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| HQ’s capable achievement Edition 1164, April 19, 2007 |
| THE new transitional Headquarters Joint Operations Command HQJOC(T) achieved full capability on March 31. The Director-General of the Command and Control Implementation Team (C2IT), Cdre Peter Leschen, said Defence had taken the step of establishing an operational headquarters, before commissioning the new purpose-built facility near Bungendore, to meet current operational demands. “The new headquarters arrangements are being established in a period of ongoing high operational tempo that placed our previous C2 arrangements under great stress,” he said. “While the new facility near Bungendore will not be ready until the end of 2008, establishing HQJOC(T) now provides a much-needed boost to our C2 capabilities in order to meet current operational demands while the new facility near Bungendore is still being built. “It was decided that attempting to stand up a new organisation and a new facility at the same time was risky. Consequently, we are standing up the new organisation now in a transitional form, so that we have nearly two years for testing and refinement. In this way, it will be thoroughly bedded down before the move into the new building.” The new HQJOC(T) organisation arose out of the Wilson Review of ADF higher command and control arrangements, commissioned by the CDF in July 2005. It replicates the proposed HQJOC organisation for the new building near Bungendore, but uses existing facilities as far as practical. The new structure is based on three fully integrated branches, responsible for plans, operations and support, and incorporates a single 24/7 Joint Control Centre for the ADF. It also has an Intelligence Branch, a Coordination Directorate, and a Director General-Air, whose staff provide the core of the ADF’s single Air Operations Centre. “One of the most significant changes arising from the review was the decision to separate operations and raise-train-sustain (RTS) functions,” Cdre Leschen said. “VCDF will command all operations on behalf of CDF, through HQJOC, while the Service Chiefs will have responsibility for RTS. This will simplify and clarify chains of command and avoid duplication of effort.” Navy, Army, Air Force and Public Service personnel are integrated into the HQ to provide the professional advice necessary to plan, conduct and monitor ADF operations. “In short, HQJOC(T) marks the first stage of a profound change for the ADF. It will bring together our resources in a way that has not been attempted before to create a truly joint and much improved C2 capability,” Cdre Leschen said. He said that excellent progress was being made against very tight timelines. |