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Despite extremely positive academic and political rhetoric regarding the future of the defence relationship between the Royal Australian Air Force

Unmanned air mobility is a new concept for the Australian Defence Force. The rapid development of enhanced opportunities for air mobility in the joint force will be critical for supporting Australia's National Interests.

The Kestrel Papers series is one of several publications produced by the Air and Space Power Centre (ASPC).

the potential for UAVs to contribute to ADF air operations and to provide a oundation for their introduction through generating a better understanding of their inherent strengths and limitations.

Access to foreign bases has long been a critical enabler of the ADF, and ongoing access will be key to Australia’s future security. In the past, these Forward Operating Bases (FOB) were considered relatively secure, however continual improvements to the range and accuracy of missiles acquired by adversarial militaries have made these bases attractive targets, being the seemingly soft underbelly of western militaries.

In order to continue utilisation of FOBs, and to guarantee the safety of deployed forces, the ADF cannot remain idle to the threat of advanced air and missile attacks. As such Australia must look to develop its Air and Missile Defence (AMD) capabilities in order to remain secure in future operations.

The aim of the essay is to discuss a range of AMD design and operating concepts to inform the development of an ADF Integrated AMD (IAMD) capability.

This essay will be structured into four key areas: western nations’ historical and future reliance on FOBs to project power; the emerging threat of powerful state and non-state actors; Australia’s response to emerging air and missile threats; and, IAMD design and operational concepts in an Australian context.

If we are to meet our obligations as professional airmen, we must continue to question, examine and restate our fundamental beliefs.