ISSUE 141 September 2011 Punching above your weight The De-Radicalisation of the Modern Extremist Visiting BRNC Dartmouth – Commodore Harry Adams Essay Prize How Many Submariners Does It Take To...? The Gallipoli Campaign and AE2’s last signal The Australasian Naval Force (ANF) Exclusive Interview with General Peter Cosgrove Military Education: The Place of Ideals Security: Present and Future Challenges Effectiveness of the Individual Performance Appraisal within the RAN JOURNAL OF THE Issue 141 3 Letters to the Editor Contents he decommissioning of a now flying 3,00ks from Marham to Punching above your weight 4 UK FAA capability by a UK do a mission that could have been TGovernment is invariably followed done from the sea with relative ease The De-Radicalisation of the in short order by a national maritime and with a response time measured in Modern Extremist 9 task arising for which the cancelled minutes by two Invincible Class and an capability was specifically designed. embarked Air Group. Purely on a cost Visiting BRNC Dartmouth – Commodore Harry Adams The decommisioning of Eagle and Ark effectiveness basis flying Typhoons and Essay Prize 12 Royal in the late 70’s under Labour Tornados and refuelling them in mid- was followed by the Falklands invasion air makes no sense. Washington and Arlington 14 and may have been a significant factor Collective amnesia in Whitehall is in precipitating it. The decision to cyclical and predictable and once the First 214 Class Submarine for announce the withdraw of the Ice decisions based on it are demonstrated Hellenic Navy 16 Patrol Ship HMS Endurance in 1982, to be gross errors of understanding and when her political significance in the judgement they are never apologised How Many Submariners Does It South Atlantic was obvious to all except for. David Cameron said ruefully a few Take To...? 19 the accountants in Whitehall, was the weeks ago that his decision to leave a The Gallipoli Campaign and AE2’s final green light for the Argentinean decade-long gap in fixed wing flying at last signal 25 Junta. sea was his hardest decision so far as The decision to decommission the PM. It was hard because it so clearly The Australasian Naval Forces (ANF) 33 Sea Harrier capability by the Tories risky and manifestly wrong for the UK in November 2010 was followed in and for NATO. Sea lines under strain: Report of March 2011 by the requirement for the Now the air is once again black with the 16th International SLOC Group UK to engage first in the evacuation chickens coming home to roost – but Conference 36 of non combatants from Tunis, using no Harriers ! a frigate, and then to play a major Exclusive Interview with General role in providing a no fly zone over LCDR Des Woods, RAN. Peter Cosgrove 39 a Mediterranean state. The RAF is Military Education: The Place of Ideals 42 Security: Present and Future Challenges 45 Effectiveness of the Individual Performance Appraisal within the RAN 51 Studies in Leadership – Fearless Leader: Rear Admiral Harold Bruce Farncomb, CB, DSO, MVO, RAN 58 A Large Acquisition for the Navy 68 Book Reviews 73 F ront page photograph: HMAS Ararat, on patrol during the Australia–Indonesia Coordinated Issue Number 141 Patrol (AUSINDO CORPAT) 2011, sails into calm seas as the sun rises over the Arafura Sea. Short Cut Reviews with Tom Lewis 76 Printed by Everbest Printing SPONSORS: Visions from the Vault 79 Company - RAYTHEON - BOOZ & COMPANY - AUSTAL Style Notes for Headmark 81 ISSN 1833-6531 - THALES NAVAL GROUP - DMS MARITME - QINETIQ - ATI - SAAB Design & DTP by - AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE CREDIT UNION - LOPAC - BLOHM+VOSS NAVAL ANI Membership Application Form 83 Diane Bricknell [email protected] Journal of the Australian Naval Institute 4 PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT BY LIEUTENANT MARTIN BURTON he Australian Defence Force is LHD to provide offensive air support article determines and highlights on the verge of introducing in to capability for troops landed ashore in the challenges that may eventuate Tservice the largest ships ever built for an amphibious force. in an attempt to operate STOVL the Royal Australian Navy. The two This issue of providing CAS with aircraft from the Canberra Class Canberra Class Amphibious Assault fixed wing assets from embarked LHDs. It includes a critical but Ships designated Landing Helicopter platforms, in close range to any constructive evaluation along with Dock (LHD), will give the ADF a location ashore where troops have recommendations of how this possible keenly sought enhanced amphibious been landed, is not a new concept in capability can be introduced. capability. This capability will be a truly that the requirement has been known 2 joint capability with the introduction since the early part of World War II. BACKGROUND into service impacting on RAN, ARA This issue was graphically recorded in The required skill base to operate a and the RAAF. the Falklands War, where it was quickly ship the type and size of the Canberra With the quantum leap in capability learnt of the critical need to provide air Class LHDs can be put into context, that these 27,800 tonne vessels will assets that could not only strive for air in the words of the United States Navy bring, comes with its own set of new superiority over the landing zones but Chief of Naval Operations. It should be challenges that will require thoughtful also be available quickly, constantly, also noted that the USN carrier fleet planning and solutions. This is to avoid well briefed and suitably armed to operations has evolved over a 75 year it becoming a nemesis in attempting to protect the land force. period. over commit the ships and their ships’ I will discuss some of the Defence Carrier fleet operations are highly companies beyond the original concept related management issues that will complex and take years to master. of operations; in particular the positive require to be addressed, and solutions It’s very, very complex, it’s not speculation and media comment as to sought prior to any decision being something like you get an aircraft the ADF adopting an organic Close Air made to commit embarked organic carrier and an airplane then you are Support (CAS) fixed wing capability CAS operations to be undertaken effective. From the day an aircraft which would be operated from, and from the LHDs. The issues that are and a carrier is delivered to when integrated in to the LHD class. raised will be crucial to the successful it becomes effective will take quite The CAS role, if introduced, would introduction of this new capability. some time. Admiral Roughead 3 be required to be undertaken by fixed I will not attempt to address the CNO, USN wing Short Takeoff Vertical Landing perceived requirement of operating (STOVL) aircraft like the future F35B fixed wing aircraft from the LHDs The ADF has not conducted fixed 1 Joint Strike Fighter, or the current or the possible aircraft and who wing embarked operations since the AV8B Harrier operated from the may operate those aircraft. The late 1970s with HMAS Melbourne H elicopters on the flight deck (Courtesy RAN) Journal of the Australian Naval Institute Issue 141 5 operating A4G Sky Hawk fighter- bomber aircraft and the S2-E/G Tracker anti-submarine aircraft. Consequently the corporate knowledge of operating fixed wing aircraft at sea has been relinquished as the post carrier period has been concentrated on single spot helicopter operations, by predominately frigate based embarked flights, and more recently in the last decade a move to multi helicopter and dual spot operations from the Kanimbla class Landing Platform Amphibious (LPA) and the Tobruk class Landing Ship Heavy (LSH). The operations of an LHD flight flightdeck and how it is used; the location ashore and if required back RAN aircraft in San deck in many ways could be described movement and storage of aircraft loads are also accommodated in to Diego, USA in 1967 4 and classed as more complicated than to and from the hanger. The safe the plan. Due to the very nature of that of a strike carrier. To introduce movement of embarked force troops CAS fixed wing operations they will a fixed wing element to an already along with their combat equipment not always be able to be planned complex and potentially highly from their respective mess or storage and may require the aircraft ranged dangerous flight deck environment area to the aircraft; and then via an on deck awaiting tasking. This may would require superior Command and air assault deploy them ashore. This inhibit and restrict the efficient flow Control along with the requirement must be managed simultaneously of troops and cargo to and from the that all levels of management involved whilst conducting fuelling operations, flight deck and hence possibly delay in the joint environment to work very and continuing aircraft maintenance onwards movement to the beach. closely together to reach a common to insure that the maximum numbers Organic helicopter operations will goal. There will be a requirement that of aircraft are available for ongoing be required to be conducted both all levels of management understand tasking. day and night in all types of weather and comprehend the capability as To add multiple fixed wing conditions. This may include the well as the limitations of the elements aircraft to this mix will require recovery of battle damaged aircraft that make up the whole capability. In specific planning in the areas of space that would be operating in a degraded particular the intrinsic value of detailed allocation, as the hanger and vehicle mode and require significantly more planning, timing and rehearsals to deck are shared multi-use areas.