VICTORIA, Australia — Speaking in Melbourne at the Chief of Air Force symposium yesterday, on the eve of the 2015 Australian International Airshow at the Avalon Airport, Avalon Air Show, the chief of the Royal Australian Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown launched his vision of the future under Plan Jericho.
Plan Jericho is a strategy to transform the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by harnessing and learning the technological edge to be delivered with 5th-generation platforms such as the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.
With a name that alludes to a biblical story about breaking down walls, as well as a World War II operation that breached a Gestapo prison in occupied France, Jericho seeks to streamline procurement processes in defense and industry to make timely use of modern technology.
"We need to work across Defense, to create integration with Army and Navy's technologies to deliver the best possible options for government from these advanced aircraft," Brown said. "We need to transform ourselves into a truly integrated, networked force that can realize the potential of this technology, and maintain our position as masters of the air domain."
Work will continue throughout 2015 to develop three main themes: harnessing the combat potential of an integrated force; developing an innovative workforce, and changing the way capability and sustainment was acquired.
Also at the symposium, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Defense Darren Chester detailed air power's ability to provide fast, responsive options for government.
"Whether it is providing humanitarian support after a natural disaster or providing air combat to defeat the Da'esh terrorist threat in Iraq, air power can provide a range of options to project Australia on the world stage," Chester said. "Maintaining a credible and capable defence force will continue to require entrepreneurship and innovation in our Defence industry, and interoperability with our regional partners."
Nigel Pittaway is the Australia correspondent for Defense News.
