This document discusses the opportunities for enhanced integration between air and naval forces as 5th generation capabilities like the F-35 and new combat systems are introduced. It argues that these new technologies allow an unprecedented level of integration that should drive new thinking on combining air and sea power effects. Specifically, the concepts of an interconnected rather than just connected joint force, and expanding the kill chain concept to a more distributed "kill web" are presented as ways to better integrate air and maritime assets. The document maintains that an integrated force deployed from ships like the UK's Queen Elizabeth could form the basis of both homeland defense and power projection capabilities.

1. 4th/5th Genera,on Integra,on
Shaping a Fi4h Genera,on Enabled
Combat Force
By Dr. Robbin F. Laird

3. Squadron Pilots Drive Combat
Innova,on
• One of the most impressive and again liIle no,ced fact of the F-35
progression toward Ini,al Opera,onal Capability (IOC) with US and
Allied flying forces is that they are a team of peers around the
globe.
• Never before has such a wide raging state-of-the-art test/IOC effort
been aIempted and now has been proven successful.
• The F-35 is essen,ally a combat avia,on club that is only limited by
the imagina,on and skill of those who will fight the aircra4 in the
air.
• As the F-35 moves into squadrons in different na,ons with different
poten,al combat challenges around the globe all fighter pilots
share a unity of purpose. Using the trite cliché “global commons”
does not come close to what is occurring.

10. New Approaches to Air-Sea Integra4on in the
Evolving Extended Ba;lespace
• The Royal Australian Navy has had the ability to network and
share situa,onal awareness amongst the fleet for many years
and the P-3s has been the only RAAF plaZorm capable of being
part of that network.
• The RAAF’s journey of networking its capability journey started
more recently with the Hornet Upgrade Program and has
accelerated with the introduc,on of capabili,es like Wedgetail
and Vigilaire.
• All of the the RAAF’s fleet is now capable of linking into and
contribu,ng to an Air Layer of the Joint BaIle management
system.

11. New Approaches (2)
• With the advent of 5th Genera,on capabili,es like the JSF and the
new combat systems on the AWD as well as the design and
development of the new combat systems for the Australia’s future
frigates, Offshore Patrol vessels and Submarines, the ADF has a
unique opportunity to influence and design in an unprecedented
level of integra,on into the RAN’s and RAAF’s new plaZorms.
• That unprecedented level of integra,on should drive new thinking
on the integra,on of air and sea power effects. The seminar is
about examining the challenges and possibili,es of the combat
power in that future integrated force.
• Air Force and Navy need to not only remediate exis,ng deficiencies
but take advantage of the transforma,ve nature of fi4h genera,on
technology. The seminar aims to explore the art of the possible in
future Air-Sea opera,ons.

14. Plan Jericho
• What the Aussies are looking for are ways to
build inherent connec,vity within their
plaZorms, rather than simply connec,ng the
bolts among the system.
• Clearly, at the heart of an interconnected rather
than connected force is the so4ware
upgradeability issue.
• With both Wedgetail and F-35 in the fleet as core
so4ware upgradeable systems they will look for
ways for these assets to become co-evolved with
Navy and Army systems, to shape a way ahead.

15. The Challenge
• “The U.S. Navy with their surface fleet , with the
Super Hornets and Growlers, has meant that,
although, the F-35 is an important program for
them, it’s not fundamental for them like it is for
us.
• I would argue the U.S. Air Force has never shown
the level of interest and fascina,on at integra,ng
with mari,me forces that we need.
• We’ve got to be able to influence the shi4 that
we think is necessary.”

16. The Opportunity
• As the Deputy Chief of Staff of the RAAF put it
with regard to the F-35:
• “The F-35 for me is a plaZorm on which one can
increase the desired capability through so4ware
upgrades to enable you to mi,gate or get around
threats posed to the joint force.
• In the past, air plaZorms simply did not enable
you to shape such an approach.
• It is now an essen,al element of shaping the
spiral development of the joint force itself.”

18. Shaping the Kill Web
• As the F-35 comes to the force aboard the new HMS Queen
Elizabeth, a future deployment to the region will actually provide
for an integrated force which could form a key element for both
homeland defense for the United Kingdom as well as providing core
combat capabili,es within an overall kill web, mari,me based
which could provide for a mobile anchor at sea for a strike and
defense force.
• With the Russians deploying tac,cal weapons – notably cruise
missiles – with reach deep into what the UK would consider
strategic space, the need to deter, and defeat such threats will be
increasingly important.
• To do so, will require shaping an offensive-defensive enterprise
integra,ng air and mari,me forces into a more integrated and
mobile force.

19. From Bal,c Air Patrols to the Kill Web
• With the Eurofighters flying both from the UK over the North Sea,
and forward deployed, and with the F-35Bs deployed off of the
Queen Elizabeth, such an integrated force can be built as part of
both homeland defense and an extended kill web extending into
Northern Europe.
• And such integra,on can lay the founda,on for the further
moderniza,on of the UK surface fleet, as the new destroyers can
deploy combat systems, which can co-evolve with those of the
F-35.
• Rather than thinking of the kill chain, the kill web is about
engagement forces in an area of interest which can operate
throughout the distributed baIlespace and defeat an adversary
throughout the kill area. The sensor-shooter rela,onship is within
the distributed baIlespace and not aIributed to the strike plaZorm
itself.

20. Kill Web (2)
• Weaponizing the kill web in which fi4h genera,on leveraging of
weapons on surface and subsurface ships as well as handling hand-
offs to fourth genera,on plaZorms is a key element of the way
ahead.
• MBDA the key weapons designer for the RAF is already developing
and in the process of comple,ng the first weapons with the kind of
two way data links enabling such a handover, namely the Meteor
and Spear 3 weapons.
• Although the UK carriers can be used for expedi,onary purposes,
they will provide key centerpieces for any extended defense of the
homeland via modular integra,on with other allied forces.
• These forces would be deployed as a a scalable kill web, where the
sensor-shooter rela,onship among missile defense, and strike
assets can operate in a distributed defense structure.
• “Long Reach of Aegis,” or “Aegis is my Wingman.”

21. Conclusions
• The F-35 is already here.
• An,cipa,ng the F-35 into the fleet is reshaping
combat approaches.
• Culture change is cri,cal.
• “Training, Training, Training!”
• The shi4 from hub-spoke to distributed
opera,ons is central.
• The challenge of the Platonic Cave is a crucial
barrier to change.