The onset of the war in Ukraine saw one of the most dramatic shifts in combined arms warfare since the introduction of the machine gun. This shift is attributed to the wide scale introduction of drones to the modern battlefield (Kagan et al, 2024). Principally the conflict is demonstrating drones pioneering new capabilities in reconnaissance, close air support and strategic strike with virtually zero risk to the operator.
The RAAF's Frozen Middle Part Two
Dylan Williamson
Australian Defence Force
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is changing.
There is a blunt but effective thought experiment for anyone in a leadership role: if you see yourself as the village hero, but everyone you lead sees you as the village idiot, you have a problem.
Decreasing Reliance on Fossil Fuels to Increase Defence Capability
Benjamin Cole
Australian Defence Force
As a comic-book fan, I’ve always been curious about who might win in a battle between DC’s Justice League and Marvel’s Avengers.
The 'poor man's air force' is a term for employing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hobbyist drones or uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to strategic level military effect, and that effect cannot be understated (Waters, 2018; Nadeau, 2022; Shift, 2023). The ability for terror organisations to coordinate multiple layers of effects, including using COTS drones, to destroy Command and Control (C2) nodes in Israel causes alarm. Couple this with the use of COTS drones for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, strike and battle-damage assessment missions, and the threat posed by what are essentially toys is alarmingly real.
Ever wondered what the rest of the Air Force does when you are doing your Job.
Laura Pearson proposes an innovative way to break down the knowledge gap and enhance Air Force workforce effectiveness. Get engaged in the conversation
Beyond the Buzzwords: Charting the Course to Fully Autonomous Combat AircraftKeirin JoyceAustralian Defence ForceWarfare is undergoing a fundamenta
