2015 Feb: Jericho RAAF Temporarily Designates Itself as a Fifth Generation Air Force (AI Study Guide)
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2015 Feb: Jericho—RAAF Temporarily Designates Itself a Fifth-Generation Air Force
𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
In February 2015 the Royal Australian Air Force launched Plan Jericho at the Avalon Airshow, framing itself as a “fifth-generation” force-in-transformation to accelerate integration of F-35A, E-7A, KC-30A, and ISR networks. Led by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Jericho drove cultural change, rapid experimentation, and joint integration. It introduced “Jericho Dawn” trials, industry partnering, and mission-systems networking to collapse decision cycles and break organisational “walls”. The initiative aligned air capability with coalition interoperability and Defence innovation agendas during early Okra and regional commitments.
𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬
𝟏. Fifth-generation: Networked, sensor-fused force emphasising information advantage and integration.
𝟐. Plan Jericho: RAAF transformation blueprint to deliver a fifth-generation-enabled fighting force.
𝟑. Jericho Dawn: Rapid trials program demonstrating capability integration and operational “quick wins”.
𝟒. CAOC: Combined Air Operations Centre; coalition hub for tasking and dynamic retasking.
𝟓. DGS-AUS: Distributed Ground Station Australia; node for real-time ISR exploitation.
𝟔. Mission data: Software libraries enabling sensors, identification, and electronic effects.
𝟕. Human-machine teaming: Operators and automation collaborating to accelerate decisions.
𝟖. Kill-chain: Sequence from find/fix/track to target/engage/assess across joint networks.
𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝟏. Launch and intent at Avalon: On 23 February 2015 the Chief of Air Force unveiled Plan Jericho, declaring a shift to a fifth-generation, information-age Air Force; the launch set expectations for cultural change, network integration, and rapid experimentation to unlock effects from new sensors, data links, and mission-systems across joint and coalition constructs. https://sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2015_23FEB_PlanJerichoLaunch.pdf
𝟐. “Walls” to be broken down: Jericho framed organisational “walls” as barriers to integrated effects, directing removal of stovepipes between platforms, branches, and services; the concept emphasised agile processes, trial-first mindsets, and flexible acquisition pathways to harvest value from fifth-generation platforms while uplifting legacy fleets through connectivity, common data standards, and shared tactics development. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF14-Plan-Jericho.pdf
𝟑. Program of Work codified: Air Force published a Jericho Program of Work linking lines-of-effort to experimentation, quick wins, and enduring reforms; governance assigned responsibilities and shifted selected tactical ownership to the Air Warfare Centre, embedding continuous trials, evaluation, and transition-to-service within routine force generation and joint operational planning cycles. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF18-Plan-Jericho_Program-of-Works-2ndEd.pdf
𝟒. Jericho Dawn experiments: “Jericho Dawn” exercises demonstrated SATCOM, Link-16, and ISR reachback from DGS-AUS to embarked personnel, proving en-route retasking and mission-data flow; these events validated Jericho’s thesis that integrated networks and procedures could compress decision cycles and improve survivability, precision, and tempo for joint teams in real operations. https://sldinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2015_23FEB_PlanJerichoLaunch.pdf
𝟓. Fifth-generation narrative set: Contemporary reporting captured Jericho’s purpose—to integrate F-35A and other advanced systems with legacy fleets, translating sensors and data into effects; public statements emphasised design for information advantage, interoperability, and doctrinal change, not just platform acquisition, shaping how Australia described and measured “fifth-generation” progress thereafter. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/avalon/2015/02/24/air-chief-maps-out-future-of-raaf-airpower/
𝟔. Industry and partners engaged: Jericho formalised collaboration with industry, allies, and academia to co-develop tactics, interfaces, and software increments; this accelerated certification of new techniques, encouraged risk-tolerant trials, and shortened pathways from concept to fielded capability, aligning Australian practice with coalition standards while preserving sovereign mission-data control and national approvals. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF14-Plan-Jericho.pdf
𝟕. Leadership handover sustained: As Air Marshal Leo Davies succeeded Air Marshal Brown in mid-2015, senior leaders reaffirmed Jericho’s aims—joint integration, innovation, and sustainment reform; interviews and speeches highlighted continuity of effort, embedding transformation across headquarters, wings, and deployed elements while refining priorities under operational lessons from Iraq and regional exercises. https://sldinfo.com/2015/09/a-discussion-with-the-australian-air-chief-air-marshal-davies-discusses-iraq-plan-jericho-and-the-way-ahead/
𝟖. Doctrine and education alignment: Jericho initiatives flowed into Air and Space Power Centre publications and training, integrating fifth-generation concepts—sensor fusion, human-machine teaming, network security—into curricula and exercises; this ensured planners and aircrew adopted common language, measures, and risk frameworks to convert information superiority into reliable joint effects under national command. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF18-Plan-Jericho_Program-of-Works-2ndEd.pdf
𝟗. Public articulation and critique: Media and professional commentary described Jericho as a strategy to understand fifth-generation capability and derive maximum benefit through networked operations; analysis acknowledged ambition and challenges, including procurement agility, culture change, and integration of legacy fleets without losing tempo or airworthiness discipline during transition. https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/project-review-a-busy-year-for-air-programs
𝟏𝟎. A decade on—continuity noted: Official retrospectives mark Jericho’s ten-year arc, crediting it with embedding disruptive innovation teams and normalising integration trials; later efforts expanded into space and joint C2, while the original 2015 framing continues to inform Australian approaches to fifth-generation capability, experimentation, and coalition interoperability benchmarks. https://www.defence.gov.au/news-events/news/2025-03-30/10-years-innovation-air-force-celebrates-jericho
𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
𝟏. Australian War Memorial. The Royal Australian Air Force—structure and roles overview. Reference page. [https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/understanding-military-structure/raaf] Australian War Memorial
𝟐. Australian War Memorial. Annual reporting—recent collections and contemporary operations (context for modernisation holdings). Corporate report. [https://www.awm.gov.au/about/organisation/corporate/annual-report-2015-2016] Australian War Memorial
𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝟏. Royal Australian Air Force, 2015, Plan Jericho, Canberra: Air and Space Power Centre. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF14-Plan-Jericho.pdf
𝟐. Royal Australian Air Force, 2016, Plan Jericho—Program of Work (2nd ed.), Canberra: Air and Space Power Centre. https://airpower.airforce.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-03/AF18-Plan-Jericho_Program-of-Works-2ndEd.pdf
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
• AWM pages provide organisational context and contemporary-era collection references relevant to modernisation.
• Primary detail on Jericho’s launch, aims, and governance comes from official Air Force publications and speeches.
• Independent reporting and retrospectives corroborate timing, intent, and subsequent evolution, complementing official records.