10 June 2018 On 23 August, The Sir Richard Williams Foundation is holding a seminar on joint strike to discuss the imperative for an independent deterrent. The aim of the seminar is to build a common understanding of the need for an independent joint strike capability to provide Australia with a powerful and potent deterrent [...]
27 May 2018 In the third post of a four-part series on air power and strategy, Peter Layton reminds us that strategy is just an idea. Part One in the series, examining the need to define ends, can be found here and Part Two, considering the competition, can be found here. In earlier posts (here [...]
23 May 2018 Scharre, Paul 2018, Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, 1st edition, W. W. Norton & Company, New York Well-researched and written in clear and lucid prose, Army of None presents a wealth of intriguing detail on the past, present and future of war. The technology intensive subject of [...]
13 May 2018 In the first post of a four-part series on air power and strategy, Peter Layton discusses the importance of defining objectives to strategy-making. Strategy and air power confuse many, both in and out of uniform. Over four posts we’ll discuss how the two relate; mainly trying to make clear the concept [...]
In this post, Alan Stephens argues the case for military professionals to read history - not for 'lessons' or details, but to appreciate the influence and importance of context in planning and making decisions. According to Stephens, "people who do not read good history cannot achieve professional mastery in the full meaning of the term." [...]
15 April 2018 Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that examine the requirements of high-intensity warfare in the 21st Century. These articles provide the intellectual underpinnings to a seminar on high-intensity warfare held on 22 March by the Williams [...]
23 March 2018 Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that examine the requirements of high-intensity warfare in the 21st Century. These articles provide the intellectual underpinnings to a seminar on high-intensity warfare being held on 22 March by the [...]
21 March 2018 Editorial Note: Between February and April 2018, The Central Blue and From Balloons to Drones, will be publishing a series of articles that examine the requirements of high-intensity warfare in the 21st Century. These articles provide the intellectual underpinnings to a seminar on high-intensity warfare being held on 22 March by the [...]
4 February 2018 In the second Central Blue debrief, we talk with former Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Errol McCormack (Retd.) about his Air Force career, which spanned Konfrontasi to the Australian-led intervention in East Timor. During his 39 year career in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Air Marshal McCormack observed the significant [...]
28 January 2018 #DEFAus17 is the key event for the Australian Defence Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF), affiliated with the US and UK branches as well as the Kiwi Defence Innovation Centre of Excellence. DEF-Aus is a network of serving military personnel who debate future concepts and progress ideas to tangible action. In this post, Brent [...]
