In September, senior strategic logistics representatives from Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand attended the Five Eyes (FVEYS) A4 Collaboration Forum in Darwin, the Northern Territory.
Hosted by Director General Logistics - Air Force Air Commodore Sandy Turner, this year's theme was 'Strength in Partnership - Agile, Integrated, Ready', and provided an opportunity to strengthen trusted partnerships and advance logistics interoperability across the FVEYS A4 Collaboration Forum air domain.
Air Commodore Turner said the FVEYS A4 Collaboration Forum provided logistics representatives from each nation with an opportunity to build on the relationships and mutual trust that their predecessors have built.
"The ability to meet face to face and have frank and honest conversations about the barriers and challenges facing each of our nations is incredibly important," Air Commodore Turner said.
"The forum ensures that we can operate together - both through competition and in times of conflict if we need to. We share the same values and goal, which is to ensure stability and peace in the region."
Director of Logistics to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection, Headquarters US Air Force, Major General Kenyon Bell, said the forum provided an opportunity to establish a competitive advantage for success, should the FVEYS nations go beyond competition together.
"Logistics wins wars," Major General Bell said.
He said recent conflicts had shown that the ability to sustain an operation was directly tied to the configuration and readiness of logistics and sustainment systems.
"So as we come together at this forum to figure out logistics, we're going to be able to make sure that we do not outpace our ability to sustain ourselves from an operational standpoint," Major General Bell said.
'Logistics wins wars.'
The five-day forum began with each representative presenting their national update, with each nation echoing similar emerging challenges.
Director Air and Space Support, Royal Canadian Air Force, Colonel Marc Comeau, said the forum helped each nation understand and recognise that their problems are not unique and that they shared similar issues - just from different parts of the world.
"From a FVEYS perspective, and internally, we are not going to be able to resolve some of our issues on our own because we are a small military," Colonel Comeau said.
"But together, we are much stronger. We are able to identify those gaps and fill them. Not necessarily with a Canadian-flagged capability, but with FVEYS partners or solutions that we're able to come up [with] together.
"We have to recognise what we can do, what we can't do and how we help each other."
Throughout the week, many of the discussions explored learned outcomes from previous FVEYS exercises and planning for future exercises that will shape logistics interoperability initiatives between the five nations.
Head of Engineering and Logistics, Headquarters Royal Air Force, Air Commodore Craig Watson, said exercises are important to test the logistics systems, which are often the key to success in warfighting.
"We need to understand where our logistics is most important, where we need to work more closely with our partners and the best way to maximise our interoperability," Air Commodore Watson said.
"Whether that's cross servicing of aircraft between different nations, sharing of bases, understanding supply chains and where we can help each other with provision of fuel, parts or munitions.
"The more we can exercise and operate together seamlessly, the more effective deterrence we can provide to potential adversaries."
Logistics Commander - Air, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Group Captain Adam Death, reiterated the importance of training for the fight.
"You have got to train like you mean to fight," Group Captain Death said.
"Without the opportunity to train, engage and integrate with our partners, we run the risk of learning on the run."
'You have got to train like you mean to fight.'
Group Captain Death said the forum had prompted a shift in training mindset - from a 'just-in-time' model focused on efficiency to a 'just-in-case' approach prioritising effectiveness. Exercises and operations, he added, were invaluable opportunities to prepare for that shift.
More than 50 personnel across the five nations attended the forum, which included a tour of Darwin, insights into the city's military history, a visit to RAAF Base Tindal and a smoking ceremony performed by a Larrakia man.
Discussions over the week focused on improving coalition sustainment readiness, accelerating interoperability and enhancing collective responsiveness to emerging threats.
"The logistics branch is broad - from feeding and clothing our aviators, to munitions and infrastructure, so understanding our capability is critical," Air Commodore Turner said.
"Forums such as this - where we work across the Defence organisation, across the enterprise and with partners - ensure we continue to learn.
"We share knowledge, put injects in, and we deliberately try to test the logistics system.
"We keep learning and keep testing to ensure we have the resources we need, because there is a significant impact if we don't get it right."
