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Last Updated: Mon Jan 27 11:18:09 UTC 2014








APA Abstracts

© 2005 Carlo Kopp



This Stealth Fighter proposal was produced by Carlo Kopp in 1982 (then an electrical engineering undergraduate), based on fundamental electromagnetic scattering. It correctly exploits blending, split wingtip drag rudders, dorsal recessed inlets, blended cockpit and delta planform all of which are third generation stealth features used in the B-2. Were Northrop to have used fly-by-wire in their XST (Have Blue) bid, the aircraft would have been similar in layout to this proposal. Artwork prepared by Mark Kopp.


Air Power Australia Analyses

Volume I - APA-2004-02 Carlo Kopp A Defence Policy Perspective


Perspective analysis of the Defence debate following the 2004 election, exploring Australia's long term strategic position in the region.

Volume I - APA-2004-03 Carlo Kopp Revisiting the Strike Capability Debate


Counter rebuttal of Department of  Defence rebuttal of HeadsUp 308 - 311 critique of  Department of  Defence statements on RAAF force structure.

Volume I - APA-2004-03 Carlo Kopp Myths, Facts and the RAAF Force Structure


Analysis of prevailing belief systems related to RAAF force structure within the Department of Defence, relative to the 'physical ground truth'. Analysis of adverse consequences arising from early F-111 retirement.

Volume II - APA-2005-01 Peter Goon The Root Cause of What Ails Defence Today (PDF)
Annex 1 - Annex 2


Analysis of the role of institutionalised groupthink and group-narcissist behaviours within the Department of Defence culture, including multiple case studies and 28 references.

Volume II - APA-2005-02 Carlo Kopp and Brian Cooper KC-33A: Closing the Aerial Refuelling
and Strategic Air Mobility Gaps (PDF)
See also related  AIR 5190 Analysis


Technical analysis of  developing ADF strategic air lift and aerial refuelling needs. Technical proposal for the adaptation of Boeing 747-400 aircraft for dual role use as aerial refuelling tankers and strategic transports for rapid deployment and sustainment of ADF forces in remote theatres of operations.

Volume II - APA-2005-03
Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon
China's Rise as a Regional Superpower (PDF)


Strategic analysis covering the impact of China's rise a regional economic, military and political superpower. Analysis includes extensive survey of current and developing PLA capabilities (66 Pages PDF).

Volume II - APA-2005-03 Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon Can Joint Strike Fighter Survive the Quadrennial Defense Review?


Strategic analysis of force structure issues driving current US QDR process, and analysis of the JSF program against emerging US strategic needs.

Volume III - APA-2006-01
Air Cdre E. J. Bushell AM, RAAF (Retd) Papers on Defence Related Subjects - Parts 1- 7


Historical and analytical perspective on changes to RAAF support and engineering capabilities since the 1940s.


Volume III - APA-2006-02 Peter Goon Joint Strike Fighter Program Costing Data: An Analysis Based on Submissions to the JSCFADT Inquiry into ADF Regional Air Superiority


Analysis of costing models applied to the JSF program.

F-111 Topics

Australian Aviation  - June 1984 - General Dynamics F-111 Profile

Historical and technical analysis of TFX/F-111 program, covering design rationale, early development, requirements, production, and summaries of the F-111A, F-111B, F-111C, F-111D, F-111E, FB-111A, F-111F and EF-111A. Includes discussion of Vietnam operations.

Australian Aviation  - June 1984 - Strike - RAAF Style

Detailed discussion of RAAF operations with F-111C aircraft, and simulated strike mission. Includes analysis of TFR, ARS, and penetration technique. First extensive public discussion paper on RAAF F-111 operations.

Australian Aviation  - June 1984 - Pave Tack and GBU-15

Technical analyses of the Ford Aerospace AVQ-26 Pave Tack targeting system and the Rockwell GBU-15 Cruciform Wing Weapon. Includes cutaways of both systems.

Australian Aviation  - June-September 1995 -  New Tusks for the Pig [AUP], Mirror@F-111.net

Historical, technical and strategic analysis of F-111C aircraft and AUP project, including discussion of technical components and rationale of upgrade. Includes comparison tables of specifications, cutaway, cockpit drawing and cockpit photographs of various subtypes.

Australian Aviation  - June 1995 -  The RAAF F-111G 'G-Model Pig', Mirror@F-111.net

Historical (SAC FB-111A), technical and tactical analysis of F-111G aircraft, including discussion of RAAF operations with aircraft, and technical discussion of nav-attack system.

Australian Aviation  - November 1995 - Tomahawks, Submarines and the F-111, Mirror@F-111.net

Analysis of tactical, operational and strategic gains and losses associated with the proposed replacement of the F-111 bomber with submarine launched cruise missiles. Includes Tomahawk cutaways and specification table for subtypes.

Australian Aviation  - December 1995 -  New Defensive Avionics for the F-111, Mirror@F-111.net

Review of AIR5391 project covering replacement of F-111 defensive avionic suite. Discussion includes rationale of upgrade and some technical alternatives under consideration.

Australian Aviation  - July 1996 - Sea Control - Submarines or Air Power?

Strategic and technical analysis comparing effectives of submarines vs F-111 in the sea control role. Includes discussion of sortie rates achievable and surge capability.

Australian Aviation  - July 1996 -  Upgrading the RAAF's F-111Gs, Mirror@F-111.net

Technical analysis and strategic issues discussion of avionic and systems upgrades in progress, and upgrade alternatives for RAAF F-111G aircraft.

Air Power International - Vol.4. No.2 1998 - Driving the Pig [Simulator], Mirror@F-111.net

Pilot and navigator side accounts of Amberley simulator sorties, using the 'new' digital simulator. Some discussion of F-111 performance and handling qualities.

Australian Aviation  - October 1998 - January 1999 -  F-111 Upgrade Options I-IV, Mirror@F-111.net

Four part series detailing the status of existing AIR 5389, AIR 5404, AIR 5391 projects and the ongoing TF30-P108/109 engine upgrades, while also discussing in considerable depth possible upgrades to carry the aircraft through to 2020. Includes SAR/GMTI imagery and extensive artwork.

Australian Aviation  - July 1999 -   Ravens for the RAAF? [EF-111A], Mirror@F-111.net

Technical and strategic analysis of the potential of the EF-111A Raven in RAAF service, including some discussion of aircraft systems and capabilities.

ADI - June 1999 - Response to Fred Haddock's Critique of "Ravens for the RAAF ?" , Mirror@F-111.net

Rebuttal produced in response to Fred Haddock's critique article in ADI.

Australian Aviation  - July-October 2001 -  Pigs Forever? [F-111 Supercruise]

Technical discussion and analysis providing overview of F-111 life extension upgrade options, including supersonic cruise capable propulsion choices.

Australian Aviation  - October 2001 -  Amberley Weapon System Business Unit, Mirror@F-111.net

Detailed survey and analysis of the Boeing operated F-111 WSBU at RAAF Amberley, including summaries of upgrades in progress and engineering capabilities.

Defence Today - May 2003 - RAAF F-111G Wild Weasel Concept

Technical analysis of the EADS sponsored proposal to retrofit the F-111G with the Tornado ECR Electronic Combat suite.

Defence Today - Nov/Feb 2002/2003 - F-111 Update Parts 1, 2

Two part survey and analysis covering existing and planned F-111 upgrades, and exploring a range of future upgrade options for the aircraft.

Defence Today - May 2003 - Three Decades of the F-111

Historical retrospective on F-111 in USAF and RAAF service, with a brief analysis of possible future growth options for the aircraft.

Defence Today - August 2003 - How Expensive is the F-111?

Technical analysis of F-111 operating costs, with a focus on operational costs to deliver nominal guided weapon payloads to a distance.  Includes three  scenarios comparing the cost of performing the role using the F-111 against using the F/A-18A.

Defence News - Sept 2003 - Cost of killing off the F-111

Short analysis of costs arising to ADF and taxpayers as a result of premature retirement of the F-111. Includes some comparative force structure discussion.

Defence News - Dec 2003 - Towards a 'boutique Air Force' - downsizing the RAAF

Strategic analysis of the impact of F-111 retirement. Analysis includes modelling of overall force structure strike capability for a range of scenarios, with F-111, without F-111, and with F/A-18A and JSF.

ADA Defender - Autumn 2004 - Stretching the F-111 Past 2010

Technical analysis of F-111 life extension issues, covering airframe, propulsion and systems. Discussion of the potential of the F-111 in campaigns such as OIF.

Australian Aviation  - September/October 2002 - Managing Ageing Aircraft

Two part technical primer on the engineering issues arising in the support of ageing aircraft. Analysis covers airframe fatigue, airframe corrosion, electrical cabling, avionics, propulsion and systems.

Australian Aviation  - Jan/Feb 2004 - Taking the 'Force' out of Air Force?

Strategic analysis of the impact of F-111 retirement. Analysis includes modelling of overall force structure strike capability for a range of scenarios, with F-111, without F-111, and with F/A-18A and JSF.

Australian Aviation  - March 2004 - How Defence Miscalculated F-111 Costs

Analysis of costing models employed by Defence to justify F-111 early retirement. Application of reliability modelling to exposed incorrect costing methods employed by Defence.

F/A-18A Topics

Kopp C., May  1998 - Replacing the RAAF F/A-18 Hornet Fighter, Strategic, Operational and Technical Issues - Submission to the Minister for Defence

Strategic and technical analysis of evolving regional environment performed in 1998. Includes survey of candidate aircraft and options for F/A-18A replacement (114 pages).

Australian Aviation  - Series 1999 - Quo Vadis, RAAF?  Part 1 The Strategic Context  Part 2 The ADF's Alternatives

Strategic analysis of evolving regional environment, historical context of RAAF force structure, analysis of force structure capability issues and analysis of alternatives for AIR 6000.

Australian Aviation  - Series 1999 - Measures of Fighter Capability Parts 1 - 3

Three part technical analysis of measures employed to compare the relative capabilities of fighter aircraft. Analysis covers radar, electronic warfare, optical sensors, cockpits, computers, propulsion, airframes and observables.

Australian Aviation  - August 2000 - Eurofighter Typhoon - Demon or Lemon?

Technical analysis of the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, including development history and performance / capabilities assessment.

Australian Aviation  - May/June 2001 - Flying the F/A-18F Super Hornet (Photo)

Two part pilot report covering the Boeing sponsored Avalon 2001 sortie in an early production F/A-18F aircraft. Includes development history of the F/A-18E/F, and sortie summary report covering handling qualities, esp high alpha flight regimes, and systems.

Joint Strike Fighter Topics

HeadsUp Newsletter - Issue 318 - HEADSUP SPECIAL - Is the JSF really good enough? analysing the ASPI paper

Detailed rebuttal of the ASPI strategic insight series paper 'Is the JSF Goof Enough?'. Analysis covers strategic sisues, force structure issues, and makes detailed comparisons between the JSF and F/A-22A.

HeadsUp Newsletter - Issue 322 - HEADSUP SPECIAL - F/A-22As, JSFs and 21st Century air combat

Deatiled rebuttal of August 2004 ADM article written to promote the JSF program. Analysis covers strategic sisues, force structure issues, and makes detailed comparisons between the JSF and F/A-22A.

Australian Aviation  - April/May 2004 - Lockheed-Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter -
Part 1 - A Cold War Anachronism? / Part 2 - Sizing up the Joint Strike Fighter

Two part technical analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter. Analysis includes development history and rationale for the JAST/JSF program,  design limitations of the JSF, and comparison against regional capabilities.

Australian Aviation  - August 2002 - Hedging the Bet-  JSF for the RAAF?

Analysis of the impact of the JSF decision as announced in 2002, and comparison of the JSF against the F/A-22A.  Includes summary of then identified risk factors.

Defence Today - September 2002 - The Joint Strike Fighter Decision

Analysis of the impact of the JSF decision as announced in 2002, and comparison of the JSF against the F/A-22A.  Includes summary of then identified risk factors.

Australian Aviation  - April 2004 - Is the Joint Strike Fighter Right for Australia? Pt.1

Two part technical analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter. Analysis includes development history and rationale for the JAST/JSF program,  comparison in detail of JSF capabilities relative to the F/A-22A, design limitations of the JSF, and analysis of risk factors in the JSF program.

Australian Aviation  - May 2004 - Is the Joint Strike Fighter Right for Australia? Pt.2

Two part technical analysis of the Joint Strike Fighter. Analysis includes development history and rationale for the JAST/JSF program,  comparison in detail of JSF capabilities relative to the F/A-22A, design limitations of the JSF, and analysis of risk factors in the JSF program.

Australian Aviation  - November 2004 - JSF - Thunderchief II?  -ThunderChief.org

Comparative technical analysis of the JSF and the F-105 Thunderchief, covering aircraft capabilities and design optimisations.

Defence Today - September 2005 - Fighter Programs Face Uncertain Future

Survey and update analysis on the F-22A, JSF, F/A-18A HUG and F-111 programs.

F/A-22A Topics

Defence Today - April 2005 -  F/A-22 Raptor - Stealth, Supercruise, Firepower

Technical profile of the F/A-22A Raptor, covering early production aircraft design and capabilities, and spiral development program. Analysis includes discussion of structural design, materials, propulsion, avionics systems and weapons.

Australian Aviation  - April/May 1991 - The Advanced Tactical Fighter, Mirror@FTA

Technical and historical review of US fighter development from the 1960s to the 1980s, with emphasis upon ACM doctrine and its impact upon airframe and systems design. Comparative technical analysis of YF-22 and YF-23 ATF technology demonstrator prototypes, with detailed review of aerodynamic, stealth and propulsion features. Includes detailed comparison table.

Australian Aviation  - Series 1999 -  Deedle, Deedle, Deedle, BANG! The Paradigm Shift in Air Superiority

Analysis and discussion of the evolution of air comabt technique and the impact of Low Observables, especially with the advent of the F/A-22A.

Air & Space Power Chronicles, Maxwell AFB - July 2000 - EXPANDING THE ENVELOPE - Stealth and Other Strike Roles, Mirror@APA

Discussion of future roles and missions for low observable aircraft; discussion of guided weapons and naval mining technology alternatives; discussion of anti-shipping and datalink guided/aided JDAM variants for a range of roles and missions.

Air Power International - September  1998 - JUST HOW GOOD IS THE F-22 RAPTOR? Carlo Kopp interviews F-22 Chief Test Pilot, Paul Metz

Interview with then F-22 program Chief Test Pilot, Paul Metz. Discussion covers aircraft design, performance, handling qualities and flight test program.

Guided and Unguided Weapons Topics

Australian Aviation  - September 1981 - Laser Guidance

Technical discussion of design issues associated with semi-active laser homing weapons, including detailed analysis of TI GBU-10/12/14 Paveway II and summaries on Copperhead and Hellfire.

Australian Aviation  - June/September 1983 - Antishipping Weapons and Naval Air Defence

Broad survey and discussion of weapon and guidance types used for antishipping role. Survey of hard kill naval air defence weapons, including SAM systems and AAA systems.

Australian Aviation  - September 1984 - Precision Guided Munitions - The New Breed (Assault Breaker)

Survey of second generation anti-armour PGM and submunition technologies, covering LANTIRN aided AGM-65, Wasp, Vebal Syndrom, and the Assault Breaker program, including Pave Mover, TGSM and Skeet demonstrators.

Australian Aviation  - September/November 1985 - Cruise Missiles (AGM-86/RGM-109)

Historical, technical and tactical/strategic analysis of AGM-86 ALCM including discussion of Tercom/inertial guidance system and SAC ALCM operations. Historical, technical and tactical/strategic analysis of AGM/BGM-109 Tomahawk SLCM/GLCM family of missiles including discussion of proposed air and ground launched conventional derivatives.

Australian Aviation  - March 1988 - MDC AGM-84A Harpoon and AGM-84E SLAM

Detailed technical, historical and tactical analysis of the AGM-84 family of missiles, including cutaway. Covers the baseline Harpoon variants and the early variants of the SLAM series.

Australian Aviation  - May 1988 - Rockwell AGM-130A/B and Northrop AGM-136A Tacit Rainbow

Technical and tactical analysis of AGM-130 powered glidebomb and AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow loitering anti-radiation missile.

Australian Aviation  - July 1988 - Maritime Strike - The Soviet Perspective

Historical and technical review of Soviet anti-shipping weapons and their tactical application. Includes detailed discussion of Backfire/Kitchen and Echo 2/Bear/Shaddock weapon systems.

Australian Aviation  - July 1992 - Desert Storm - Precision Guided Munitions

Review of PGMs used in Gulf campaign, including technical analysis of laser guided and electro-optically (imaging) guided bombs and missiles used in campaign. Review of F-111, F-117A, F-15E and Tornado operations.

Australian Aviation  - Revised 1998 -  The GBU-28 Bunker Buster (F-111.net Mirror,German Translation)

Detailed historical and technical analysis of the GBU-28/B and BLU-113 family of weapons, including rare photographic material.

Air Power International - Vol.4. No.1 1998 - The AGM-88 HARM, Mirror@F-111.net

Discussion of tactical, operational and strategic issues relating to the AIR 5398 ARM requirement. Comprehensive historical and technical analysis of AGM-88 HARM.

Australian Aviation  - December 1996 -   AGM-142E Raptor - The RAAF's New Standoff Weapon, Mirror@F-111.net

Detailed technical, historical and tactical analysis of the Lockheed/Rafael AGM-142 Raptor Popeye derivative stand-off weapon. Includes previously unpublished photos, and description of missile systems, performance and aircraft interface.

Australian Aviation  - August-December 1996, 1997 -   GPS Guided Weapons Part I through V, Mirror@F-111.net

  1. Introductory technical tutorial covering principles of NavStar GPS operation, including discussion of signals, message formats, error sources, GPS receiver design, vulnerabilities and ECCM techniques, differential GPS techniques, and weapon navigation.
  2. Introductory technical tutorial covering principles of GPS and DGPS munition guidance. Discussion and analysis covers basic guidance, delivery techniques, defence penetration, targeting, ECM and ECCM issues and hostile exploitation issues.
  3. Historical, technical and operational analysis of current US direct attack munition programs and associated targeting schemes. Covers the Northrop GAM and B-2/GATS weapon system, and the MDC GBU-31/32 JDAM. Item reviewed by USAF.
  4. Historical, technical and operational analysis of current US direct and indirect attack munition programs and associated targeting schemes. Covers the MDC JDAM, the Rockwell Mk.82GT tailkit and the TI AGM-154A/B/C JSOW gliding dispenser. Item reviewed by USAF. 
  5. EDGE High Gear program analysis.

Australian Aviation  - June 1996 - The Agile Gliding Weapon (AWADI/BAeA Aussie Glidebomb), Mirror@F-111.net

Historical, technical and tactical analysis of the BAeA Kerkanya derived Agile Gliding Weapon (AGW) GPS guided glidebomb. Includes performance plots and cutaway, and discussion of the early DSTO research in this area (GTV/Kerkanya).

Australian Aviation  - June 1997 - Matra/BAe ALARM + Matra Armat

Technical and tactical analysis of the Matra-BAe ALARM anti-radiation missile. Technical and tactical analysis of the Matra Armat (Martel derivative) anti-radiation missile.

Australian Aviation  - December 2002 - JDAM Matures - Part 1

Part one of two part technical analysis of the Joint Direct Attack Munition family of weapons. Analysis includes development history, rationale, accuracy, jam resistance  and rebuttal or common criticisms.

Australian Aviation  - January/February 2003 - JDAM Matures - Part 2

Part two of two part technical analysis of the Joint Direct Attack Munition family of weapons. Analysis covers JDAM seeker technology, JDAM growth options, the JDAM-ER Kerkanya derivative, and RAAF deployment options.

Defence Today - September  2004 - AIR 5418 Cruise Missiles

Technical survey of contenders for the AIR 5418 Follow-On Stand-Off Weapon (FOSOW) program. Analysis covers the AGM-158 JASSM, the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER and the KEPD-350 family of weapons.

Australian Aviation  - December 2004 - Cruise Missile Options for Australia (AIR 5418)

Technical survey of contenders for the AIR 5418 Follow-On Stand-Off Weapon (FOSOW) program. Analysis covers the AGM-158 JASSM, the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER and the KEPD-350 family of weapons.  Analysis includes tactical considerations and operational economics of cruise missile delivery, including comparisons of RAAF options.

Air Power Australia - July 2005 - Warship Vulnerability

A compilation of images depicting damage effects produced to surface warships and transports as a result of aerial bombing or anti-ship cruise  missile attacks.

Australian Aviation  - March 1982 - Heat-Seeking Missile Guidance

Technical discussion of basic design principles used in rotating reticle infra-red seekers, including a detailed discussion of target infra-red signature. and diagrams of seeker internals.

Air Power Australia - July 2005 - Early Tomahawk Variants - BGM/RGM/AGM-109 Tomahawk/GCLM/MRASM

Compilation of cutaways and concept diagrams covering all of the early variants of the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles.

Australian Aviation  - June 1982 - Active and Semi-Active Radar Missile Guidance

Discussion of guidance principles used for semi-active and active radar guided missiles. Covers basic concepts,  conscan and monopulse antenna schemes.

Australian Aviation  - September 1986 - Quo Vadis - AMRAAM?

Detailed historical, technical and tactical analysis of Amraam missile, including photographic spread of seeker internals and cutaway.

Australian Aviation  - July 1987 - Evading the Guided Missile

Detailed discussion of limitations to missile performance, manoeuvre techniques applicable to the evasion of various types of air and surface launched guided missiles and discussion of relevant aircraft manoeuvring performance parameters.

Australian Aviation  - April 1994 - The Sidewinder Story - The Evolution of the AIM-9 Missile , Mirror@FTA

A historical, technical and tactical discussion of the evolution of the AIM-9 Sidewinder family of air-air missiles. Includes a diagram of the conically scanning AIM-9 seeker, a tutorial on reticle seeker principles, and detailed discussion of each AIM-9 subtype.

Australian Aviation  - June 1994 - BAe Active Skyflash and AIM-120 AMRAAM

Historical, tactical and technical discussion of the AIM-120 Amraam and BAe Active Skyflash missiles. A detailed technical review of the Active Skyflash is included.

Australian Aviation  - April 1997 - Fourth Generation AAMs - The Rafael Python 4 , Mirror@FTA

Technical, tactical and strategic analysis of heatseeking missile evolution, and the current 4th generation of AAMs, covering seeker technology, kinematics and tactics. Includes discussion of the AA-11 Archer AAM including engagement envelope diagrams, and drawing of missile. Detailed analysis of the Rafael Python 4.

Australian Aviation  - 1997 - Fourth Generation AAMs - The Matra-BAe AIM-132 ASRAAM

Technical and tactical analysis of the Matra-BAe ASRAAM heatseeking missile. Analysis covers missile design, kinematics and tactics. Analysis predates choice of ASRAAM for RAAF AIR 5400 program.

Air Power International - Vol.4. No.4 1998 - Matra-BAe AIM-132 ASRAAM - The RAAF's New WVR AAM

Technical and tactical analysis of the Matra-BAe ASRAAM heatseeking missile. Analysis covers missile design, kinematics and tactics. Analysis post-dates choice of ASRAAM for RAAF AIR 5400 program.

Defence Today - May  2005 - Missiles in the Asia-Pacific

Survey of air to air missiles in service or being introduced in the Asia Pacific region. Survey includes AIM-7, AIM-9, AIM-54, AIM-120,  ASRAAM,  Python 4 and 5,  Derby,  PL-2, PL-5, PL-7, PL-8,  PL-11, PL-12, R-60, R-73/74, R-27, R-77, R-33, R-37, R-172,  Kh-31.

Australian Aviation  - July  1989 - Man Portable Surface-Air Missiles

  1. Historical, technical and tactical analysis of RBS-70, Blowpipe and Stinger MP SAMs.
  2. Technical review of SA-7 and SA-14, discussion of defensive measures for various types of aircraft and comparison table of various MP SAM types.
Australian Aviation  - December  2003 - Man Portable Missiles vs Airliners  (AIAA Mirror, aircraft-survivability.com Mirror)

Survey of MANPADS proliferation and related issues. Technical analysis of MANPADS lethality against passenger aircraft, analysis of defensive measures including IRCM techniques and passive defences.

Australian Aviation -  June/July/August  1993 -  Desert Storm - The Electronic Battle , Mirror@FTA

  1. Technical and strategic analysis of Iraqi Electronic Order of Battle, with detailed technical discussion of principal radar, SAM and AAA systems deployed, and tabulated EOOB.
  2. Detailed review of electronic combat operations conducted during the Gulf War, including discussion of modelling methods used.
  3. Detailed review of Allied electronic combat assets used during the Gulf War, including aircraft, weapons and EW equipment used. A table of Allied aircraft losses is also included.

Australian Aviation  - October 1995 -  76N6 Clam Shell Acquisition Radar Revealed

Technical review of LEMZ 76N6 Clam Shell low altitude search and acquisition radar for SA-10B Grumble SAM system, including performance specification and photos.

Defence Today - June  2004 - Navy decides on Air Warfare Destroyers

Technical analysis of the SEA 4000 requirement, survey of contending DDG-51, Izar F100 and B&V F124 designs. Analysis of roles and missions vs threat capabilities and technical critique of the intention to use AAW weapon system for cruise missile defence roles.

Australian Aviation  - March 2005 - Are Helicopters Vulnerable [MANPADS/RPG]

Technical analysis of helicopter susceptibility and vulnerability to air defence weapons in the contemporary environment. Analysis includes hardening and survivability measures for helicopters, and threat capabilities such as MANPADS and RPGs.

Air Power Australia - July 2006 - Dawn of the Smart Bomb

Technical analysis and discussion of early WW2 guided munitions. Includes Hs-293, Fritz-X, Azon series and BAT.
Aerial Refuelling and Air Lift Topics

Australian Aviation  - May 1985 - Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey

Technical analysis and program review of the JVX/V-22 Osprey tiltrotor. Includes detail description of EMD design as proposed then, and discussion of rationale comparing USMC and US Army assault techniques.

Australian Aviation  - May 1990 - The RAAF Tanker  Program (Boeing 707-338C)

Historical review of and technical analysis of RAAF Boeing 707-338 tanker upgrade program. Includes cutaway of Mk.32B refuelling pod and review of mission avionic package.

Australian Aviation  - June 1990 -  Air-Air Refuelling - A Perspective View

Historical review of AAR system development and discussion of currently deployed systems. An early analysis of RAAF needs and capability shortfalls in this area.

Australian Aviation  - April/May 2000 -  Expanding the Tanker Fleet Part 1, 2, Mirror@F-111.netPart 2 (PDF)

Two part technical and strategic analysis of issues arising in RAAF tanker fleet expansion. Analysis includes fighters vs aerial refuelling, refuelling of other aircraft, crewing a tanker fleet, ground replenishment infrastructure including a GTL industry proposal, choices of aircraft for tanker conversions, analysis of legacy Boeing 707-338C, KC-135R/T, Boeing 767 vs Airbus MRTT/310/330, airlift type adaptations for refuelling, EWSP for tankers, and funding fleet expansion.

Australian Aviation  - March 2004 - RAAF Aerial Refuelling - Where to Next?

Strategic and technical analysis of RAAF tanker fleet requirements, including analysis of numbers required vs strategic needs, and the AIR 5402 tanker competition.

Australian Aviation  - June 2004 - The Tanker Gap Remains

Analysis of the AIR 5402 decision to acquire the A330-200MRTT tanker aircraft, including parametric analysis of the A330.

RAAF APSC  Working Paper 82, A Strategic Tanker/Transport Force for the ADF

This paper explores the fundamental issues and alternatives available to fulfill this intended enhancement in capabilities. Technical and operational issues are discussed, performance and capability criteria defined in relation to AAR and airlift, and candidate airframes tested against these criteria. The essential conclusion is that a force size of the order of 12 B-747 sized tankers would address most of the ADF s strategic transport and AAR needs in the developing strategic environment.

Discussion Paper  - January 2002  - Aerial Refuelling for the ADF: Strategic, Operational and Technical Issues

Technical and strategic analysis of issues arising in RAAF tanker fleet expansion. Analysis includes fighters vs aerial refuelling, refuelling of other aircraft, crewing a tanker fleet, ground replenishment infrastructure including a GTL industry proposal, choices of aircraft for tanker conversions, analysis of legacy Boeing 707-338C, KC-135R/T, Boeing 767 vs Airbus MRTT/310/330, airlift type adaptations for refuelling, EWSP for tankers, and funding fleet expansion.

Air Power International - March 2000 / February  2001 - Strategic Tanker Transports for Australia (Part 2 PDF)

Strategic and technical analysis of the Boeing 747 as a dual role strategic tanker and transport for the RAAF.  Analysis includes the discussion of specific role adaptations.

Defence Today - February 2005 -  Strategic Air Mobility for the ADF

Technical and strategic analysis of developing ADF strategic airlift needs,  and survey of alternatives including the C-17, the 747, the An-124-100M, refurbished C-5B and A400M.

Brian Cooper -   ADA Defender - Autumn 2004 - May the force be with you: Maximising the ADF's strategic air mobility

Analysis of RAAF strategic lift needs and detailed discussion of the use of the Boeing 747-400 for ADF strategic lift, including rapid deployment and sustainment of deployed forces.

Peter A Goon - April/July 2000 - Project Tango Charlie Caribou Upgrade - Briefing - Precis of Benefits

Original AFTS Pty Ltd briefing documents covering the Pen Turbo Aviation DHC-4T Turbo Caribou upgrade proposal to the RAAF.

Carlo Kopp and Brian Cooper -  KC-33A: Closing the Aerial Refuelling and Strategic Air Mobility Gaps

Detailed technical and strategic analysis proposing the use of militarised Boeing 747-400 transports as strategic transports  and aerial refuelling tankers. Analysis includes extensive technical detail covering payloads for rapid deployment and sustainment of 1 Bde and 3 Bde.

David Churchus - ADA Defender - January 2002 - AIR 5190 - The Perennial Lightweight Project

Detailed analysis and survey of RAAF airlift history and requirements, focussed on the AIR 5190 Caribou replacement program.

Abraham Gubler - Defence Today - May 2005 -  Replacing the Caribou: Mission Impossible

Backgrounder and survey of alternatives available for replacement of the RAAF DHC-4 Caribou fleet.

John Armstrong - Defence Today - July 2005 -  Replacing the Caribou: the Tango Charlie Option

Historical review and technical analysis of the Pen Turbo Aviation  DHC-4T Turbo Caribou conversion. Includes discussion of design rationale and implementation strategies.


Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance and Networking Topics

Australian Aviation  - September 1983 - Why Australia Needs an Airborne Early Warning Capability

Operations and strategic analysis of RN air defence operations in the Falklands and Israeli AF SEAD and air combat operations in Lebanon, in the context of using AEW&C, EW and SEAD capabilities. Analysis of Australian strategic need for AEW&C and ELINT capabilities. This is the first major public discussion piece covering the development of an AEW&C capability in Australia.

Australian Aviation  - March/May 1989 - AEW & AWACS  Parts 1 & 2

Discussion of airborne radar and AEW/AWACS design, performance and tactical application issues. Comparison of Pulse Doppler, MTI systems, prop and jet airframes.

Australian Aviation  - June 1994 - AEW&C - Phased Array Technology Parts 1 & 2

Two part analysis of AEW&C evolution and the impact of AESA technology systems. Focussed on AIR 5077 Wedgetail program but predating the competition.

Australian Aviation  - June 1999 - Wedgetail - Australia's 'Pocket AWACS' (PDF)

Technical analysis of the AIR 5077 program and survey/comparison of the three contending bids - E-737, A310/Phalcon and EC-130J AEW&C.

Australian Aviation  - October 2000 - Wedgetail and the Region

Strategic analysis of regional capability growth and Australia's strategic vulnerabilities in the North West Shelf and Timor Sea regions. Technical and operational  analysis of  cruise missile defence operations in the deep north, and discussion of the limitations of surface warships in this role.

Australian Aviation  - June 2004 - Wedgetail - How Many is Enough?

Strategic  and technical analysis of the AIR 5077  Wedgetail program, including discussion of air defence and cruise missile defence roles in the sea-air gap area. Analysis articulates the case for six or more Wedgetail aircraft.

Australian Aviation  - October 2004 - Defeating Cruise missiles

Strategic and technical analysis of cruise missile defence issues in the Pacrim and Australia's areas of interest.  Analysis includes survey of developing regional missile and delivery capabilities, defensive strategies for defeating cruise missiles, implementation issues, and techniques for defeating SLCM and ALCM deliveries.

Defence Today - June 2004 - Wedgetail - Australia's Pocket AWACS

Strategic  and technical analysis of the AIR 5077  Wedgetail program, including discussion of air defence and cruise missile defence roles in the sea-air gap area. Analysis articulates the case for six or more Wedgetail aircraft.

Defence Today - July  2005 - Airborne Outpost 'Wedgetail'

Operational issues in AEW&C  usage, Air Defence Operations,Cruise Missile Defence, Cruise Missile Defence,  Strike Control,  AEW&C Survivability in Combat.

Defence Today - June 2004 - Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance during Operation Iraqi Freedom

Survey and technical analysis of ISR operations and capabilities applied during the OIF camapign of 2003. Analysis includes all three tiers of ISR capabilities.

Defence Today - Dec  2003 - The Changing World of Maritime Patrol

Strategic and technical analysis of the evolution of maritime patrol aircraft and associated role. Analysis includes discussion of technological issues in sensors and systems, and options for the ADF.

Defence Today - February  2005 -  MMA for Australia

Technical analysis of the Boeing P-8A Multimission Maritime Aircraft program. Analysis include raitonale for P-8A and discussion of growth options in roles and capabilities in ADF service.

RAAF APSC  Working Paper 33, Air Warfare Applications of Laser Remote Sensing

This paper discusses specific problems inherent with established technologies applied to Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Bomb Damage Assessment, and proposes specific applications for Laser Remote Sensing methods, which resolve the ambiguities which may result from the use of established Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Bomb Damage Assessment sensors.

Air & Space Power Chronicles, Maxwell AFB - March 1996 - Laser Remote Sensing - a New Tool for Air Warfare, Mirror@APA

Infrared Laser Remote Sensing has a number of very useful applications in air warfare. These are primarily in reconnaissance and Bomb Damage Assessment (BDA), and use derivatives of the established commercial Laser Remote Sensing technology base. Technical principles, implementation and operational constraints are discussed, as well as the limitations of the method.

ADFA/ADSC 'Control of the Air' (Invited Paper) - 1999 - Sensors, Weapons and Systems for a 21st Century Counter Air Campaign

Sensors, weapons and systems are some of the key determinants of success in counter-air warfare. This paper explores the growth potential in many of the basic technologies used to implement sensors, weapons and systems in the coming generation of fighters. Conclusions are drawn about potential performance and capability growth resulting from improvements in basic technology in the coming two decades.

Defence Today - May  2005 - NCW 101 - Part 1 - Information and Why it Matters

Basic discussion of information vs data. Taxonomy of information types exploited in warfare. Information superiority. ISR sampling rates. Targeting cycles. ISR system hierarchies. Integrity of information. Cognitive problems and wetware vs machine processing.

Defence Today - July  2005 - NCW 101 - Part 2 - Digital Datalinks and Networks

Basic discussion and introduction to datalinks and networks. Covers digital data transmission, packet structures, measures of network capability, evolution of datalinks and networks, and topology models.

Defence Today - September  2005 - NCW 101 - Part 3 - JTIDS/MIDS

Basic discussion and introduction to JTIDS/MIDS/Link-16 including discussion of modulation/waveform, framing structures, basic modes, basic protocol, limitations, vulnerabilities and LET modulation.

Defence Today - January/February  2006 - NCW 101 - Part 4 - Ad Hoc Networking

Basic discussion and introduction to ad hoc netwroking techniques.

Defence Today - March/April  2006 - NCW 101 - Part 5 Optical Imaging Sensors

Basic discussion and introduction to optical imaging sensors, covering wet film and CCD/CMOS technology.

Defence Today - May/June 2006 - NCW 101 - Part 6 Thermal Imaging Sensors

Basic discussion and introduction to FLIR technology, covering bandgap and QWIP detector arrays.

Defence Today - July/August  2006 - NCW 101 - Part 7 Synthetic Aperture Radar

Basic discussion and introduction to ideas underpinning Synthetic Aperture Radar, including evolutionary history.


Defence Today - August  2003 - Network Centric Warfare

Introduction to the basis ideas underpinning NCW and Network Enabled Operations. Discussion includes primers on the rationale of NCW, operational and technical issues, and a survey of most widely used datalinks and networks.

Defence Today - March  2004 - NCW - Buzzwords, Bytes and the Battlespace

Technical analysis of NCW in air defence operations, strike warfare and trend analysis covering future develeopments in NCW/NEO.

Defence Today - September  2004 - NCW - In the Land Environment

Technical  analysis of issues arising in the deployment of NCW in land warfare. Discussion covers practical problems such as funding fleets, radio propagation limitations for land warfare, availability of ISR capabilities, and issues of network architecture.

Australian Aviation  - January 2005 - Understanding Network Centric Warfare

Introduction to the basis ideas underpinning NCW and Network Enabled Operations. Discussion includes primers on the rationale of NCW, operational and technical issues,  a survey of most widely used datalinks and networks, and a critique of current DoD thinking on NCW.

Defence Today - July  2005 - Smart Tankers

Airborne communications relays vs pseudolites, evolution of relays, technological considerations, smart tanker evolution, Combat Lightning model, US Air Force SMART (Scalable, Modular, Airborne, Relay Terminals) tanker program and its ROBE (Roll-on Beyond Line of Sight Enhancement) equipment package.

ADFA/ADSC  'UAV Australia' (Invited Paper) - 2001 - The UCAV Ascendancy: What are the Problem Issues?  (Slides)

This paper explores a number of fundamental technology issues which will present obstacles to Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles fulfilling a broader portion of the mission spectrum currently performed by manned combat aircraft. These obstacles are then discussed in the context of Australia's AIR 6000 program.

Australian Aviation  - March 2003 - Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles

Critique of common misconceptions in the application of UCAVs to combat operations. Analysis includes discussion of the relationship between platform intelligence and available datalink bandwidth.

5th Australian IW&Sec Conference - Nov 2004 - Boyd, Metcalfe and Amdahl  -  Modelling Networked Warfighting Systems (Slides)

Research paper exploring the fundamental relationships between the capability of a networked system and the Boyd, Metcalfe and Amdahl models for system behaviour. This paper effectively unifies the three models to provide a cohesive theoretical basis for modelling and designing networked warfighting systems.

Asia/Pacific Open Systems Review -  March/April 1997 - Mobile Satellite Communications - Part I - Part II

Survey and analysis of (then) emerging satellite systems for mobile communications. Analysis includes orbital behaviours and effects on latency and pathloss, Inmarsat/ICO, GlobalStar, Odyssey, Iridium and Teledesic constellations. Part 2 is technical critique of the limitations of such systems.

Asia/Pacific Open Systems Review - May 1997 - An Introduction to Spread Spectrum Techniques

Technical primer and survey introducing principles of spread specturm communications, including direct spreading and frequency hopping techniques.

Asia/Pacific Open Systems Review - March 1998 - Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display Technology

Technical primer and survey analysis of active matrix display technology, covering basic operating principles and addressing techniques.

Systems - July/August 1998 - Cryptography -  Part I - Part II

Two part technical primer and survey discussing modern cryptographic techniques and associated security issues in computer systems and networks.

Systems - November 1998 - Computing - Military Style

Technical primer covering military computing. Discussion includes historical background and evolution of militarised commercial, ruggedised and Milspec systems. Includes considerations of environmental and reliability performance.

Systems- February 1999  - Light Emitting Polymer and Field Emission Displays

Technical primer and technology survery of advanced flat panel display technologies covering the Light Emitting Polymer and the Field Emission Display.

Systems - June 1999 - Ad Hoc Networking

Technical primer on the technology of ad hoc networking. Discussion includes introduction to ad hoc route discovery and maintenance techniques, and some discussion of the IETF MANET effort.

Australian Communications - September 1999 - Angels, HALOs and Atmospheric Networks

Technical analysis and critique of the Angel Technologies HALO system, primer on the use of HALE UAV/aircraft for communications relay applications.

Systems - November 1999 - Flying High with VME

Technical analysis and survey of COTS/MOTS VME technology and its rapid growth in military applications. Includes discussion of Bold Stroke effort.

Comms World -  February  2000 - Optical Amplification

Technical primer on direct optical amplication techniques using laser pumping of doped optical fibre media. Discussion includes Erbium Doped Fibre Amplifier (EDFA) products.

Comms World -  May  2000 - Microwave and Millimetric Wave Propagation

Technical primer on microwave and millimetric wave radio propagation in the tropospheric environment. Discussion includes impairments due to gaseous losses, cloud, rain and other effects.

Systems - June 2000 - Vector Processing Futures

Technical primer on vector processing techniques in modern compuetrs. Discussion includes short survey of the evolution of the vector processing techniques.

Systems - July 2000 - Moore's Law - is the end upon us?

Technical primer on Moore's Law and its impact longer term on available computing power and system design. Includes charts of growth in density and clock speed.

Comms World - July 2000 - Microwave Monoliths bring Moore's Law to RF

Technical primer on GaAs integrated device technology, including HEMT transistors and Monolithic Microwave IC technology.

Comms World -  September  2000 - Ultra Wide Band Modulation

Technical primer on UWB techniques, including discussion of modulation techniques available and acheivable performance.

Comms World -  November  2000 - High Definition Television

Technical primer on HDTV and digital television technologies, covering the QAM and COFDM modulation techniques and their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Systems - February 2001 - Firewire

Technical primer on the IEEE 1394 Firewire bus, covering design rationale, architecture and protocol design. Discussions includes limited survey.

Systems - March 2001 -  Wireless Ethernet - the Next Generation (COFDM)

Technical primer on high speed wireless network technology, covering the principles of Coherent Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (COFDM) and its evolution to a viable product.

Comms World - May 2001 - Shedding Light on Optical Datalinks

Technical primer on the design of free space optical datalinks using LED or laser transmitter technology. Discussion includes propagation impairments and infrared filter design primer.


Regional Capability Growth Topics

Australian Aviation  - November 1992 - Foxbat and Foxhound - Russia's Cold War Warriors

Historial, technical and tactical analysis of the MiG-25 Foxbat and MiG-31 Foxhound family of aircraft. Includes a cutaway and a performance comparison table for principal subtypes.

Australian Aviation  - October 1995 - 76N6 Clam Shell Acquisition Radar Revealed (S-300PMU/SA-10)

Technical review of 76N6 Clam Shell low altitude search and acquisition radar for SA-10B Grumble SAM system, including performance specification and photo.

Australian Aviation  - March 1998 -  MiG's I.42/44 MFI - A First Look

Technical analysis of the MiG MFI demonstrator, including discussion of performance and capabilities.

Australian Aviation  - September 2000 - Sunburns, Yakhonts, Alfas and the Region

Originally published as 'Sunburnn for the RAN?'. Technical and tactical analysis of the capabilities of Russian anti-schip cruise missiles proliferating in the Asia-Pacific-Indian region. Analysis covers Raduga 3M-80, 3M-82 and Kh-41 Moskit, OKB-52 3K-55/3M-55 Yakhont, Novator 3M-54 Club, and survey of other regional types. Tu-142M Bear F analysed as a maritime cruise missile delivery platform. Shipboard cruise missile defences are included.

Australian Aviation  - August 2003 - Asia's Advanced Flankers (Su-27/30)

Technical profile and strategic analysis of Sukhoi fighter proliferation in the Asia-Pacific-indian region. Analysis includes discussion of Sukhoi variants, T-10 evolution and aircraft capabilities.

Australian Aviation  - September 2003 - Su-30 vs RAAF Alternatives (Su-27/30)

Technical analysis of Sukhoi fighter air combat capabilities and growth, against the F/A-18A HUG and Joint Strike Fighter.

Australian Aviation  - October 2003 - Asia's New SAMs Pt.1 (S-300PMU/SA-10)

Two part technical analysis of Russian S-300 family strategic Surface to Air Missile systems. Development history and evolution of the S-300P, S-300PMU, S-300PMU-1, S-300PMU-2 systems, including diagrams of battery subsystems.

Air Power Australia - December 2006 - Almaz S-300PT/PS/PMU-1/2, S-400 Triumf, S-400M Samoderzhets

Updated technical analysis of Russian S-300 family strategic Surface to Air Missile systems. Development history and evolution of the S-300PT, S-300PS, S-300PMU, S-300PMU-1, S-300PMU-2, S-400 and Samodyerzhetz systems, including diagrams of battery subsystems.

Australian Aviation  - November 2003 - Asia's New SAMs Pt.2 (S-400/SA-20, S-300V/SA-12)

Two part technical analysis of Russian S-300 family strategic Surface to Air Missile systems. Development history and evolution of the S-400, S-300V and S-300VM/Antey-2500 systems, including diagrams of battery subsystems.

Air Power Australia - December 2006 - Antey S-300V and S-300VM

Updated technical analysis of Russian S-300V family battlefield Surface to Air Missile systems. Development history and evolution of the S-300V and VM systems, including diagrams of battery subsystems.
Australian Aviation  - July 2004 - Asia's Advanced Precision Guided Munitions

Technical and strategic analysis / survey of Russian guided munitions technology in the Asia-Pacific-Indian region. Analysis includes NPO Mashinostroyenia 3K-55/3M-55/Kh-61 Yakhont/PJ-10 Brahmos A/S,   Novator 3M-54 Club,  Raduga 3M-80, 3M-82 and Kh-41 Moskit, Raduga Kh-22M Burya, CHETA HY-1/HY-2/HY-4/C-601/C-611  Silkworm, Chinese Strategic Land Attack Cruise Missiles, CHETA YJ-8/YJ-81/C-801, YJ-82/C-802 and YJ-83/C-803, Zvezda-Strela Kh-31P/A/MP/MA, Raduga Kh-59/59M/D Ovod, Zvezda-Strela 3M-24/Kh-35U Uran, GNPP KAB-500/KAB-1500 guided bomb kits.

Australian Aviation  - August 2004 - The Sleeping Giant Awakens (PLA-AF/PLA-N)

Strategic analysis and survey of the PLA's air capabilities and cruise missile capabilities. Includes a type survey and discussion of grwoth options.

Australian Aviation  - September 2004 - Backfires for China?

Strategic analysis of PLA policy to acquire strategic bombers. Technical and strategic analysis of Tu-22M3 Backfire capabilities and growth options.

Australian Aviation  - November 2004 - Sukhoi's Fullback (Su-32/34)

Technical profile and analysis of the Fullback family of long range strike fighters, including development history and proposed growth variants.

Defence Today - Dec  2003 - Sukhois present new strategic risk for Australia

Strategic analysis of risks arising from the regional proliferation of Sukhoi T-10 family fighter aircraft and the resulting impact on Australia's strategic position.

Defence Today - Sept  2004 - 2010+ Regional Futures

Regional air power survey covering 2005 to 2010 period.

Defence Today - Sept 2004 - 2010+ Air Power Futures

RAAF capability survey covering 2005 to 2010 period.

The International Assessment and Strategy Center -  September 22nd, 2004 -  Backfires and the PLA-AF's New 'Strategic Air Force'

Strategic analysis of PLA policy to acquire strategic bombers. Technical and strategic analysis of Tu-22M3 Backfire capabilities and growth options.
The International Assessment and Strategy Center -  February 25th,  2006 -  Almaz S-300 – China's “Offensive” Air Defense

Technical and strategic analysis of the S-300P SAM system family and PLA capabilities arising from this system.

Defence Today - January/February 2006  - Regional Developments 2005

Summary analysis of key developments in Pacrim during 2005.

Defence Today - January/February 2006  -  Regional Precision Guided Munitions Survey

Survey of PGMs deployed in Asia Pacific region, including Russian and indigenous designs. Includes NPO Mashinostroyenia 3K-55/3M-55/Kh-61 Yakhont/PJ-10 Brahmos A/S,   Novator 3M-54 Club,  Raduga 3M-80, 3M-82 and Kh-41 Moskit, Raduga Kh-22M Burya, CHETA HY-1/HY-2/HY-4/C-601/C-611  Silkworm, Chinese Strategic Land Attack Cruise Missiles, CHETA YJ-8/YJ-81/C-801, YJ-82/C-802 and YJ-83/C-803, Zvezda-Strela Kh-31P/A/MP/MA, Raduga Kh-59/59M/D Ovod, Zvezda-Strela 3M-24/Kh-35U Uran, GNPP KAB-500/KAB-1500 guided bomb kits.

Air Power and National Military Strategy Topics

Kopp C., August 30, 2000 - A Future Force Structure for the Australian Defence Force - A Response to the Green Paper

Submission to the 2000 White Paper Community Consultation Team discussing ADF force structure planning and related strategic issues.

Australian Aviation  - March 1982 - Carriers in the Indian

Technical report on US Navy CVBG operations in the Indian Ocean, during the Cold War. Includes survey of all CAW aircraft types and units on CV-63 Kittyhawk, with detailed discussion of F-14A.

Australian Aviation  - July 1986 - The Libyan Strike: How The Americans Did It (El Dorado Canyon)

Early analysis of the 1986 El Dorado Canyon strike conducted against targets in Libya by US Air Force and Navy strike assets.

Australian Aviation  - March 1990 - Northrop B-2A - The 70 Billion Dollar Bomber?

Historical and technical review of development project and discussion of political debate over program. Includes performance comparison tables and analysis of aircraft role.

Australian Aviation  - September 1990 - The Air Land Battle - USAF Close Air Support and Battlefield Air Interdiction

Technical analysis, historical analysis and technology survey covering the evolution of US Air Force CAS/BAI capabilities. This analysis discusses the environment and rationale which led to the definition of the JAST/JSF program.

Australian Aviation  - November 1990 - The Gulf Crisis - Order of Battle

Technical analysis of Iraqi air and air defence force inventory, with review of weapon types and capability. This was the only analysis published in Australia which correctly predicted the manner in which the Iraqi air force would be defeated.

Australian Aviation  - August/September 1992 - Desert Storm - an Analytical Perspective

Discussion of strategic aspects of campaign, including Iraqi and Allied air battle strategies and operations. Discussion of strategic aspects of campaign, including Iraqi and Allied air battle strategies and operations.

Australian Aviation  - April 1993 - Indonesia's Air Capability

Historical and strategic analysis of Indonesia's TNI-AU, including a comprehensive force structure analysis with tabulated AOOB, and technical discussion covering principal types in service.

Australian Aviation  - Jan-April 1995 - US Naval Tactical Aviation Parts 1, 2, 3

  1. Historical review of USN carrier tactical aviation from the 1960s to 1990, with discussion of rationale employed and types of aircraft allocated to tactical roles.
  2. Historical and technical discussion of A-12A Avenger program and its cancellation. Discussion of air warfare strategy criteria applied to the definition of the ATA. Brief discussion of AX.
  3. Technical review/analysis of F-14D, strike capable F-14 derivatives and F/A-18E/F. Review of technical and air warfare strategy arguments applied to selection of these aircraft for pre AX strike mission.

Australian Aviation  - August/September 1999 - Operation Allied Force Parts 1, 2, 3

Three part strategic, operations and technical analysis of the OAF air campaign. Discussion includes analysis of underlying political and ethnic divisions in FRY, and survey of operations conducted.

Australian Aviation  - November 2001 - The War on Terrorism

Post 911 analysis of the underlying strategic, cultural, social and political issues underpinning the emergence of Islamo-fascist revolutionary warfare movements in the Islamic world.

Australian Aviation  - December 2001 - Operation Enduring Freedom Parts 1, 2, 3

Three part strategic, operations and technical analysis of the OEF air campaign. Discussion includes analysis of systems used and survey of air operations conducted.

Australian Aviation  - May/June 2003 - Operation Iraqi Freedom Part 1 +Part 2

Two
part strategic, operations and technical analysis of the OIF air and land campaign. Discussion includes analysis of systems used and survey of air operations conducted.

Australian Aviation  - May 2000 - Extending the Sea Air Gap

Analysis of Defence policy issues during the period of the 2000 White Paper formulation, covering force structure, strategy, acquisition and policy.

Australian Aviation  - June 2000 - Maritime Deterrence, Submarines and Air Power

Strategic and technical analysis of the roles of air power and submarines in sea control operations. Analysis proposes the  use of SSKs as targeting and bomb damage assessment assets for air delivered ASuW strikes.

Defence Today - March 2004 - Upgrade to Army Armour Fleet

Technical and strategic analysis of Army upgrades to armoured vehicle fleet, including survey of alternatives in MBTs as replacements for the Leopard fleet.

Defence Today - February 2005 -  Strategic Sea Mobility for the ADF

Strategic and technical analysis of developing ADF sealift needs and amphibious ship requirement. Includes survey of available technologies including high speed wave piercing catamarans.

Defence Today - July 2005 -  Artillery for the Army - Precision Fire with Mobility

Utility of Artillery, evolution of Self Propelled Artillery, Giat Industries Caesar, Soltam Atmos 2000, Extended Range Munitions, Precision Guided Artillery Munitions, Issues for the ADF.

Defence Today - September 2005 -  Brigade Combat Teams

Discussion of US Army force structure changes related to from divisional to BCT model. Includes organisational charts.

Defence Today - March/April 2006 - Air Power in the Quadrennial Defense Review

Analysis of the impact of the 2006 QDR on US air power and supporting capabilities.

Defence Today - March/April 2006 - Exploring the 2006 QDR

Analysis of 2006 QDR especially the grand strategy model and its impact on US capabilities.


Defence Today - March/April 2006 - LtGen D.A. Deptula Interview, Maintaining Air Dominance in the Pacific

Interview conducted with LtGen D.A.Deptula, then Vice Commander PACAF, covering Pacrim strategy issues and US Air Force force structure planning.

Defence Today - July/August 2006 - No Fuel, No Air Power

Strategic analysis of Australia's fuel replenishment capabilities, in relation to the RAAF.


Defence Policy and Reform Topics

Air Power International - February 2000 - REFLECTIONS UPON THE NEW MILLENNIUM ... and Current Defence Policy

Strategic analysis of changing world and regional environment and necessary adaptations in ADF force structure planning.

Australian Aviation  - October 2000  - Musings on the White Paper

Review of issues related to the Defence 2000 White Paper, including regional capability growth, China, risks arising in poor force structure choices, non-viability of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and STOVL/STOBAR Aircraft Carriers.

Australian Aviation  - Unpublished October 2001  - Defence 2001 Policy Analysis

Analysis of regional and global issues arising in the post White Paper / post 911 period. Analysis includes discussion of regional capability developments and proposes several measures to improve ADF capability.
 
Goon P.A.  - January 2004 - A FAREWELL TO ARMS - REVISITED

Analysis and critique of RAAF costing models in relation to Defence Annual Reports. Detailed case study analysis of the funding rationale underpinning the decision to retire the F-111 fleet.

Goon P.A. -   ADA Defender - Winter 2005 - Affordability and the new air combat capability

Analysis and critique of  cost structures in the NACC program, and comparisons against alternative model using F/A-22A.


 Directed Energy Weapons  and Electromagnetic Bomb Topics

Australian Aviation  - December 1981 - High Energy Laser Weapons

Technical review of design issues involved in applying high energy lasers to the destruction of airborne targets, includes review of USAF ALL program.

Defence Today - May/June 2006 - Directed Energy Weapons Part 1, July/August 2006 - Directed Energy Weapons Part 2, November/December 2006 - Directed Energy Weapons Part 3

Analysis of fundamental principles underpinning HEL DEWs, and discussion of current US and international programs.


Systems and Basic Technology Topics

Australian Aviation  - December 1980 -  Composites

Very early technical review of the application of composite materials to aircraft structural design. Includes discussion of performance gains realised in the AV-8B Advanced Harrier program.

Australian Aviation  - March 1981 -  The Modern Fighter Cockpit

Technical primer on contemporary cockpit technology, covering Head Down Display (CRT) and Head Up Display operating principles. Includes diagrams and some discussion of HUD design issues.

Australian Aviation  - June 1981 -  Artificial Stability & Fly-By-Wire Control

Technical primer on the fundamental ideas in aircraft stability, static and dynamic stability, fly-by-wire control systems and control configured vehicles.

Australian Aviation  - September 1982 - Integrated Flight and Fire Control (IFFC Firefly)

Technical discussion of design issues associated with integrating fire control and flight control systems in tactical aircraft, includes review / analysis of the USAF 1980s  program involving the use of an F-15 with an integrated fire control system for gun aiming and firing.

Australian Aviation  - March 1983 - Stealth Technology

Technical primer on the basic technical ideas underpinning low observables. Analysis predates public disclosures on the F-117A and B-2A programs.

Australian Aviation  - March 1984 - Electro-Optical Systems

Technical primer on television and thermal imaging systems, including details of TCS/TISEO TV systems, and basic operating principles of rotating scan FLIR modules.

Australian Aviation  - September 1984 - McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle - The Ultimate MiG-Killer

Historical, technical and tactical analysis of F-15 Eagle, including cutaway, performance comparison tables and colour photo spread.

Australian Aviation  - March 1985 - F-15E - Anatomy of Strike Fighter

Historical, technical and tactical analysis of F-15E weapon system, including colour 2-view diagram and photographs of SAR radar imagery.

Australian Aviation  - January/March 1986 - Computer Technology I, II

Historical and technical review of the evolution of analogue and digital computer system application to tactical aircraft weapon system design, including some discussion of F-111D and F/A-18A. Discussion of the application of AI and expert system technology to airborne weapon system design.

Australian Aviation  - May 1986 - Mid Life Refits - The Affordable Option

Discussion of random and wearout failure mechanisms in aircraft subsystems, supportability constraints, MTBF, MTTR and availability. Review of F-14D and other then current refit programs.

Australian Aviation  - November, 1986, March/May, 1987 - The Long Range Penetrator (Parts I, II, III)

Three part technical analysis, survey and primer covering strategic rationale for heavy bombers, basics of defence penetration, B-52G/H defensive systems, B-1A design features and history, B-1B design features and history. The third part is a primer on stealth technology and related defence penetration issues, and a survey of then emerging US stealth programs.

Australian Aviation  - November, 1987 - Tupolev Bear

Historical and technical analysis and survey of the Tu95 and Tu142 Bear family of strategic aircraft, including reference table of currently used versions.

Australian Aviation  - November 1989/December 1989 - Optical Warfare - The New Frontier

  1. Detailed technical discussion of infra-red tracker design principles and their application to IRS&T systems and missile seekers. Countermeasures to trackers and discussion of IRS&T application to air superiority operations.
  2. Technical discussion of thermal imaging systems, missile seekers and optical countermeasures, including infrared jammers for use in aircraft and helicopters.
Australian Aviation  - May/June 1990 - Fulcrum and Flanker

Historical review of Soviet jet fighter development, historical, technical and tactical analysis of Fulcrum A. Includes cutaway, detail photos and performance comparison table. Historical, technical and tactical analysis of Flanker. Includes cutaway and discussion of air war strategy issues resulting from deployment of Flanker.

Australian Aviation  - December 1990 - Lockheed F-117A Stealth Fighter

Historical, technical and tactical analysis of F-117A Stealth Fighter, includes discussion of design features and rationale.

Australian Aviation  - July/August 1994 -  Fighter Upgrades Parts 1, 2

  1. Discussion of technical issues involved in avionic, system, propulsion and airframe upgrades to older aircraft. Recent USAF and USN fighter upgrades are also reviewed.
  2. Review of Asia-Pacific fighter upgrade programs, with particular emphasis on the F-4, F-5 and MiG-21 upgrade programs.

Australian Aviation  - June 1997 - SAR/GMTI - Revolution in Bombing Technology

Technical primer on modern Synthetic Aperture and Ground/Maritime Moving Target Indicator airborne radar technology. Analysis of the strategic impact of these technologies in strike warfare.

Australian Aviation  - July 1997 -  BAC TSR.2 Profile/Analysis

Technical profile of the BAC TSR.2 strike aircraft program, and analysis of the political, force structure and industrial base issues arising from its cancellation during the 1960s.

Air Power International - August  1998 - Helmet Mounted Sights and Displays

Technical primer on Helmet Mounted Sight/Display technology, including technical survey of available systems, and discussion of the DASH III and JHMCS programs.

Air Power International - February 2000 - Stealth in Strike Warfare

Technical primer on the impact and operational economics of using stealthly strike aircraft vs conventional strike aircraft. Includes comparison charts.

Australian Aviation  - June 2002 - Active Electronically Steered Arrays  - A Maturing Technology

Technical primer on AESA technology discussing performance, functional capability and support costs. Includes a limited survey of existing AESA programs.

Australian Aviation  - April 2003 - A Heavy Bomber Rennaissance?

Analysis of current trends in network supported strike operations and underlying reasons for the away from smaller to larger strike aircraft arising from persistent strike techniques. Survey of upgrade programs currently in progress on the US heavy bomber fleet, covering the B-52H, B-1B and B-2A.

Australian Aviation  - June 2003 - B-52H Engine Upgrade Recommendation

Short analysis of the DSB report recommending the re-engining of the USAF B-52H fleet.

Defence Today - December 2003 - Simulation - Digital Battlefields

Technical primer on the growth in digital simulation technologies for military training applications. Includes some trend analysis and projections of future growth.

PHA Pty Ltd - 1996 - System Reliability and Metrics of Reliability

Lecture slides covering systems and software reliability topics, used over a four year period for university undergraduate teaching purposes in software engineering, Melbourne University.

Defence Today - May/June 2006 - Milestones - Early Operations Using Smart Bombs

Hs-293, Fritx-X, Azon operations during WW2.
Defence Today - July/August 2006 - Milestones - Early Fighter Cannon Armament

Evolution of airborne cannon armament during WW2.

Information Warfare, Information Operations and Electronic Attack Topics

Australian Aviation -  July 1986 -  F-4G - Anatomy of a Wild Weasel

Historical, technical and tactical analysis of F-4G defence suppression system, including review of Vietnam F-105G and EF-4C operations, and discussion of the RHAWS system.

Australian Aviation -  September 1988 -  Radar Warning Receivers and Defensive Electronic Counter Measures

Technical primer on the basic operating principles of CVR and superhet RWRs, and noise, false target generator and trackbreaker jammers. Includes discussion of baseline F-111 EW suite.

Australian Aviation - January 1989 -  The Anatomy of the Tacjammer (EA-6B/EF-111A)

Detailed historical, technical and tactical analysis of EA-6B and EF-111A, including review of ALQ-99 subsystems and proposed upgrades.

Australian Aviation -  June/July/August  1993 -  Desert Storm - The Electronic Battle, Mirror@FTA

  1. Technical and strategic analysis of Iraqi Electronic Order of Battle, with detailed technical discussion of principal radar, SAM and AAA systems deployed, and tabulated EOOB.
  2. Detailed review of electronic combat operations conducted during the Gulf War, including discussion of modelling methods used.
  3. Detailed review of Allied electronic combat assets used during the Gulf War, including aircraft, weapons and EW equipment used. A table of Allied aircraft losses is also included. A discussion of the implications of the electronic battle in the Gulf, in the Australian context.

Journal of Electronic Defense - January 2002 - In the Air Down Under (RAAF EW)

Survey of RAAF and ADF force structure and related electronic warfare programs, with emphasis on airborne systems, especially combat aircraft.

Journal of Electronic Defense - May 2002 - Support Jamming and Force Structures

Analysis of the
Joint Airborne Electronic Attack Analysis of Alternatives (AEA AoA) document, and related force structure issues for SOJ / SJ roles.

Journal of Electronic Defense - September 2002 - Robot Ravens?

Analysis of technical and tactical issues arising with the use of UCAV airframes as host platforms for support jamming packages and supporting systems.

Journal of Electronic Defense - March 2003 - E-Bombs Away! (EC Monitor)

Pre OIF analysis and discussion of guided weapons likely to be used in the campaign, including some discussion of the potential of E-bombs in this campaign.

RAAF APSC  Working Paper 8, Command of the Electromagnetic Spectrum: An Electronic Combat Doctrine for the RAAF

Attaining the command of the Electromagnetic Spectrum has become a prerequisite to attaining command of the air, in a modern air war. This paper argues the case for an Electronic Combat Campaign, and proposes a comprehensive Electronic Combat warfighting doctrine for the Royal Australian Air Force.

This paper predates the Information Warfare paradigm, but essentially proposes an integrated in-theatre IW doctrine for the RAAF, excluding CyberWar elements. The doctrinal model encompasses both conventional EW/EC and C3I elements, combined with elements of what would today be labelled strategic IW.

RAAF APSC  Working Paper 15, A Doctrine for the Use of Electromagnetic Pulse Weapons

High Power Microwave technology has matured to the point where practical Electro Magnetic Pulse weapons are becoming technically feasible, with applications in Electronic Combat, Offensive Counter-Air, Combat Air Support and in Strategic Air Attack. The current development of conventional ElectroMagnetic Pulse devices allows their use in non-nuclear confrontations. This paper proposes a doctrinal foundation for the use of such devices in warhead and bomb applications.

Air & Space Power Chronicles, Maxwell AFB - 1995 - The Electromagnetic Bomb - a Weapon of Electrical Mass DestructionRussian Translation Part 1, Russian Translation Part 2, Mirror@GlobalSecurity.org,Mirror@APA

High Power Electromagnetic Pulse generation techniques and High Power Microwave technology have matured to the point where practical E-bombs (Electromagnetic bombs) are becoming technically feasible, with new applications in both Strategic and Tactical Information Warfare. The development of conventional E-bomb devices allows their use in non-nuclear confrontations. This paper discusses aspects of the technology base, weapon delivery techniques and proposes a doctrinal foundation for the use of such devices in warhead and bomb applications.

RAAF APSC  Working Paper 50, An Introduction to the Technical and Operational Aspect of the Electromagnetic Bomb

The rapid growth of the computing and communications infrastructure over the last decade has produced a significant dependency in modern industrialised economies, and this dependency produces a major vulnerability to attack by electromagnetic weapons. The maturing High Power Microwave and Flux Compression Generator technology base makes the design of practical, deployable electromagnetic munitions technically feasible. This paper will review the established technology base for electromagnetic bomb and missile warhead design, and discuss the issues of bomb and warhead design, lethality, targeting, delivery and bomb damage assessment.

The 3rd Int AOC EW Conf (Invited Paper) - 2000 - Moore's Law and its Implications for Information Warfare (Slides)

Moore's Law, defined in the sixties, predicts a monotonic increase in available computing power with time. With the commodification of high performance microprocessors, very large amounts of computing power are now readily available in the open market, at very modest cost. This paper will explore some of the implications of this phenomenon for IW in the coming decades, and propose some guidelines for IW strategists and planners.

3rd Australian IW&Sec Conference- Nov 2002 - Shannon, Hypergames And Information Warfare (Slides - IWC3 Best Paper Award)

Shannon's Information Theory provides a robust and quantifiable model for explaining the fundamental paradigm of Information Warfare. This paper reviews the four canonical strategies of Information Warfare, in the context of Shannon's models and further extends these models into the domain of hypergame theory. 

Kopp, Carlo; Mills, Bruce - 3rd Australian IW&Sec Conference- Nov 2002 -   Information Warfare And Evolution,  (Slides).

This paper reviews the four canonical strategies of Information Warfare and asserts that Information Warfare is an artifact of evolution in biological systems: the use of Information Warfare techniques by organisms aids survival in a competitive environment. A range of specific biological examples are explored to support this assertion. 

Asia/Pacific Open Systems Review - December 1996 - Information Warfare - Part 1

Primer covering basics of Information Warfare, and vulnerability of the digital infrastructure. Includes taxonomy of IW and survey of electromagnetic weapons technology.

Asia/Pacific Open Systems Review - February 1997 - Information Warfare and Info-terrorism - Part 2

Technical discussion of defensive measures which may be applied to hardening sites and computing assets against electromagnetic weapons. Includes chassis shielding, cable shielding and optical fibres, Faraday cages, and power feed hardening.

Systems - February 2000 - A Fundamental Paradigm of Infowar

A discussion paper which proposes a fundamental model for the four basic IW strategies, based on Shannon's information theory. This article was one of the first two papers to relate the four canonical strategies of information warfare to Shannon's information theory; the other paper was  produced independently at about the same time  by Dr Andrew Borden of the U.S. Air Force.

Systems - March 2000 - Issues in Current Infowar

Survey of current issues arising in Information Warfare, especially issues relating to the legal and political context, and rules of engagement.

Submissions

US Air Force 2025 Study Submission - October 1995 - CS-X and CVS-X Low Observable Tactical Transports

Concept proposal for low observable jet powered transports suitable for supporting Special Operations roles in high threat environments.

US Air Force 2025 Study Submission - October 1995 - RFX - A Near Term Stealth Strike Recce Fighter + Colour Diagram

Concept proposal for a very low observable twin engine strike fighter, occupying the niche previously held by the A-12A Advanced Tactical Aircraft, but exploiting B-2A design rules.

US Air Force 2025 Study Submission - October 1995 - Microwave Seismic Sensor

Concept proposal for a microwave sensor  devised to locate  subsurface cavities from an airborne platform, using airdropped inert penetrators to generate seismic shockwaves.


Parliamentary Submissions

Kopp, Carlo, Goon, Peter A. Review of Defence Annual Report 2002-03: Analysis of Department of Defence Responses, Submission, JSCFADT , 26th January, 2004. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Discussion of Department of Defence evidence provided in relation to the Review of the Defence Annual Report 2002-2003.

Kopp, Carlo, Review of Defence Annual Report 2002-03: Analysis of Department of Defence Responses, Supplementary Submission, JSCFADT , 4th June, 2004. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Discussion of Department of Defence evidence provided in relation to the Review of the Defence Annual Report 2002-2003.

Kopp, Carlo, Goon, Peter A. Review of Defence Annual Report 2002-03: Analysis of Department of Defence Responses, Supplementary Submission, JSCFADT , 18th June, 2004. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Discussion of Department of Defence evidence provided in relation to the Review of the Defence Annual Report 2002-2003.

Kopp, Carlo, Goon, Peter A. Proof of Prior Knowledge: Regional Capability Growth and Joint Strike Fighter Limitations vs The 1998 F/A-18 Replacement Study (Review of Defence Annual Report 2002-03: Analysis of Department of Defence Responses), Supplementary Submission, JSCFADT , 4th July, 2004. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Discussion of Department of Defence evidence provided in relation to the Review of the Defence Annual Report 2002-2003.

Kopp, Carlo, Inquiry into Australia's Defence Relations with the United States: Interoperability, Force Structure and Missile Defence Issues, Submission, JSCFADT , 10th March, 2004. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Discussion of interoperability, force structure and missile defence issues in relation to changing regional strategic circumstances.

Kopp, Carlo, Goon, Peter A. Inquiry into Australia's Relationship with China: China's Rise as a Regional Superpower, Submission, SFADT , 10th April, 2005. (PDF)

Submission to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Analysis of strategic impact of growing economic and military capabilities of the PRC.

Kopp, Carlo,  Goon, Peter A.  Inquiry into Australia's Defence Relations with the United States: The Cruise Missile Defence Problem, Submission, JSCFADT , 6th April, 2005. (PDF)

Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Analysis of cruise missile defence issues arising from changing  regional strategic circumstances, and options for collaboration with the US.

Kopp C. and Cobb A. - Parliamentary Submission  - October 2003 - Evolving Force (Submission / Rationale)

Two part proposal for Defence Capability Plan improvements intended to enhance ADF capabilities and reduce funding difficulties arising over the next decade. The proposal includes a strategic trends analysis and specific capability enhancements.







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