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Feature Story
also be a forward shooter, against an an opponent, the size of the air combat sure to challenge this project. Australia
adversary equipped with long-range arm is constrained. It becomes a must resist calls for projects like Loyal
airpower, while the F-35s and Wedgetail boutique force. In a future crisis against Wingman to be cancelled on ethical or
can stay out of harm’s way. a major-power adversary, that would be legal grounds. The platforms will depend
Alternatively, in a role to support a disadvantage—we can’t afford to lose on trusted autonomy, with humans ‘on
strike missions, the UCAVs could use any because we have too few fast jets the loop’, and any use of force will be
their long-range ISR sensors and EW in the sky. A larger force is better able to made with human oversight. Unlike
capabilities, and potentially precision- exploit Lanchester’s square law to the our adversaries who don’t need to
attack munitions, to identify and supress RAAF’s benefit. The Loyal Wingman adhere to legal and ethical constraints
enemy integrated air defences. That begins that process of building a on LAWs, Western liberal democracies
would open up a path for the F-35s larger, more powerful RAAF, and that’s will always need to operate systems like
and fourth-generation aircraft like the precisely the path Australia needs to Loyal Wingman with the laws of armed
Super Hornet and Growler to strike at take in preparing for the next war. conflict in mind.
high-value targets. The Loyal Wingman will allow Finally, there are the defence
In both cases, long-range power Australia to effectively exploit future industry and export benefits. Boeing
projection and protection are of key air combat technology developments Australia is designing and building the
importance. The Loyal Wingman could coming out of US programs like the US Loyal Wingman locally, establishing a
restore a significant amount of the long- Air Force’s penetrating counter-air and sophisticated aerospace design and
range strike power the RAAF lost with the US Navy’s ‘F/A-XX’ (formerly known production capability. This could see
the retirement of the F-111C in 2010. as ‘sixth-generation fighter’ projects), Australia energise a new sector of
Although the Wingman is much smaller which will be based heavily on manned– its defence industry, complementing
than the F-111C and carries a smaller unmanned teaming technologies. We
payload, the emphasis on low-cost are taking our first steps towards the shipbuilding and other high-technology
development means more UCAVs can types of platforms that could one day sectors. It would add to our defence
be acquired. Local production will make replace the F-35, and we are getting export portfolio to key allies, including
it easier to keep on acquiring them as there faster than originally planned. the Five Eyes countries. It would
and when we need more. This will allow Learning to operate manned and establish Australia as the leader in a
us to exploit combat mass and boost the unmanned systems as a network—a global supply and support chain for
potential of the RAAF’s future strike and ‘system of systems’—is crucial. The Loyal Wingman operators around the
air combat capability through swarming key is not just resilient data links world.
networks of autonomous shooters and that maintain networks, but also the Loyal Wingman was the biggest
sensors. development of trusted autonomy so story coming out of Avalon, and it
That’s a good move. One of the that platforms like Loyal Wingman don’t may even surpass the F-35’s blazing
major challenges facing the RAAF have to depend on human control. performance in the skies as the cutting
is that by investing in very high-tech That aspect may generate edge of future Australian airpower.
exquisite platforms like the F-35, which controversy. Advocates of a ban on Malcolm Davis is a senior analyst at ASPI.
exploit technological overmatch against lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs) are Images courtesy of Boeing.

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