Air Force Headquarters

Air Force Headquarters is the organisation through which the Chief of Air Force (CAF) discharges his responsibilities for commanding the Air Force in the raising, training and sustaining of assigned Air Force capabilities. Air Force Headquarters is integrated into the Australian Defence Headquarters to facilitate joint development of policy, strategy, concepts of operations, plans and doctrine where appropriate. Air Force Headquarters provides the strategic leadership for the Air Force, the management of the assigned capabilities, and the raising, training and sustaining of Air Force personnel and equipment.

Air Command and Joint Logistics Command

Air Command and Joint Logistic Command each have the responsibility of providing combat-ready individuals as part of combat-ready crews or teams within combat-ready units. Some of that process is conducted on discrete courses. Training Group is responsible for providing personnel with sufficient basic training to enter an operational training program. Then personnel typically undertake more specialised courses, for example, maintenance courses on F-111 aircraft or C-130 pilot conversion courses. Some units have operational training as their primary function. No 2 Operational Conversion Unit, the unit that trains pilots to be fighter pilots and fighter pilots to be Fighter Combat Instructors, is an obvious example. However, the bulk of the operational training Air Combat Group, Air Lift Group, Combat Support Group and Surveillance and Response Group is conducted on-the-job. For flying units this on-the-job-training is often highly structured through categorisation schemes with mandatory performance levels for progress and minimum flying currency requirements. Other units have less formal requirements, relying on the range of experiences open to individuals to allow them to progress. Whatever the process, the emphasis is on developing those skills required to do the job at hand - to deliver aerospace power today.

The challenge then, for every individual, is to convert all of this training, education and experience into true professional mastery.

Command of the Air Force in Joint Operations

Under current arrangements Air Command, or more correctly the Air Commander, is the Air Component Commander (ACC) within Headquarters Australian Theatre (HQAST). The Air Commander is responsible to the Commander Australian Theatre (COMAST) for the conduct of all Air Force operational tasks. The Maritime Commander and Land Commander are also a part of HQAST, assuming the Maritime Component Commander (MCC) and Land Component Commander (LCC) positions.

It is in this headquarters that operations would be planned and that the tasking of Air Force units would come from. It is also this headquarters that would provide the liaison with Joint Logistics Command to ensure adequate resupply of units. Air Command would also take the lead for Air Force in the key role of information operations. Finally, it is Air Command that would look beyond the single operation to the overall campaign to ensure that Air Force capabilities are employed offensively wherever possible to wrest the initiative from the opponent.

Coalition Operations

In many cases coalition partners will have drawn on the same historical material, read the views of the same theorists and have access to similar technology. And yet their doctrine will be quite different. We need to remember that different cultures provide a different lens for viewing conflict and different doctrine may be the result. The challenge for everyone involved will be to recognise how these differences have influenced doctrine. Only then will coalition partners be able to adapt, to demonstrate the flexibility that is such an important part of aerospace power, and to work together as an integrated team. That will be a true test of professional mastery.

This informationcan be found in the 'Fundementals of Australian Aerospace Power'. Click here for an electronic copy.