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The Central Blue
The Central Blue has been paused and all TCB articles are presented here for archival purposes only.
In late 2023, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation shifted focus its focus on its website content and engagement. The Central Blue, initially set up by Dr Alan Stephens and executed by the volunteer editorial team, has been very successful in filling a gap to provide a forum to encourage ideas and discussion from our future leaders. A number of other forums now effectively provide this service, including the Air and Space Power Centre. For this reason, the Board took the decision to pause The Central Blue and focus on releasing targeted pieces of expert analysis. We encourage prospective authors to engage with the Air and Space Power Centre in considering and publishing your insights, ideas & analysis.
Informed discussion and debate about force design issues affecting Australia - presented by emerging thought-leaders in the field.
The Central Blue is a forum designed to promote informed discussion and debate about air power issues affecting Australia. Our scope is broad, covering topics from tactical integration to strategic theory; and from historical lessons to future capabilities.
Finding your voice - writing, ranting and risk
There’s rarely been a more critical time to debate the Defence of Australia and its interests than now. And as more speculative details...
Mar 12, 20235 min read
Revolutions in Military Affairs? Evolve Your Thinking
Are we thinking about military innovations in the wrong way? GPCAPT David Hood certainly thinks so. In this piece, he tackles the notion...
Mar 5, 202311 min read
Announcing the 2022 Dr Alan Stephens Air Power Literary Prize winner
A core objective of The Williams Foundation is to encourage informed discussion and debate on future air power capability. Accordingly,...
Feb 19, 20232 min read
Summer spruce-up: The blue brain edition
It’s difficult to believe this is our last post for 2022, but with Christmas a week out, the team at The Central Blue is getting ready to...
Dec 18, 20225 min read
The Linebacker II air campaign anniversary and the Ukraine war
This December marks 50 years since the ‘maximum effort’ Operation Linebacker II air campaign that forced the North Vietnamese regime back...
Dec 11, 20224 min read
Does the RAAF need seaplanes?
The last time the RAAF operated seaplanes was 1950, but is there an argument to bring back some sort of modern amphibious seaplane?...
Oct 23, 20225 min read
Resilient communications in contested environments
What does manoeuvre in the cyber domain look like? And how is it critical for future warfighting concepts? In this address by TCB’s own...
Oct 16, 20228 min read
Conference: Enhancing the Lethality and Survivability of the Integrated Force
Enhancing the Lethality and Survivability of the Integrated Force National Gallery of Australia 28 September 2022 Final Report Dr Robbin...
Oct 12, 20221 min read
What does it take for Defence tech innovation to succeed?
This year has seen three Defence Innovation Hub (DIH) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) innovation successes become open source. These...
Oct 2, 20226 min read
AVM Donald Bennett: Australia’s Greatest Military Leader?
Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett arguably is Australia’s greatest wartime leader, yet very few Australians have heard of him. He particularly...
Sep 25, 20226 min read
Combat Call | #FightReady: What is your recommendation for the Defence Strategic review?
On 3 August 2022, the Government announced an independently-led review that will consider Defence's force posture and force structure....
Sep 11, 20222 min read
At the Dawn of Airpower #BookReview
#BookReview: “Why all this fuss about airplanes for the Army? I thought we already had one!” In this piece, Carl Rhodes reviews the new...
Aug 21, 20228 min read
The case for a National UAS Strategy
Is it time the Australian Government devised a National UAS Strategy that intertwines keeping the ADF at the forefront of everchanging...
Aug 14, 20225 min read
Smart but Not Smart Enough – When Having an Engineering Degree Doesn’t Cut It
This week, FLTLT Joshua Vicino asks the question – how can Defence maximise the brain power of its people with engineering degrees in a...
Jul 31, 20225 min read
#FutureChiefs – Future Air Force Technology Chief?
This week we return to one of our core writing themes for this year - #FutureChiefs. In this instalment, TCB editor Luke Webb explores a...
Jul 24, 20223 min read
From ‘fail-safe’ to ‘safe-to-fail’
Is it possible to reconceptualise the value of failure to the RAAF and its operational effectiveness? In this new #FailureWins post,...
May 29, 20225 min read
Book Review: How to Lead a Quest - and reframing the conversation of failure
Through this book review in support of our #FailureWins series, TCB editor Luke Webb explores Dr. Jason Fox’s book on How to Lead a Quest...
May 1, 20227 min read
#FailureWins: Is success or failure a scale?
Is a culture where acceptance of failure is normalised one that will have a positive impact on ADF capability? Robert Vine argues that in...
Apr 24, 20225 min read
#FutureChiefs: Could AI fill the role of CAF?
In this instalment of #FutureChiefs, Keirin Joyce (@keirinjoyce) questions if AI could fill the role of CAF - or is a hybrid affair the...
Apr 3, 20222 min read
How can we improve the RAAF’s Officer Training System?
Building a capacity for junior leaders to ask deep questions and possess a greater integrated view of Air Force specialisations is...
Mar 19, 20226 min read
#FutureChiefs: Future CAF – why blue?
The Royal Australian Air Force is the principle air and space force of Australia, and yet each branch exclusively conducts its own air...
Mar 6, 20222 min read
![Flying Camelot: the F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia [Book Review]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/806351_ca75830a7644498aa69ff68547c7f088~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_660,h_495,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/806351_ca75830a7644498aa69ff68547c7f088~mv2.jpg)
Flying Camelot: the F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of Fighter Pilot Nostalgia [Book Review]
Chris McInnes takes a look at Flying Camelot: the F-15, the F-16, and the Weaponization of the Fighter Pilot Nostalgia by Michael W....
Feb 27, 20225 min read
Remembering Brendan Sargeant: Australia’s Premier Strategist
By Robbin Laird FEATURED STORY Remembering Brendan Sargeant: Australia's Premier Strategist | Defense.info This is a piece I never wanted...
Feb 16, 20223 min read
#FailureWins - Call for submissions: Innovation, iteration, and lessons learned
Failure carries a stigma. In mature cultures gripped by the Curse of Efficiency, failure is bad. Very bad. The learning derived from...
Feb 6, 20223 min read
Airpower, baby! How Air Force can unlock latent workforce capability
It’s no secret that people are the principal capability that keeps any organisation functioning and competitive. Ben Gray looks at Air...
Jan 30, 20228 min read
A 'Scorched-Earth Orbit Policy' emerges from Indifference to Space Debris from ASAT missions
With the Air Force’s Space Command going live this year, it’s worth kicking off 2022 with a timely piece by Air Force Reservist SQNLDR...
Jan 23, 202213 min read
2021: A Central Blue year review
As 2021 draws to a close, it seems a perfect time for TCB editors to reflect upon another big year. This year's focus on autonomous...
Dec 23, 20213 min read
Bringing the Thunder – All Domain Command & Control in the Next Fight
Since WW2, effective airpower integration into land forces has been a recurring theme. But as Western air superiority faces a new era of...
Dec 12, 20216 min read
Logistics in War: Enablers to Aviators
In this multi-faceted #AirForce2121 piece, SQNLDR Kylie Melville reflects on what logistics will look like over the next 100 years....
Dec 5, 20218 min read
Meet the new The Central Blue Editorial Interns!
The Central Blue recently sought expressions of interest from passionate and dedicated Junior Officers, Enlisted and Australian Public...
Dec 4, 20212 min read
Commentary on Likely Increase in JSF Engine Costs to Increase - Part 2
Air power discourse is The Central Blue’s core focus. In this two-part series, Gary Waters provides an in depth commentary on likely...
Dec 2, 20216 min read
Commentary on Likely Increase in JSF Engine Costs to Increase - Part 1
Air power discourse is The Central Blue’s core focus. In this two-part series, Gary Waters provides an in depth commentary on likely...
Nov 28, 20214 min read
Call for Submissions: #FutureChiefs
With senior leadership movements on the horizon within Air Force, we’re turning our attention to thinking about the role of its primary...
Nov 21, 20211 min read
2021 Announcement: The Dr Alan Stephens Air Power Literary Prize winner
In 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force celebrated 100 years of service - a monumental achievement celebrated all around Australia. The...
Nov 21, 20212 min read
Australia’s ‘Loyal Wingman’ Disrupts Designs for Aircraft and Air Missions with Autonomy and AI
The first test flight of the ‘Loyal Wingman’ marks an important step for Australia’s first designed and built military aircraft in over...
Nov 7, 20217 min read
What will the RAAF look like in 2121?
The 20th century saw some of the greatest and fastest technological advancements. With ever quickening advances, what wonders will the...
Oct 24, 20215 min read
The Case for a Universal Multi-Domain Shipping Container
Logistics is the backbone to any operation for every Service where fast, efficient transport is vital to success. Logistic Officer...
Oct 17, 20215 min read
Automation: A Blind Reliance?
Automation is finding its way into more aspects of Air Force technologies. These processes are able to significantly speed up manual...
Oct 10, 20215 min read
What is a MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Sensor Operator?
The Royal Australian Air Force, under Project AIR 7003 Phase 1, is looking to gain a competitive advantage within the region with its...
Oct 3, 20214 min read
Going Pro—The Profession of Arms and the Enlisted Aviator
What does it truly mean to ‘go pro’? Warrant Officer David Turnbull dives into the concept of being a professional within Air Force and...
Sep 26, 20216 min read
Assuring 2121 - Ben Luther
In this latest instalment of our #AirForce2121 series, we move from the sci-fi-esque notion of future AI-enabled capabilities and turn to...
Sep 19, 20216 min read
Human-Machine Teaming: “Hal and iKnow, a Smarter Working Team”
This week Squadron Leader Michael Spencer uses science fiction to theorise on the struggles, and solutions, that a future force may...
Sep 4, 20218 min read
#BookReview: Airpower in the war against ISIS – Benjamin S. Lambeth
This week, SQNLDR Jenna Higgins reviews Benjamin S. Lambeth's book released this year by the US Naval Institute chronicling Operational...
Aug 29, 20215 min read
EOIs Open: Join the Central Blue team
The Central Blue editorial team is seeking Expressions of Interest to join the team. Who are we? The Central Blue is an online forum...
Aug 25, 20212 min read
Fighting for Time: Conflict in the 22nd Century
This week GPCAPT Phil Arms offers a prospective glimpse into the ‘New Generation Force’ of the 2100s in the latest instalment of our...
Aug 22, 20216 min read
Why long-wave infrared threatens fighter stealth and survivability
This week, The Central Blue welcomes ADFA graduate Jack Ryan as he examines the implications of emerging Infrared sensors. While IR...
Aug 15, 20217 min read
Kobayashi Maru: Decision survivability & finding ways around the impossible - Chris McInnes
We welcome back multiple-time contributor Chris McInnes as he takes inspiration from Star Trek to advocate for decision-makers who can...
Aug 8, 20214 min read
#AirForce2121: Air Force’s Strategic Culture as a Force for Continuity
We welcome back our editorial colleague WGCDR Ulas Yildirim as he asks a provocative #AirForce2121 question: is Air Force on a path to...
Jul 25, 20216 min read
The autonomy advantage: Is the ADF missing an opportunity? - WGCDR Keirin Joyce
In April this year, The Sir Richard Williams Foundation's return-from-COVID seminar Next Generation Autonomous Systems (NGAS) offered a...
Jul 18, 20217 min read
Space law and military operations 101 – Dr Dale Stephens and Jenna Higgins
Despite its futuristic feel, the first space war has already been fought, and by some decades. In 1991, in fact – the Gulf War[1]. While...
Jul 11, 20217 min read
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