Air
Power Australia
Aims
Australia
requires a modern integrated joint national force structure for its
defence. The purpose of Air Power Australia is to contribute to the
development of
such a joint force structure.
Air Power
Australia is a
non-profit entity established
with the primary aim of air power research and
analysis , especially in
the
context of a modern integrated joint national force structure.
Air Power
Australia is not
affiliated with the Department of Defence,
the Australian Defence Force or any other Commonwealth
organisation.
Air Power Australia Website
The
Air Power Australia website was established in October, 2004, with the
aim of
promoting air power; stimulating
public and parliamentary debate on air power topics; educating the
community; and, publishing and archiving papers and articles on
air power topics. The website covers a wide range
of
air, land and sea warfare topics, especially where these are
related to the integration and synergy of air, land and sea warfighting
capabilities.
The views stated in posted
articles are those of
their respective authors, and all posted materials retain the copyright
of the respective owner or owners.
Air Power Australia Analyses
ISSN 1832-2433
Air Power
Australia Analyses is
Australia's first online peer reviewed scholarly journal covering air
power and related topics,
established in 2004. Its aim is
to provide a platform for academic and professional
research, analysis and discussion papers focussed on the military
science aspects of modern air power and its applications. Research
publications cover the
areas of policy, policy reform,
strategy, technological strategy and basic technology. All publications
are fully peer reviewed, and APA policy is to engage two or more
reviewers for each publication.
Air Power Australia
Background
Australia
is on
the
threshold
of a major reduction in its relative military
capabilities against the broader region. Since the early 1990s the
region has experienced unprecedented growth in military capabilities,
most noticeably in air power and in modern guided weapons, largely of
Russian origin. In this rapidly evolving
strategic environment,
Australia is actively reducing the relative capability of the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF), rather than seeking to maintain its
historical advantage in capability.
This capability reduction is being effected in the short term by
premature retirement of the F-111 strike fleet,
which provided around 50% of the nation's strike capability. In the
long
term, myopic insistence on a single type replacement of the F/A-18A and F-111 forces, the preferred Joint Strike Fighter to be used in roles it
was not defined for. It is thus not expected to provide the
capability advantages historically enjoyed by the RAAF, as it is a
battlefield strike and close air support system rather than a general
purpose fighter bomber like the F-22A.
Numerous industry proposals to affordably increase RAAF capability
exist, for instance by further expansion of the tanker
fleet using surplus commercial airliners.
Unless Australia rapidly
implements aggressive policy
changes in long
term planning for the RAAF force structure, Australia's slide in
capabilities relative to the Asia-Pacific-Indian region will continue
unabated.
Air Power Australia was founded by Dr Carlo Kopp
and Mr Peter Goon. The research
findings presented by Air Power Australia are derived from
rigorous quantitative analyses that have been peer reviewed in order to
provide a benchmark for analytical technique and debate in
Australia. Air Power Australia does not seek to dwell on the
question of who is right or wrong when it comes to Australia's defence
capability needs; Air Power Australia will focus on what is right
for Australia and future generations of Australians.
We hope APA
website
and associated endeavours contribute to securing
a more appropriate air power force structure for the defence of current
and future generations of Australians. Our future will depend on
an RAAF force structure which is more cost effective, reflects
the
innovative Australian ethos and carries far less risk than that
currently planned for by the Department of Defence.
"It is
difficult to get a
man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not
understanding it. "
Upton Beall Sinclair, Jr.
I, Candidate for Governor: And How I Got Licked, 1935
"To
conquer
the
command
of
the
air
means
victory;
to
be
beaten
in
the
air
means
defeat
and
acceptance
of
whatever
terms
the
enemy may be pleased to impose... "
"Victory
will
smile
upon
those
who
anticipate
changes
in
the
character
of
war,
not
upon
those
who
wait
to
adapt
themselves
after
changes
occur. "
General Giulio
Douhet
The Command of the Air, 1921