Defence

Cover story

Arming warfighters to enhance ADF capability

BRIG David McKaskill was recently honoured as a Member of the Order of Australia.

It's core business at the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre. Karlene Sargent explains...

Side stories: Exercise Talisman Sabre 05 | The peacekeeping business

"Enjoy the location and make a difference!" Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre (ADFWC), Brigadier David McKaskill says of his role. "Making the ADFWC a 'thinking' organisation and utilising the years of experience we have here are my primary objectives."

Located at RAAF Base Williamtown (just north of Newcastle), the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre (ADFWC) is in the business of enhancing Australian Defence Force (ADF) Joint and Combined capability in terms of development, doctrine, individual and collective training, exercises and evaluation.

"It's all about relevance," says BRIG McKaskill, "taking an operations focus and translating this into doctrine and training, for example". Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief of Joint Operations (DCJOPS), MAJGEN Mark Evans, the core of the ADFWC's mission is 'to enhance ADF preparedness for Joint and Combined Operations'. The ADFWC supports a host of customers through research, war-gaming, and concept development, including the Component Commanders, Commander Deployable Joint Headquarters and Commander Joint Ops Intelligence Centre.

"People working at the ADFWC have to be experienced," says BRIG McKaskill. "I want people posting into the Warfare Centre who have operational experience, so we can make a genuine difference in the joint arena."

Formerly part of the Headquarters Australian Theatre (HQAST) bailiwick, the ADFWC has existed for eight years in its current form. "Everything is geared towards the warfighter - not the people in the cockpit and on the ground, but the people behind the scenes doing the planning," says Squadron Leader (SQNLDR) 'Ned' Kelly, who works on the development side of the house at the ADFWC. "Our business is about training the warfighter to work in a headquarters or staff position."

Diving operations on HMAS Success during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2005. Leading Seaman Boatswains Mate Ewen Jenkins prepares to dive for a hull inspection. Photo by ABPH Paul Berry

The ADFWC is a veritable hive of activity - all year round. From the development and provision of individual training for Australian Defence personnel and regional allies, to the planning, conduct and evaluation of Joint and Combined exercises - such as Talisman Sabre, Kingfisher, Vital Prospect and Vital Launch. Among its diverse outputs, the ADFWC is also responsible - through the ADF Peacekeeping Centre - for the development and management of peace operations doctrine, education and training.

The ADFWC is, by the very nature of its business, heavily focussed on operations. The evaluation of these operations is one key element of focus, and involves identifying lessons learned through the 'in-theatre' examination of operational processes including planning, troop movement and command and control. Clearly, the intent behind evaluating operations is to identify areas for future improvement and refinement, and the translation of these lessons occurs - for joint operations at least - through the activities, such as training and doctrine, of the ADFWC.

Captain David Greaves RAN oversees development activity, war-gaming and simulation at the Warfare Centre. "We're in the business of capturing people's experience - from a joint perspective - and using it to enhance combat capability," he says. "We bring evaluations and lessons together, and convert people's knowledge and experience into something Defence can use to improve operational processes and outcomes - for example, procurement, equipment or major projects. Our aim is to translate lessons and provide them to others in order to provide tangible outcomes. A recent review of our processes has enabled us to provide capability-focused lessons that can then be fed into the Defence Capability Development Plan."

In fact, an evaluation report on Operation SUMATRA ASSIST, drafted by CAPT Greaves, will soon be released to key stakeholders, including the Chief of the Defence Force. The evaluation process commenced at the beginning of the operation - that's right, from 28 December 2004. It encompassed gaining situational awareness through observing the processes and planning of the operation and conducting interviews of senior commanders - such as CDF, the Service Chiefs, and selected Group Heads as appropriate - to gain their perspective on the process. Deployed on the operation during February, CAPT Greaves also interviewed BRIG Dave Chalmers, who headed up the operational headquarters in Indonesia, Commanding Officer of HMAS Kanimbla, Commander George McGuire, field hospital and logistics representatives, and all tactical units.

"Overall, Operation SUMATRA ASSIST was a success - notwithstanding the Sea King tragedy of course. The ADF deployed quickly, provided valuable humanitarian assistance, and worked well with the Indonesians and enhanced that relationship," says CAPT Greaves. "Whole-of-Government processes - in terms of the interdepartmental task force (of which the Vice Chief of the Defence Force was a member) - worked well. The ADF also deployed and formed a headquarters, from the Deployable Joint Headquarters in Brisbane, that was effectively already operational prior to its change of location to Medan."

Improvements identified through the evaluation of joint operations are later implemented through the delivery of training and the publication of doctrine - another two key outputs of the ADFWC.

Members from the United States Military and the Australian Defence Force board a US aircraft bound for the Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2005. Photo by CPL Bernard Pearson

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Milward, who works in the Doctrine realm at the ADFWC, says doctrine "represents the ADF's approved knowledge for the planning and conduct of military operations. It's a constantly updated record of what the ADF has learned about warfighting".

"Doctrine is a safety net and a starting point all in one," SQNLDR Ned Kelly adds. "It facilitates capability by providing the context and setting the scene for what you need to do as a warfighter."

An ongoing review cycle, designed to capture lessons learned from operations, ensures that doctrine is current, useful and accessible. The Training Wing of the ADFWC, which develops and conducts individual training to ready Defence personnel for employment in a Joint or Combined operational environment, also reflects a continuous improvement approach. In establishing the link between doctrine and training, ADFWC Instructor, Lieutenant Commander Tony Mather asserts, "If it's not in the purple books [Joint doctrine publications], we don't teach it!"

Reaching over 1500 students per year, the training arm of the ADFWC's business also contributes, in a practical sense, to the broader Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) by facilitating courses and 'training the trainers' at the respective Command and Staff Colleges of New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore. Core courses on offer at the ADFWC include:

• Introduction to Joint Warfare
• Joint Operations Planning Course
• Joint Logistics Planning Course
• Campaign Planning Course.

For further information about the ADFWC, visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/adfwc/.

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Exercise Talisman Sabre 05

By Karlene Sargent

18,000 Australian and United States sailors, soldiers and airmen and women converged on North Queensland during June... and that doesn't take into account the massive management and support effort for Talisman Sabre that was coordinated from the ADFWC.

An Airborne Combat Team member checks his bearings after parachuting into the training area as part of Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2005. Photo by SGT W. Guthrie

Under the auspices of collective training, the ADFWC was responsible for the preparation, administration and management of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2005. It's been touted as the biggest exercise to have been conducted in Australia since Crocodile 03, Targeting ADF operational level training objectives, Talisman Sabre 2005 (TS05) encompassed the conduct of many aspects of modern warfare, including airborne, amphibious, land, air superiority and sea control manoeuvres. In all of this, enhancing interoperability was key.

Although Command and Control of TS05 was US-led, Australian personnel held key roles including Deputy Commander Combined Task Force (Major General Mark Kelly), Maritime Component Commander (Commodore Davyd Thomas), Land Component Commander (Brigadier Mike Slater), and Deputy Special Forces Commander (Brigadier Tim McOwan). Australia will lead the next in this series of exercises, planned for 2007.

Talisman Sabre was broken down into 3 distinct stages:

• Command Post Exercise (CPX) - 10-18 June
• Field Training Exercise (FTX) - 18-26
• June Live Fire Exercise (LFX) - 27-30 June

The Command Post Exercise (CPX) was a simulated Joint Theatre activity, while real world forces were deployed during the Field Training Exercise (FTX) to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

There the forces conducted tactical warfighting, including airborne assault, amphibious launch, mine countermeasures and Special Forces activities (conducted primarily in the Townsville area).

The Live Fire Exercise (LFX) involved Australian and United States (US) troops utilising range facilities at Shoalwater Bay and Townsville, including small arms, air defence missiles, artillery, air to ground and naval gunfire support.

The LFX activities included the sinking of 2 US warships off the Queensland coast.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes...

The clock didn't stop for some 450 Australian and US personnel in the operation control rooms at the ADFWC, providing upper level management and control of the exercise.

Nor did it for the 600 personnel based at Rockhampton providing the logistics support elements for the duration of the exercise.

In fact, Wing Commander Peter Pollock, Director of Communications and Information Systems, says that this exercise marked the first time participants were able to operate from a common information platform - that is, networking and sharing information across national boundaries.

But TS05 wasn't just about firing weapons and testing the interoperability of Australian and US kit and personnel.

A comprehensive Environmental Management Plan was integrated into the overall planning of the exercise and risk mitigation strategies were implemented at every step along the way to minimise the environmental impact of the exercise activities.

The plan included operational controls, for example prior approval to rigorous legal standards for the sinking of the 2 ship hulks and preventative measures implemented to safeguard against the disturbance of habitats for hump-back whales, dugongs and sea turtles.

A damage control plan - in place to ensure any environmental damage is remediated - will be rolled out at the conclusion of all activities relating to the exercise.

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For more information about Exercise Talisman Sabre 2005, visit: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/adfwc/exercise_wing/exercises/ts05/index.htm.

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