden threads of the past are being drawn into the future: service, sel essness, professionalism, infectious optimism, ‘can-do’ attitudes, a sense of adventure, operational mindsets and warrior ethos.

The RAF Strategy sets how we will deliver global Air and Space Power in the 21st century. The direction is top-down, command-led, but how we get there is bottom-up and designed by all of our people. ARO sprints and projects are the vehicles for engagement and getting involved –everyone is welcome! The Reserves Directorate is leading on ARO Sprints, while contributing to, and shaping, projects and programmes in other parts of the RAF that will impact the Reserves.

We have a strategic demand signal to grow Reserves as we seek to ensure that the RAF attracts and retains people with the skills, expertise and experience required in the future. As such, the

Reserves will be a bigger component of the Whole Force than it is today. A larger proportion of the Reserve will be Part Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR). We will grow initially to our Command Plan endorsed establishment of 3,250. Further growth beyond this gure will be set by securing an operational demand signal through the Strategic Workforce Review, due to report by the end of 2024.

Accessing specialist skills

Operational Demand Signals will lead to the opening up of more Professions to Reservists, while increasing numbers in those areas where Reserves are already represented. New ‘Sunrise’ capability areas will include Cyber, Digital, Coding, Data Analytics and Space. The RAF is also increasingly prepared to locate itself in new places and to work more exibly to access the specialist skills that we need.

The Reserves will be used regularly and routinely on Reserve Service Days (RSDs) and on mobilisation. The individual Reservist will not necessarily be used more regularly and routinely, but more mass and a move into new capability areas will see an overall increase in utilisation. By right-sizing and designing our organisation better, we will be able to achieve assured delivery in support of the fulltime force. The size of the Reserve will o er more opportunities to volunteer for routine tasks on RSDs.

The potential to deploy RAuxAF squadrons as formed units, including the permanent sta cadre (currently on FTRS or ADC TCOS) should be scoped. Their employment in this way would allow for a future air eld activation role, if skills, training and readiness can be successfully aligned. An element of multiskilling (beyond Professional core skills) for personnel may be required in order to deliver valuable operational e ect.

Reservists from No 609 Squadron train as operators on the Orcus system, designed to defeat hostile drones (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

RAuxAF 100 – supporting the ISTAR vision

Group Captain Ryan Mannering and Squadron Leader Becky Kirk from the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) set out the RAF ISTAR Force’s vision for a more agile, responsive and exible approach to the employment of Reservists among the RAF’s ISTAR squadrons and supporting enablers

The vision for integrating Reservists into the RAF’s ISTAR Force revolves around fostering a culture of collaboration, adaptability and mutual support. The leadership emphasises the need for a more dynamic approach to personnel deployment within the ISTAR squadrons to meet the evolving nature of modern con icts and the increasing demand for agile responses. This vision is being enabled by a Joint Venture (JV) between the RAF Reserves Directorate and the ISTAR Force evolving the exploitation of Reserve Forces to support our delivery on the frontline.

At the heart of the vision lies the concept of leveraging the unique skills and experiences that Reservists bring to the table. With many Reservists possessing specialised expertise from their civilian careers – such as data analytics, cybersecurity and advanced technical knowledge – there is an opportunity to enhance the capabilities of the ISTAR Force by tapping into this reservoir of talent. For example, by embracing their expertise in such elds as emerging technologies and concepts, arti cial intelligence and machine learning, the RAF will be better placed to enhance data analysis and

Two RAuxAF members have been put forward for Boeing 737 to E-7 Wedgetail trials, exploiting their commercial experience

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

predictive modelling, as well as explore the potential of autonomous systems and unmanned platforms, which could be used to augment the ISTAR Mission. Therefore, the leadership advocates a exible deployment model that enables Reservists to seamlessly integrate into operational roles when needed, without compromising on readiness or e ectiveness. This involves establishing robust training programmes and mechanisms for maintaining currency in relevant skills, ensuring that Reservists are fully prepared to step into their roles alongside their full-time counterparts.

From ‘X’ Flight to ‘X’ Squadron

Central to the vision is the idea of creating a cohesive team environment where Reservists are valued members of the ISTAR squadrons, with clear pathways for career progression and development. A concept known as ‘X’ Flight is being trialled to enable pan-rank and profession exploitation of reserve capability. Conceptually, ‘X’ Flight will evolve into ‘X’ Squadron, manned by Part Time Volunteer Reserve (PTVR) forces augmenting the regular cohort in war and peace. By breaking down traditional barriers between Reservists and regular personnel, the aim is to build a more uni ed and resilient force, capable of meeting the diverse challenges of the modern battle eld. Additionally, e ective communication and coordination between Reservists and their regular counterparts is recognised as crucial. This includes

streamlining administrative processes, enhancing interoperability in training and operations, and fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding across the entire ISTAR community. The JV seeks to utilise Dynamic Force Employment to ll gaps with existing RAuxAF Suitably Quali ed Experienced Personnel (SQEP). For example, two existing RAuxAF members have been recruited for a Boeing 737 to Wedgetail trial, exploiting their civilian experience to enhance military resilience. In conjunction with the ‘ ll’ line of delivery, the JV seeks to harvest SQEP as they leave the Service via evolving terms and conditions of service to ensure that capability in all professions is retained. The ‘grow’ evolution, in conjunction with Reserves Policy and Delivery, seeks to create a pathway for a through-life RAuxAF career from Aviator to Air Vice-Marshal in all professions.

Challenges and solutions

Despite the clear bene ts of integrating Reservists into the RAF’s ISTAR Force, several challenges must be addressed to ensure smooth and e ective collaboration. One primary challenge is the potential mismatch between the availability of Reservists and the operational demands of the ISTAR squadrons. To overcome this, robust systems for forecasting and managing Reservist availability need to be implemented, allowing better alignment between personnel resources and mission requirements.

The RAF’s Whole Force vision seeks to leverage the unique skills possessed by many of its Reservists (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Ongoing professional development is important in ensuring that Reservists can integrate into operational roles when required

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Another challenge is ensuring that Reservists receive adequate training and are kept up-to-date with the latest technologies and procedures. This requires investment in comprehensive training programmes and opportunities for Reservists to participate in exercises and simulations alongside their full-time counterparts. By providing ongoing professional development and maintaining currency in relevant skills, Reservists can seamlessly integrate into operational roles when called upon.

contributions of all team members, and providing opportunities for joint training and professional development. By breaking down barriers and building strong relationships within the ISTAR community, the RAF can maximise the e ectiveness of its Reservist workforce and enhance overall mission readiness.

Moreover, collaboration and interoperability with allied partners will be essential in the future direction of RAF ISTAR operations. By fostering closer ties with international allies and sharing

“Fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual respect between Reservists and full-time personnel is essential for successful integration”

There may also be logistical and administrative hurdles to overcome in integrating Reservists into the ISTAR Force, including security clearances, access to equipment and administrative processes. Streamlining these procedures and ensuring clear communication channels between Reservists and regular personnel can help mitigate these challenges and facilitate smoother integration.

Fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual respect between Reservists and full-time personnel is essential for successful integration. This involves promoting open communication, recognising the

resources, intelligence and best practices, the RAF can enhance its collective intelligence-gathering capabilities and achieve greater operational e ectiveness in joint and coalition environments.

Looking to the future, regulars and reserves must remain committed to fostering a culture of innovation, evolution and excellence. By embracing new technologies, harnessing the talents of its Reservist workforce, and strengthening international partnerships, the RAF, supported by the RAuxAF, can ensure that it remains at the forefront of ISTAR excellence for decades to come.

A-29N and C-390 –optimised for NATO operations

José Gustavo Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Europe and Africa, Embraer Defense & Security

What advantages does the A-29N Super Tucano o er to potential NATO customers?

The aircraft is con gured to meet NATO operational standards and NATO countries’ additional speci cations.

It has various state-of-the-art sensors and weapons, including an electro-optic/ infrared system with a laser designator, night-vision goggles and secure voice and data communications. For all these reasons, the A-29N Super Tucano represents the best in its class, combining excellent performance, ruggedness and survivability with 21st-century weapons, integrated sensors and surveillance systems to create a highly e ective air power component.

What are the main missions that the A-29N can perform?

The A-29N can perform a wide range of missions, including close air support (CAS),

precision ground attack, armed reconnaissance, border surveillance, air interception, aerial escort and combat training for pilots and Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs). Robust and versatile, the aircraft can operate from remote, unpaved airstrips at forward operating bases with minimum logistical support, all combined with low operating costs and high availability.

What are the major advantages of the C-390 for NATO Member countries?

The C-390 can carry more payload (26 tons) compared to other mediumsized military transport aircraft, and it ies faster (470 knots) and farther. It can perform a wide range of missions, including the transportation and airdrop of cargo and troops; aeromedical evacuation; search and rescue; re ghting – all from unpaved runways, if necessary. The aircraft can be con gured for aerial refuelling, with the designator KC-390, and has already proven its capacity both as a tanker and as a receiver, including receiving fuel from another KC-390 using wing refuelling pods.

What are the most important elements of the aircraft’s avionics?

C-390 avionics are fully compliant with current and future civil ATM/CNS requirements, and this, combined with its cruise ceiling and speed, enables access to RVSM airspace. The C-390 meets the most demanding NATO standards for coalition operations.

It also has a full y-by-wire system, including active side sticks, the most capable ight control system in the segment, which not only enhances performance, but also improves ight safety and mission e ectiveness.

The key point is that the C-390 is interoperable in both civil and military networked data-centric environments.

Has NATO certi cation been the key factor for boosting A-29N and C-390 Millennium sales? If so, how can they support the Royal Air Force?

The architecture of the C-390 avionics has simpli ed the process of achieving NATO certi cation, and the same is true of the A-29N. This has undoubtedly enhanced the attractiveness of both aircraft to NATO Alliance members and Partner nations.

The C-390 provides a step change in capability in terms of payload/ range in the medium air transport category and can contribute and participate in an Alliance Joint All Domain C2 network. It also provides a tactical AAR capability, as well as being a platform for delivery of forces that are using static line and freefall parachuting.

Military mission systems are all fully integrated and include secure voice and data; tactical data links; a self-protection suite (against IR and radar threats); ballistic protection (including OBIGGS); night-vision systems; a tactical eScan radar and an EO/IR sensor pod, which can be used for SAR, ISR and targeting functions.

Training – a vital part of RAF war ghting capability

Air Vice-Marshal Cab Townsend, Air O cer Commanding Number 22 Group, highlights how introducing innovation into its training pipeline will improve the RAF’s ability to integrate and interoperate with other air arms

As a highly e ective, technical Service, it is all too easy to be seduced by the equipment and aircraft we use at the expense of other vital parts of an operational system, such as people and their training. We need to ensure that we have the right training, delivered at the right time and in the right way, to ensure our personnel are able to operate and sustain our frontline capabilities.

The training of RAF people is as important as the equipment it procures

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

As Director of Training for the RAF, it is my responsibility to ensure our training is relevant and delivered in a timely and e ective manner. Training is the rst rung on the operational resilience ladder and is a core part of achieving the required agility of a successful modern-day air force.

Through my role as Air O cer Commanding Number 22 Group (No 22 Gp), I am responsible for delivering Phase 1 (initial training for all commissioned and non-commissioned personnel) and Phase 2 (speci c professional training for most personnel). My most immediate challenge is ensuring I have a robust training base – in terms of the number of personnel committed to the training management and delivery task, as well as a core group of professional Military Training Specialists (MTS).

As in most air forces, a clear tension exists here between my requirement for expert instructors and the fact that such military expertise lies mostly within our frontline forces. This is a very di cult balance, but it

is vital that we sustain a capable training base to ensure longevity of our frontline e ectiveness. Exploitation of the Whole Force is essential in delivering balance between the frontline and training system workforces.

We must also ensure that the training we provide is modern and re ects how we intend to operate. E ective di erentiation of learning, long practiced in the academic world, must be central to all we do. Therefore, the needs of the individual must be appropriately considered, and we must improve the way in which we use data to optimise our approach to through-life training.

None of us learns in the same way; we are all neurodiverse. For too long, our training courses have been a ‘one-size- ts-all’ concept, re ective of how learning used to be conducted by a test of retained knowledge vice exploitation of information and practical implementation. However, the people joining the RAF today have vastly di ering information skills to those of previous generations, and our approach to learning and training must accommodate and, indeed, exploit this opportunity.

Coaching should be a core part of the learning journey: re ection on the way we learn is as important as what we learn. Modernisation of our training is paramount. While there still remains a place for an instructor in a classroom, Technology Enhanced Learning introduces a range of approaches, such as computer-based training, remote learning, virtual- and augmented-reality systems, and practical skills training.

Our challenge in e ective di erentiation is to ensure we use the right blend of training, developing the right skills for the individual. We must also ensure that our training is conducted cognisant of the military context within which it will be employed and aligned with wider global good practice. All of the No 22 Gp schools have operationally representative training, which allows trainees to take technical skills and apply them in scenarios such as Forward Operating Bases, and not in the ideal conditions of an air-conditioned classroom.

Developing the use of data

Data exploitation is an area that requires greater development in how it is used to support training. We have too many disparate digital systems across Defence, none of which fully enable an individual’s training journey to be tracked throughout their career, nor do they allow us to utilise training data to make e ective, assured and timely decisions to meet changes in challenges within our training environments. The Defence Learning and Management Capability o ers a potentially signi cant change in this area. Not only should we have a coherent approach to training data across Defence, we should also be exploiting arti cial intelligence to optimise the

training required. We need to assess each individual’s skills and knowledge, rather than apply the same training delivery to all personnel. We should also analyse how individuals have performed in training, allowing us to modify and improve training approaches and assure ourselves that our training is e ective. Moreover, we should consistently and robustly assure the quality and delivery of our training, verifying that output matches requirement, and that the frontline requirement is itself correct.

In addition, we must explore our relationship with Industry partners and identify where mutual opportunities might exist in our training endeavours. We work closely with Industry on the frontline and undertake very similar approaches to the way we provide technical training and apprenticeships.

As a skilled instructional workforce becomes ever harder to nd, deeper collaboration with industry colleagues makes sense. It will also allow us to think collegiately about our future training requirements for future capabilities, such as the Global Combat Air Programme, and innovate together for mutual bene t. Indeed, a closer relationship with Industry in the training environment may allow a more robust discussion on rapid expansion of training should operational demands necessitate.

Military capability = (People + Equipment) x Training

Without an appropriate training system, we will not be agile and we will lack the military capability we need to meet the vast range of threats facing the UK in this ‘Dangerous Decade’. Our training systems will only be appropriate if they are formulated within the relevant military context and are designed with the overall military plan rmly in mind from the outset.

No 22 Group trains and prepares aviators to enable the RAF to y and ght (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

(PHOTO: MOD/CROWN COPYRIGHT)

To do this, and to implement and manage the appropriate training systems, the RAF is reliant on its vital cohort of MTS. These specialists are part of the People Operations Profession that binds together the ‘People’ and ‘Training’ elements of the ‘Military Capability Equation’. The vital contribution that the MTS make extends to managing the wider ‘Training Cadre’, which is made up of the vast number of people in the RAF who, at some point in their careers, form part of the training system, before moving back into frontline operations. The whole training system depends on the Training Cadre, but this, in turn, is enabled by being professionalised and will only be e ective when managed by our MTS.

Adaptive training

The operational environment is constantly changing, and enemy actors continue to use diverse tactics. Therefore, training needs to be adaptive and respond quickly to di erent threats in line with Agile Combat Employment (ACE) principles. The success of ACE is dependent upon e ective and contextualised training. No 11 Gp has overall responsibility for the collective training that will achieve success with ACE. However, at the unit level, the MTS in Force Development Squadrons (FDS) within No 2 Gp provide the critical enablers for the requisite e ective and contextualised training.

With the mission of ‘train, prepare and enable the Force to y and ght’, MTS in FDSs underpin ACE through a diverse range of training activities, including SERE (survive, evade, resist, extract), Adventurous Personal Development Training, Force Development, and Human Performance Optimisation, as well as individual training. ACE provides a concept and construct that requires rapid evolution in training for the RAF – an immediate and practical example of where the rapid ‘Training Estimate’ can be used to optimise operational e ect. This is where the expertise of the MTS is making a real di erence on our frontline.

To sum up, we must ensure that our training base is robust, with the capacity to train those we recruit. The training of our people is as important as the equipment we procure. Requirements analysis provides the foundation to good training, built upon by well-designed and -delivered courses using a range of techniques assisted by skilled Military Training Specialists and the wider Training Cadre.

Our training must exploit data and enable individuals to thrive as they navigate their training pathway, rewarding them with learning, and giving them the appropriate accreditation and exibility to have dynamic careers. By doing so, the training we provide will enable us to achieve our operational objectives. Without e ective training, we will not win.

RAF training is the foundation of recruits enjoying dynamic careers

Preparing aircrew for the challenges of the real world

Tim James Managing Director, Ascent Flight Training

What are the most challenging issues facing aircrew training provision in the UK?

An important question, as many nations consider how best to grow their combat forces in a challenging global context. Our experience suggests if you are considering partnering with industry, focus on the operating models critical to long-term success. Our models worked well for the acquisition phase, enabling us to run competitive procurements and leverage the private sector to secure capital, commercial-o -the-shelf (COTS) aircraft and supporting technologies. Now established in the delivery phase, we nd the models that worked well for us have started to inhibit what we need to achieve in the future. This points to the need to review and reform arrangements as you transition through phases. Some aspects of the deal work well for you regardless of the phase, others

need attention. Be open to this concept of perpetual change and ensure you can achieve it, otherwise the project will miss many opportunities along the journey.

How can synthetic training help to address some of these challenges?

Our experience across 15 years of ying training highlights an irreducible volume of live ying that a trainee requires to ensure they are fully prepared for the challenges of the front line. That amount varies from pipeline to pipeline, but as a rule of thumb we have settled on around 60/40 in the early elementary phases and closer to 50/50 as you approach the end of the pipelines.

“Key for Ascent is creating training systems that stretch the trainee at all stages”

Technology insertion is key for Ascent. We leverage COTS products and integrate them rapidly. Recent examples include mixed and virtual reality systems to augment our simulators and courseware. Technology will march on, and we will strive to keep up, evolving our system as we go. However, one thing that appears constant is this irreducible volume of real-world, unpredictable live ying, that tests and develops the military

aircrew trainee to enable them to succeed in their journey to the front line.

To what extent are Ascent’s xed- and rotary-wing training programmes meeting their goals?

In the xed-wing area, our focus is on fast jet and multi-engine pipelines. In fast jet, we are starting to scale the basic ying training operation towards a design target of 53 by April 2025. In turn, we are scaling the fast jet lead-in courses on the Prefect. On multi-engine, we are investigating ways to expand our capacity to meet a growing frontline demand, including optimisation of the current syllabi and additional resources. In rotarywing, the system is meeting all our frontline requirements, while delivering International Defence Training.

What innovations is Ascent developing to ensure aircrew are able to operate in an integrated and interoperable way?

Key for Ascent is creating training systems that stretch the trainees at all stages of the pipeline. In that quest, we need to expose trainees to the real-world complexities of frontline operations. Captaincy and decision-making are central competencies for the trainees to develop. To achieve this, we aim to create moments where trainees can experience these challenges, both during groundbased and live- ying events, with the adoption of technologies to replicate threats, friendly forces, airspace and/or environmental factors, including weather.

Next-generation recruitment and retention

The RAF’s Director People and Air Secretary, Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards, highlights work to ensure the RAF maintains its e ectiveness through the e cient and meticulous recruitment of the right people for the right roles, along with e orts to hold onto those people for as long as possible

“Our People are our Greatest Asset”. Sound familiar? It should, because we hear it all the time. And it just so happens to be true.

Implementing the Haythornthwaite Review’s recommendations will help to attract and retain more people with STEM expertise

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

So there can be no more important a plan than the one we have for our Workforce, to make sure we have the people we need now and in the future: our ‘Strategic Workforce Plan’. For some time now we have been falling short. Not enough people have been brought in, trained and taken up their place on the team. And, too many people have been choosing to leave, at a time when we need them to stay.

And so we have needed a better plan – one that will arrest the decline and grow our numbers back to where we need them to be. No plan will

be perfect. Anyone in and around the military will know the old adage: ‘it’s not the plan that matters - it’s the planning that has gone into it’.

And so we needed better planning, so we are able to be more agile when the plan does not work out as we hoped it might. Our planning needed to be more comprehensive, and consider every aspect of our people’s experiences, from the moment they rst heard of us and how that felt, through how it feels to be on the team, and how it feels to leave, and afterwards.

And so when it comes to planning to have the workforce that we need – we are taking an holistic view. Our new planning accounts for the full spectrum of things that a ect our ability to have

the workforce that we need: one that is su cient, capable and motivated; one that is ready to y and ght. It covers nine lines of e ort, grouped into three:

– Engage to Attract covers Reputation; Stakeholder Engagement and Outreach; and Marketing and Attraction. It is delivering a much more coordinated approach to this key area. Our advertising is catching the right eyes. ‘Top Guns’ was a huge success – ‘Top Guns 2’ is eagerly anticipated. Expressions of Interest and application rates are higher than last year and rising steadily.

– Optimising In ow covers Entrance Policy; Recruiting and Selection; and Recruit and Specialist Training. We are reviewing and updating any policy that might unnecessarily preclude anyone from joining us. Our online processes are being overhauled to be more straightforward and more helpful, and we are making sure our recruiting teams have the strength they need so they can increasingly focus on people, not process. We are seeing early signs that this is working, and bringing a steady but sure growth. We are preparing recruit training capacity to be ready, likewise the specialist training that follows.

– Value our People covers Terms and Conditions of Service; Developing and Retaining our People; and Leaving Well, Staying Connected and Rejoining.

This really matters. Because our people really matter. They really are our greatest asset. Assets have value, and right now, as the call on our people is getting louder and more frequent, and they are in shorter supply, they are increasingly valuable with every day that goes by. And so their value is high, and this is not in doubt. We have to make their sense of feeling valued equally high to match. Making our people feel valued is fundamental. People who feel valued choose to stay. And people choose to join them.

There is a lot going on in this area. We have introduced BowTie methodology (Google it) to capture, map and understand the things that threaten it, and remedy it. This is fed by our Whole Force Lived Experience Working Group, shadow boards, engagement forums, town halls and surveys. This is telling me and my team what needs to be done, my RAF colleagues what needs to be done, and the MOD Team leading the Haythornthwaite Review what our priorities for action are.

Things are happening: increased Local Initiative Grants; increased subsistence rates; more of a say in our people’s career management;

alignment of pay within key professional areas; and reduced bureaucracy. There is much more in the pipeline, and even more in development.

Communications are improving, including through our People Bulletin; just telling people more about what is going on is a huge part in making them feel valued. It’s the main reason I am writing this article.

But here’s the thing...

When it comes to making people actually feel valued, the most important thing is not the plan, or the planning, or the list of deliverables and actions. The most important thing is how all of us engage with colleagues around us – especially those more junior, and even more so when they work directly for us.

Making time for your people and your team counts more than anything. No matter what your rank or status. No matter how you do it, please do more of it. Because right now it matters more than ever; your people really are getting more valuable every day.

Do what works for you: maybe take the long route to your o ce and say hello as you go; be famous for being ve minutes late for a meeting every now and then because you stopped to take a moment for one of your team; celebrate success, however small; share a story; encourage, recognise, include and support. A good friend of mine I have known almost my whole life talks of ‘watering’ people so they grow. We all have a good day when we have been watered – especially by the boss.

Thanks for reading this. Take a moment to tell me what you thought of it when you see me, or drop me a line; I will be grateful that you took the time.

The RAF’s people are its greatest asset, but they are in shorter supply (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Cross-skilled aviators

THE KEY TO ENHANCED AGILITY

Our people capability will be an essential element in delivering Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris explains how the RAF is planning to cross-skill its aviators to ensure it can deliver ACE e ectively using the RAF Whole Force, whenever and wherever it is required

The operational environment has continually evolved throughout the history of the RAF. From policing the Empire in far- ung places, through the Battle of Britain and allied bombing campaign of the Second World War, to hardening, dispersal and high readiness of the Cold War, our Service has continued to adapt to the demands placed upon it, always enabled by the skills, exibility and initiative of our people.

The lack of a signi cant air-to-ground threat since the end of the Cold War enabled us to operate in deployed locations as we do at home, with aircraft lined up together, sharing a small pool of support equipment within easy reach. Support solutions similarly moved to more e cient and often contracted models, which suited a reduced number

of Main Operating Bases (MOBs), where contractors were co-located. Increased regulation has also driven greater governance and structure, reinforcing trade demarcation within many technical and logistics areas.

Although some reductions in trade boundaries occurred through multi-skilling, these were largely e ciency measures to reduce workforce numbers, as we adapted to post-Cold War operations and advances in technology. Some organisations, such as Joint Aviation Command (formerly Joint Helicopter Command), retained the skills and equipment necessary to disperse in smaller force packages, but we generally con gured ourselves in the most e cient way to deliver new missions.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reminded us that state-on-state con ict is once again a

The RAF is embracing crossskilling e orts in its Engineering and Logistics professions (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Cross-skilling techniques have been practised on the Red Arrows Hawk fast jets

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

very realistic proposition, and one that we must be prepared to deter and counter. Our potential adversaries have capabilities on a par with our own, and any con ict will likely require us to operate in a contested air environment, with our bases and operating locations directly threatened.

The adoption of ACE will be critical to survival, as our aircraft can only ght in the air if we protect them, and those supporting them, on the ground. ACE will see the dispersal of assets across multiple, geographically displaced locations, supported by necessarily smaller deployed teams.

Breaking down procedural boundaries

Concurrent dispersed operations, at multiple locations, mean we will not have the luxury of several people from each specialisation at every site. The teams at each location will have to come together during high-intensity operations to keep their aircraft ying, and their people supported, for as long as possible, until more specialist assistance becomes essential.

Success will require us to exibly exploit skills and capacity across the Whole Force, and for individuals to take on lower-skilled tasks beyond their traditional profession or specialisation remit. This ‘cross-skilling’ will soften hard professional boundaries between specialisations, generating a team that can deliver the mission, based on each individual’s abilities and not just their ‘day job’.

It is important to note that, unlike multiskilling, cross-skilling does not reduce workforce

numbers; it is about our existing workforce being able to help each other with lower-skilled tasks, more usually associated with another specialisation, when required operationally. This approach is not new: it was a key feature of Fighter Command operations in Europe during the Second World War and Harrier Force eld operations during the Cold War. However, it is something we must relearn and adapt to, as our recent past has created perceived or actual barriers to performing tasks usually associated with other specialisations.

We have already begun to embrace cross-skilling within the Engineering and Logistics Professions. Exploratory work is underway to identify suitable tasks, initially internally to professions, but rapidly expanding across profession boundaries.

As a proof of concept, we successfully trialled cross-skilling of Ground Equipment technicians to perform ight servicing tasks on Red Arrows Hawks. This trial showed that, with minimal additional training, any technician can follow set procedures outside their specialisation, to keep an aircraft ying on a remote site, but knowing when to defer to a specialist.

This is also likely to be the key to further utilisation of Reserves in engineering; for example, conducting limited on-aircraft tasks such as ight servicing, releasing more experienced technicians for recti cation work. Similarly, there is scope for aircraft technicians to be trained in a variety of basic ground equipment maintenance tasks, for when

there is no specialist available. Even within aircraft specialisations, should a Mechanical technician always have to wait for an Avionics technician to disconnect a plug in order to proceed, when they are competent to do it themselves?

Another obvious activity being explored is aircraft refuelling. Currently, on many platforms, a logistician can drive a fuel bowser to an aircraft and extend the refuelling hose, but only the technician is permitted to connect the hose to the aircraft. While this may be appropriate for routine MOB activity, it could hinder a small, dispersed team, so we need to enable and exercise that agility when required.

Another cross-skilling approach we intend to exploit is the principle of ‘trade assist’ for tasks such as weapon loading on combat air squadrons. These, and all cross-skilling initiatives, will a ord Commanders greater operational exibility, with minimal training burden, and are a necessity if we are to credibly deter and counter future threats.

Key to the success of cross-skilling will be embedding these principles, and facilitating a mindset of greater exibility and interoperability, from the outset. Our trainees in the Engineering and Logistics professions will receive common initial modules at the start of Phase 2 training

“Should a Mechanical technician always have to wait for an Avionics technician to disconnect a plug in order to proceed?”

based on ‘logistician rst, specialisation second’ or ‘engineer rst, specialisation second’ principles.

All technicians now undergo a common technical induction module. This introduction provides everyone with the same basic understanding of airworthiness, hand skills and technician fundamentals, prior to them progressing onto their chosen specialisation. A similar logistics module is being designed, to be delivered as the rst element of Phase 2 training for all logistics specialisations.

Our operational environment has changed, and ACE is part of the RAF’s adaptation, to enable us to continue to y, ght and win. Cross-skilling is a vital component to allow us to succeed, based on the exibility and initiative of our people; doing what they are capable of on operations, not just within the current boundaries of their specialisation, following in the footsteps of their forebears.

Cross-skilling could enable aircraft technicians to also undertake maintenance tasks on ground equipment

(PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

The fast and the furious AN AGILE WARFIGHTING CULTURE

Air Commodore Blythe Crawford highlights the urgency that is required for western nations to prepare for the eventuality of war

The illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine has taught us that, while the character of warfare continues to evolve at pace, the nature of warfare remains brutal and ugly. For many, the prospect of a war of necessity in Europe seems unfathomable –‘surely we have moved beyond that?’

No matter what country they come from, military personnel share a culture based on duty, discipline and service (PHOTO: MOD/ CROWN COPYRIGHT)

Others prefer to bury their heads in the sand and pretend this isn’t happening. But the stark reality is that all those who put on a military uniform each morning must be prepared to close with and, if necessary, kill our nation’s enemies; therefore, we cannot a ord to be complacent. In the latter years of his extraordinary life, Air Marshal David Walker drafted a paper entitled ‘RAF High Command in the Second World War – A New Perspective’, in

which he detailed how in 1933, the RAF started preparations for the Second World War, which they expected to begin in 1943. A 10-year lead plan, set against the backdrop of the corporate memory of the First World War some 20 years earlier.

Today, we have not faced a war of national survival for almost 80 years. There is no corporate memory and, yet, senior politicians throughout the western world agree that we are facing a dangerous and unpredictable period. Time, societal ignorance and adversary aggression are not on our side.

History has taught us that it is often strategic shock that kicks us into action. For the UK in both World Wars, this came at a very high price. While the deployed British Expeditionary Force undoubtedly staved o Britain’s early defeat, they

accomplished these feats only at the cost of their own near annihilation. Preparedness will only come if the mental stimulus is there to drive it. This will demand a warrior culture that leverages the key attributes of our preparedness, demanding agility, integration and resilience, enabled through decision superiority to allow us to y, ght and win. So where does that culture stem from?

A blend of cultures

Culture is primarily established by leaders, either deliberately or through organic transformation, but even newly established organisations must draw their culture from that of the wider society from whence the military organisation originated. Likewise, each branch of the military will have its own organisational cultures and subcultures in uenced by geography, history and orientation. Therefore, our RAF war ghters will be in uenced by a blend of societal, military and organisational cultures, as well as the subcultures of their particular squadron or unit.

In the west, in particular, societal culture has generally been a tug of war between liberalism and realism, where the former is aspired to during peacetime, but periodically nds itself dragged back to realism when faced with crises, the most obvious being the brutal reality of war. Military culture also exists where personnel, no matter which country they come from, tend to hold values and attributes common to most warriors, including duty, discipline and service.

The American political activist, Barbara Ehrenreich, noted that “the warrior looks at the enemy and sees those recognisable as oneself… even when divided by race and cultural di erences,

enemies may admire each other for their conduct as warriors” – somewhat satirically epitomised by Blackadder ’s Red Baron when meeting Flashheart; “Two men of honour, who have jousted together in the cloud-strewn glory of the skies, face-to-face at last. How often I have rehearsed this moment of destiny in my dreams. The panoply to encapsulate the unspoken nobility of a comradeship.”

Within each branch of the military resides organisational culture. Drawing on the foundations set by Edgar Schein, Air Vice-Marshal Fin Monahan recently articulated the RAF’s culture as consisting of observed behaviour, processes and practices, attitudes, expectations and assumptions, and deep structures and beliefs, noting that processes and practices have a two-way e ect on the other attributes.

Slow pace of evolution

Cultural evolution is a slow process, which is why revolutions in military a airs are di cult to achieve. Gil-li Vardi of Stanford University notes that with the exception of revolutionary circumstances, acute economic crisis or colossal defeat in con ict, organisational culture is a resilient and sluggish creature. As such, militaries that have innovative, risktaking cultures are rare, which makes rapid change challenging, even in war. Organisations must change, or they will die; probably not in peacetime, but certainly in war when faced with existential crises.

Therefore, as well as demanding agility to provide deterrence, o ensive advantage and defensive strength, we need to be agile of mind, agile of organisation and agile of process to rapidly prepare our military for potential con ict – reiterating that time, technological advancement, societal reticence and a growing threat environment are not on our side.

The British Expeditionary Force staved o Hitler’s advances on Britain at the cost of their near annihilation (PHOTO: PUBLIC DOMAIN)

As the Red Queen in Alice through the Looking Glass says, “It

takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place“

(IMAGE: CLASSIC IMAGE/ALAMY)

Cognitive agility, supported by cognitive diversity, is required to develop novel means of capability development, integrated manoeuvre warfare tactics and decision making, enhanced by technology and optimising the human-machine interface. Our organisation needs to be agile in terms of shape, mass and movement, rapidly changing design to meet the operational demand, scaling up across the correct skill-sets when required, and moving equipment and people to disperse to deter, disperse to conceal, disperse to pre-position to ght, then to aggregate to deliver e ect. Our processes must be agile in technology development and procurement.

The war in Ukraine has taught us that we can no longer rely on overly bureaucratic, riskaverse and stove-piped capability development.

The battle eld has shifted to one that embraces user-centric, rapid development cycles of six to eight weeks from concept to delivery, leveraging civilian commercial-o -the-shelf technology, architected in such a way to deliver military e ect.

Ambidextrous capability development

While we will still have a need for long-term, strategydriven development of capital platforms, these quickly become a vehicle for the delivery of rapidly changing, user-centric capability, developed using agile methodologies and laser-focused on the enduser requirement. The simultaneous development of both tracks is referred to as ambidextrous capability development and will demand reforms

across both government and the industries that have to collaborate in the development of them.

We must, therefore, percolate this agility across the wider security, academic and industrial communities, as well as within our own organisations in order to be able to ght tonight and assure the ght tomorrow. Similarly, the way in which we then coordinate the delivery of these technologies, the people who use them, and the e ects they deliver, demands that our Command and Control systems must have the ability to be centralised, decentralised and everything in between, leveraging bearers of opportunity, pan domains, securely and rapidly.

The importance of engendering an agile war ghting culture in our military is critical at this time of national crisis. It will shape how we respond to the challenges confronting us today and tomorrow, and can provide the necessary deterrent e ect we must in ict on our adversaries.

As General C Q Brown, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Sta , has noted, in an environment that includes declining resources, aggressive global competitors and rapid technology development, air forces must accelerate change in order to control and exploit the air domain, characterised by the Red Queen in Alice through the Looking Glass: “it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.”

It’s time to get our running shoes on...