138 Signal Sqaudron
The 138th Signal Squadron – An insight to the past, present and future – CPL M. Houlihan, SIG T. Riedel and SIG A. Markley
Throughout its dynamic history, the 138th Signal Squadron (138 Sig Sqn) has thrived under a vast range of technologies, structures and missions. In January next year, the unit will transform again to become Army’s first dedicated Defensive Cyber Squadron. From its original role providing strategic communications in World War II, to its approaching responsibility as the pioneering cyber capability in Army, one of the few constants in the unit’s tumultuous history has been the adaptability and professionalism of its soldiers.
The origins of 138 Sig Sqn can be traced back to World War II, where increasing use of line and radios created a need to establish a strategic communication site in Melbourne. During 1947, two units were merged into Army Headquarters Signals Regiment, later becoming known as the 403rd Signal Regiment. The unit occupied various locations throughout Victoria, including Victoria Barracks and Albert Park, and in 1960 was relocated to Simpson Barracks. In 1965 the unit was reborn as the 6th Signal Regiment.
In 1992 the digital revolution saw the 6th Signal Regiment establish a node on the Defence Integrated Secure Communications Network (DISCON). The shift away from radio saw the unit adapt to new digital switching technologies and deliver advanced satellite communication services. Over time increased use of remote messaging, coupled with emerging internet technologies, saw DISCON superseded and the Melbourne switch closed. On 31 December 1994 the 6th Signal Regiment was disbanded, but 138th Signal Squadron remained as an independent unit to deliver strategic communications as the Defence Communications Station – Melbourne (DCS-M).
The next few years saw the unit transition through many different stages of operating capabilities. Over time, the requirement for satellite interfaces reduced and in 2015 the final satellite dish at DCS-M was removed. The future of the unit remained uncertain, with persistent rumors of closure and deferral of services to external tactical interface sites. These rumours have at last been put to rest, as from January 2019 responsibility for the operation and mission of DCS-M will transition to the control of the 136th Signal Squadron at Defence Communication Station – Brisbane. 138 Sig Sqn will start a new chapter in its proud history as Army’s first Defensive Cyber Squadron, under the 7th Signal Regiment of the 6th Combat Support Brigade.
Time and time again, 138 Sig Sqn has proven its ability to embrace change and adapt to new challenges in order to achieve its mission. The transition to cyberspace operations is another welcome opportunity for the unit to again prove its capacity as a frontrunner of change within the Corps.
1st Combat Signal Regiment
By LT Samuel Howard & LT Douglas Home
The 1st Combat Signal Regiment has had an exciting, challenging and rewarding year whilst in the Reset Phase of the Force Generation Cycle. Whilst termed Reset, the year was anything but restful, and throughout the year, members of the Regiment deployed to areas around the globe, including the Middle East, Timor-Leste, and Malaysia, and supported Army unit’s training all around Australia. The year started with a plethora of individual training courses, focused on the introduction into service of new capabilities such as the new Battlefield Telecommunications Network and updates to the Battlespace Management Systems. Additionally, a focus on individual promotion courses saw a record number of the Regiment undertake career progression courses, enabling a new crop of junior leaders to be put through their paces.
During the period 14 – 25 May 18, 105 Signal Squadron and Support Squadron deployed on Exercise Predators Walk to the Mount Bundy Training Area in support of the 1st Brigade DCUs. This exercise proved to be an important milestone for both sub-units, enabling them to rehearse deployment and occupation in a field environment. Foundation Warfighting Training conducted throughout the exercise honed the basic All-Corps skills of the signallers and support members. This was an excellent opportunity to shake out for the majority of the Regiment, setting them in good stead for Exercise Predators Run 18 later in the year.
On 01 June 18, members of the 104th Signal Squadron took to the Shoal Water Bay Training Area to support the Exercise Control elements conducting planning and co-ordination of Exercise Hamel 18. 104th Signal Squadron personnel supplied safety communications via voice and data, as well as communication systems including the Defence Restricted Network (DRN) and the Defence Secret Network (DSN), allowing the safe and effective conduct of the Exercise.
On return from Hamel, members from the Regiment were involved in the 1st Brigade’s Military Skills competition. This competition comprised of activities that are typically conducted during initial military training. These activities included but were not limited to an obstacle course to assess a section’s teamwork, navigation by night and day to assess the ability of the section to patrol and navigate, and WTSS shoots to assess marksmanship. Overall the 1st Combat Signal Regiment did not win the competition, however all participants displayed very good soldiering, leaving the Regiment extremely proud of our Signallers and JNCOs.
Whilst the Military Skills competition was underway, the rest of the Regiment was rapidly preparing to drive from the Northern Territory to South Australia, for a month, to participate in the 1st Brigade’s shakeout as part of Exercise Predators Run 18.
This exercise enabled the redesign of the Brigade Headquarters and the validation of all the individual training conducted throughout the year. On return to Darwin, it was all hands on deck to prepare for cyclone season, validate the Battlefield Telecommunications Network and prepare to handover for the large turnover of personnel in 2019.
Between exercises the Regiment found time to give back to the local community as well as providing support to external Units. Members of the Regiment assisted with the clean up after Tropical Cyclone Marcus tore through the Northern Territory, supported the reinvigoration of the Darwin Hospital Hospice gardens for the fourth year in a row, and conducted community engagements with both the STARS Foundation and with The Essington International School. Select signallers were also given the opportunity to support NORFORCE over Exercise Coburg Job, experiencing the challenges of operating in remote areas of the Northern Territory.
STARS Program – 1st Combat Signals Squadron Indigenous Outreach – LT Mitchell Futcher
Over the past two years the 1st Combat Signal Regiment has had the privilege of building a remarkable relationship with the Casuarina Senior Colleges “STARS” Program. STARS is a young female indigenous program held within the college; aimed at providing support to young women with an Indigenous background within the Northern Territory. The program helps the girls with academics, sports aspirations, family life and personal goals. The main effort of the program is to have the girls’ graduate high school with the overall aim of attending further education at university.
The Regiment was given the opportunity to become involved in 2017 and have continued to engage with the program on many different levels. The aim of our involvement is to expose the girls to a different type of organisation and community, being the ADF.
In 2018, the program realigned their goals with our own and made a step by step plan in order to best benefit not only the STARs girls, but the members of the Regiment.
The year started with engagements at the college where the young girls felt most comfortable. To begin with the engagements were mainly focused on non-contact sport, such as basketball and dodgeball. This allowed the girls to build self confidence in a known location, while also engaging with the soldiers of the Regiment in a very social setting. Once the girls were comfortable with our members, they were invited to Robertson Barracks for a tour of the Regiment and Brigade, including rides on PMVs and briefs on what we do as Signallers. This allowed the girls to see us in a different light and exposed them to the everyday running of the Regiment.
The last step in the program was a team building activity that was conducted on Robertson Barracks. This involved running through the obstacle course in small teams, as well as other team building activities held within the Night Training Facility. This being the culminating activity of the year challenged the girls mentally and physically with quick decision tasks, physical duress and team problems.
Overall the year has provided a great result with the girls and our members. The girls were able to connect with our members on numerous occasions throughout the year which allowed for maximum exposure to the ADF and a better understanding of our soldiers. The program also helped our soldiers develop their public speaking skills, plan group activities and above all, mentor young members of the STARS program.
The STARS will continue to operate with members of the 1st Combat Signal Regiment throughout 2019 and will look to further build on the accomplishments of the previous years. Many thanks to the members of the 1st Combat Signal Regiment who volunteered their time in order to ensure smooth running of activities, and for building an enduring relationship with the STARS program.
The Signaller Alexander Young Battlefield Communications Wing opening
Signalman Alexander Young enlisted in the Australian Regular Army on 26th September 1966 and served in the 104th Signal Squadron. Signalman Young fought with the 1st Joint Task Force at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam and was killed in action on 16th May 1968 whilst defending Fire Support Base Coral and Balmoral against numerous assaults and heavy bombardment.
In commemoration of Signalman Young’s valour and sacrifice, the 1st Combat Signal Regiment opened the new Battlefield Communications Wing, and dedicated it to his memory. The dedication consisted of a morning tea followed by an excellent presentation on the battle of Coral and Balmoral in the Rowell Theatre from Mr Dennis Hare, a Vietnam veteran and friend of Signalman Young.
Guests, including Signalman Young’s sister, Mrs Lynette Hale, and her husband, were invited back to the 1st Combat Signal Regiment
for the opening ceremony parade and official opening of the building by the Forces Command G6, Colonel Darren Moore. The day finished with lunch and the presentation of Signalman Young’s Unit Commendation for Gallantry, which was presented to his sister by the Commanding Officer 1st Combat Signal Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Daven Pettersen.
1st Signal Regiment
Project Lali Exercise Longreach – By MAJ C. Leckie
Opportunities for members of the 1st Signal Regiment to participate in interesting and varied activities in equally interesting and varied locations around the world have continued in 2018. This year the Regiment has had people travel the length and breadth of Australia from Perth to Shoalwater Bay as well as internationally from Port Moresby to South Sudan and numerous places in between. These activities have included planned operations, exercises, short notice support to Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Recovery (HADR) operations and exchanges with other militaries.
In August 2018 four members of the Regiment deployed to the Kingdom of Tonga as part of Exercise LONGREACH and Project LALI. Exercise LONGREACH is a Headquarters 1st Division led HADR planning activity that seeks to improve the preparedness for and response to natural disasters. With the wide scale damage from February’s Tropical Cyclone GITA still clearly visible, the importance of activities such as LONGREACH was reinforced to all participants. Project LALI supports the military communications of His Majesty’s Armed Forces (HMAF) as part of the Defence Cooperation Program. The teams visit this year is the fifth time that members of the Regiment have visited Tonga since 2013, including the deployment of LCPL Matthew Dodd in the aftermath of TC GITA earlier this year.
The team consisted of technician SGT Paul Farrell, geek CPL Liam Hodges, operator LCPL Adrian Bendall and myself. The team visited four of the HMAFs sites, three of which were on the main island of Tongatapu and one on the island of Va’vau, as well as the headquarters of the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) in the capital Nuku’alofa. The team conducted fault finding and fault rectification, provided technical assistance to the HMAFs Communications and Information Technology (CIT) sub unit as well as completing a communications mapping activity.
The deployment wasn’t all hard work. The team managed to enjoy some of Tonga’s hospitality and natural beauty. Memorable activities included snorkelling on coral reefs, swimming in the crystal clear water of a limestone cave, swimming with whales and enjoying a traditional Tongan ‘umu’ banquet.
Visiting the HMAF reinforced just how well resourced the Australian Army is, the quality of our training system and the relative effectiveness of our supporting systems. Whilst the members of the HMAF are as enthusiastic and dedicated as their Australian peers, the HMAF lacks many of the resources which we take for granted. The Regiment is currently planning for future iterations of Project LALI with upgrades and maintenance of the HMAFs communications infrastructure being proposed. This is a great professional opportunity for those involved as well providing a very real positive impact for both the HMAF and people of Tonga.
3rd Combat Signal Regiment
By CO 3CSR
Introduction
The 3rd Combat Signal Regiment (3 CSR) has had a demanding but rewarding twelve months as the Ready Brigade in support of ADF operations, contingency tasks and 3rd Brigade training. As the Mounting Unit for Theatre Communications Group 5 (TCG-5) and Theatre Communications Group 6 (TCG-6) over the period August 2017 – September 2018, 3 CSR provided the Regimental Headquarters to lead TCG-5 and deployed both the 102nd Signal Squadron (102 Sig Sqn) and 103rd Signal Squadron (103 Sig Sqn) as the Expeditionary Communications Squadron. Throughout both deployments, the tempo in support of the 3rd Brigade has not slowed down with our signallers, logisticians and support staff supporting the Joint Land Series, Contingency Force Elements, introduction into service of new capabilities, and a growing number of support tasks across Army. On the 8 October 2018, 3 CSR paraded for the first time in over twelve months as a complete unit, finalising the transition of the Regiment to the Reset Brigade for the next 12 months.
Support to operations
3 CSR members deployed across multiple operations in the Middle East Region (MER), not just as part of TCG-5 and TCG-6. 3 CSR members also deployed with Task Group Taji on OP OKRA and the Force Protection Element as ‘guardian angel’ on OP HIGHROAD. The latter in particular demonstrates the need for a soldier first mentality as the female soldiers deployed in this role were required to focus on all-corps soldier skills and mission specific combat skills.
The TCG-5 and TCG-6 rotations were comprised of members from 3 CSR with significant contributions from 1 Combat Communications Squadron (RAAF) and the 145th Signal Squadron. Throughout these rotations, members from 3 CSR were exposed to the largest CIS upgrade across MER since 2010. This reinforces the reality that as a Corps we are constantly changing and reliant on the most up-to-date technology in order to enhance command and control, or to protect our information. In the finest traditions of the Regiment, 3 CSR members proved they are more than capable of transferring their technical aptitude when learning new information systems, bearers, or following unfamiliar governance processes in order to support operations.
The first major activity for 3 CSR for 2018 was Ex SOUTHERN JACKAROO 18 in May. 102 Sig Sqn deployed multiple retrans detachments, Battlegroup Support Sections, Liaison Officers and the 3rd Brigade Forward Headquarter nodes to Townsville Field Training Area to support a multinational combined arms training exercise between the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, Japanese Ground Self Defence Force (JGSDF) and the ADF. TCG-5 members returning from post deployment leave had two weeks preparation prior to 102 Sig Sqn’s field deployment, displaying the readiness and professionalism of 3 CSR as the Ready Regiment. The exercise provided an opportunity for 3 CSR to get “back to basics” and offered a change of pace from the mission specific training the soldiers had last been exposed to since the completion of Ex HAMEL 17. The focus of the exercise for 3 CSR was on Brigade Combat Radio Systems (CRS) and Tactical Communications Networks (TCN) in support of Combat Team defensive, urban and live fire activities in a coalition environment. Of note,SIG Courtney Daniel was awarded a USMC Commendation for her exceptional work with G Coy, 2nd Bn, 4th Marines as the Liaison Officer’s Signaller. The exercise also provided an opportunity to invest time in
Mission Secret Network and P-BTN skills. Specifically, the soldiers focused on configuration management and network monitoring to gain a deeper understanding of the system capability so as to maintain 3 CSR’s reputation of technical excellence in support of tactical actions.
Ex Hamel 18
3rd Brigade went face-to-face with 7th Brigade as the peer adversary for HAMEL 18 in June 2018, with the intent to provide a challenging and realistic training environment in which to certify 7th Brigade. The exercise was also the first employment of Army’s new adversary construct – Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE) – implemented as a replacement to the traditional Musorian environment. 102 Sig Sqn deployed in support of 3rd Brigade force elements to enable the training of 7th Brigade in a peer adversary DATE construct. Straight away, the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) terrain and weather provided its usual unique challenges for both vehicles and line-of-sight communications capabilities, requiring technical innovation and tactical acumen to find the right balance that supported the Commander’s plan for battle across a large number of dispersed force elements.
The 3rd Brigade task was to conduct a delaying defence from Raspberry Creek towards Williamson Airfield against the advancing 7th Brigade. During the exercise 3 CSR communications systems were increasingly targeted by Electronic Warfare effects from both 7th Signal Regiment (EW) and RAAF platforms, reinforcing the need for RA Sigs to fight in a congested and contested electromagnetic spectrum. The Battle Management System (BMS) network was the foundation of the Brigade command and control (C2) for Ex HAMEL 18, including the BMS integration with the Mission Secret Network (MSN). The BMS network success was based on a shared responsibility across all trades and ranks in the Brigade in order to utilise it to its full potential. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the 3rd Brigade (including the final stand of a formation node troop in a dismounted infantry role), 7th Brigade were ultimately victorious. Regardless, Ex HAMEL 18 provided an excellent opportunity to develop 3 CSR experience and skills in tactical and strategic CIS systems.
Sports and training
3 CSR have been committed to physical and mental resilience training throughout 2018. 3 CSR have had steady participation in the Vasey Resilience Centre Peak Performance Program and conducted adventure training both in Townsville and further afield. The Regiment achieved a respectable placing in the Commander 3rd Brigade’s Trophy and Sporting Competition, a good result considering operational commitments and that the unit is the smallest within the Brigade.
3 CSR soldiers have been selected to represent Army and ADF in a range of sporting and representational activities. 3 CSR soldiers had representation in France as part of the Centenary of ANZAC Commemorations and the Chief of Army’s World War One Commemorative activities in Canberra. Selected individuals represented 3 CSR and Army to compete in the ADF Championships in Aussie Rules Football, Touch, Golf, Softball, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Individual efforts for innovation were also recognised in the Commander 3rd Brigade’s Innovation Day, with two innovations being selected to be presented to the Chief of Army Innovation Day.
Recognitions
Bert III. The first SIG Albert Lane in 1988 was named after WO2 Albert William Lane OAM, a Signaller who served from 1957 to 1982. WO2 Albert William Lane OAM sadly passed away this year on 24 February, however his memory and contribution to the Signals Corps will live on through the 3 CSR Mascot. The current SIG Albert Lane III (Bert III) enlisted in the Army after the untimely death of both Bert I and Bert II in vehicle accidents. Bert remains a Signaller despite her growing obedience under the tutelage of her handler, CPL Miller, and is suitable for promotion in the next 18 months if she stops her continued biting of terrified duty staff as they clean her aviary.
Soldier medallions. 3 CSR awarded soldier medallions to CPL Alderson and SIG Sherring.
Regiment outlook 2019
The Regiment has shifted focus in the Reset phase of the Force Generation Cycle, where individual training, introduction into service of new capabilities and supporting collective training for Army will take precedence. The Regiment will be challenged to balance force generation and force modernisation tasks in the next twelve months, as the Regiment introduces into service the Protected Mobility Vehicle – Light, Mission Partner Environment, Integrated Battlefield Telecommunications Network and improvements to deployed mission systems. In addition, 3 CSR will participate in the Joint Warfighting Activity (JWA) in the US in 2019, testing our technical interoperability with the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand in a mission partner environment. JWA offers an excellent opportunity to work closely with our coalition partners in a challenging environment. 2019 is shaping to be another demanding and challenging twelve months for the soldiers of 3 CSR, as the Regiment starts to prepare for Ex HAMEL 20 and operational deployments in 2020.
7th Combat Signal Regiment
Introduction
2018, much the same as 2017, was an extremely busy year for the 7th Combat Signal Regiment (7 CSR), with the Unit well and truly entering the READY phase. The year so far has seen 7 CSR support the 7th Combat Brigade throughout the INTEGRATED SEA LAND SERIES (ISLS) of exercises while simultaneously integrating IBTN into the deployed HQ for the first time, extending the Mission Partner Environment (MPE) and Battle Management System (BMS) desktops into the 7 BDE HQ, and force preparing and deploying 139 SIG SQN on Theatre Communications Group-7 (TCG-7). In addition to this, and expanding on the electronic scheme of manoeuvre developments of 2017, testing was conducted by members of 7 CSR on EX HAMEL 18 to determine the impacts of a satellite communication (SATCOM) denied environment on strategic communications. As we enter the final months of the year, the tempo does not let up as we commence force preparation activities for RHQ and 140 SIG SQN to deploy on TCG-8.
Integrated Sea Land Series 2018 – By WO1 Gregory Herdson
This year, Ex HAMEL fell under the umbrella of ISLS18, certifying the 7th Combat Brigade (aka “Latte Brigade”) as the Ready Brigade, pitting them against the formidable 3rd Combat Brigade in Shoalwater Bay. This year also saw 8/9 RAR as the Ground Combat Element (GCE) of the Amphibious Task Group (ATG) as well as the integration of the 1/293rd Battalion, Indiana National Guard (aka The Nightfighters). The challenge of enabling the complex C2 requirements was left to 7 CSR, who were also juggling the mounting of TCG-7, the loss of digitised vehicles through Plan KEOGH as well as the introduction of the Integrated Battlefield Telecommunications Network (IBTN) equipment as part of JP2072 Ph2B.
The dispersion of nodes across Shoalwater Bay, E&IG Rockhampton and Gallipoli Barracks presented the Regiment and S6 cell with some unique planning considerations for the use of IBTN, strategic interfaces, BMS and Combat Radio System (CRS) communications. Notably, in a first for the 7th Combat Brigade, the ISLS18 presented the Regiment with the opportunity to use Timed Division Multiple Access (TDMA) as a bearer for all deployable networks, enabling BMS to mesh into the Mission Secret Network (MSN).
As 139 SIG SQN was busy preparing to deploy on TCG-7, support to the ISLS18 fell almost entirely on 140 SIG SQN and a downsized Logistics Support Squadron (LSS). In another first, IBTN completely replaced PBTN, integrating MSN and DLAN across the Shoalwater Bay Training Area. This made the management and reallocation of strategic bearers controllable from the CCG with almost nil engagement with, or approvals required from, strategic sites. The IBTN excelled in facilitating the automatic and seamless transition between primary and alternate pathways, showing that even in a satellite denied environment a well-constructed WBLOS network linked to a terrestrial backbone is capable of acting as the primary pathway for a deployed force.
To support all this data moving across the AO, 7 CSR employed a network of WBLOS nodes to facilitate a microwave system extending from outside the training area and throughout the AO. Due to the fact that the WBLOS nodes were incorporated into the existing retransmission detachments, the ECN 662s found themselves quickly adjusting to their new role as WBLOS equipment controllers. This was due to a combination of manning constraints and the increased burden of the WBLOS masts, such as increased signature, setup times and power requirements.
To compensate for the loss of dedicated retransmission platforms, 7 CSR debuted its own in house retransmission solution in the form of a Field LOS Integration Platform (FLIP) as well as a Radio in a Box (RIAB) prototype from EYELEX. Use of this equipment was primarily in static sites with support from PMCVs which allowed 7 CSR to be able to keep the network ahead of the manoeuvre instead of the other way around.
If getting the network stable wasn’t enough of a challenge, the added complexity of an active EW threat was thrown into the mix from 7th Signal Regiment, requiring 7th Combat Brigade to develop its capacity to fight in the electronic domain. The 7th Combat Brigade saw early on that it needed to have an effective Electronic Scheme of Manoeuvre (ESOM) to complement the war fighter’s tactical plan. 7 CSR, building on the lessons learnt over the previous years, developed the ESOM through the implementation across the Brigade of a simple number of EMCON states, which were imposed in support of the Brigade tactical plan. These states were designed to shield key electronic assets and the Brigade Centre of Gravity, shape the enemy by masking the Brigade disposition and disguise the Brigade’s intent. What EX HAMEL did reinforce was the need to treat the CSR as the lead organisation in the Brigade to conduct action in the electromagnetic spectrum as an ‘electronic’ Battlegroup.
Lastly, the ATG was also integrated into the BMS network. 8/9 RAR began the series as the GCE embarked on HMAS Canberra and were the test case for the first digital common operating picture upon transfer from the ATG to the land JTF. Contrary to expectations, the use of BMS BLOS and good planning allowed 8/9 RAR to transition ashore and integrate into the 7th Combat Brigade BMS network with relative ease.
The constraints imposed on the Regiment by TCG force preparation and equipment shortfalls proved challenging but workable for the duration of Ex HAMEL 18. Overall, a touch of Southern Army innovation, a splash of latte fuelled creativity and a strong work ethic enabled 7 CSR to achieve a great great result given limited manning and equipment. The integration of IBTN, WBLOS and BMS BLOS proved to be a great success, allowing 7 Combat Brigade to overcome adversity and defeat the 3rd Combat Brigade.
SATCOM denied environment on EX Hamel 2018 – By LT Russell Brien
In 2017, research and development was conducted by 7 CSR into an electronic scheme of manoeuvre (ESOM), specifically relating to how a Brigade’s tactical command and control can continue to operate in a contested environment. This contested environment is one where communications may not be feasible due to enemy actions such as jamming, collection or direction finding. The next phase of this research sought to identify methods of maintaining strategic communications and high capacity data links when satellite communication (SATCOM) is denied.
The testing was conducted during EX HAMEL 18, following a Brigade deliberate action involving multiple battlegroups moving independently. This time was chosen for the testing to ensure network traffic would be realistic. A mesh of High Capacity Line of Sight (HCLOS) radios were established within the training area at key headquarters locations and terminating at Rockhampton where a terrestrial interface was available to connect to the wired telecom network.
For a period of six hours, the satellite bearers at each headquarters were disconnected entirely.
This meant that all traffic that would usually exit the node via satellite was forced over the HCLOS mesh back to Rockhampton. Using network interrogation tools available on IBTN, we were able to determine that the bandwidth consumption remained under 50% for all links in the battlespace. This meant that all users in the headquarters were able to perform their functions seamlessly without the use of SATCOM. HCLOS works by establishing a point to point microwave link that is able to provide high throughput over a narrow beam. Due to the narrow beamwidth of HCLOS, it is particularly resistant to electronic warfare threats. Due to the meshed nature of the network, even if multiple links are denied or degraded, as long as there is a routable path to the destination, the data will still arrive. The management software used with the system will inform the Signallers that a link is underperforming and that network traffic has been re-routed. This all occurs automatically, dramatically increasing the usability and survivability of the network.
This capability gives a new way for headquarters nodes to pass strategic data without the use of SATCOM. Previously, alternate pathways had to be engineered and left at standby, with manual configuration changes required to get users back on the network. With HCLOS as a redundant link, if a satellite were to be destroyed or become otherwise unusable, network users could continue to use the systems without noticing any impact on the network’s functionality. Additionally, the ability to operate without SATCOM is monumental for the electromagnetic scheme of manoeuvre. Satellite bearer emissions are a highly reliable indicator for a command and control location; however, now that these nodes can operate without a SATCOM link, this is no longer the case. This opens up means of concealment, deception and shaping that were not previously available.
7 CSR will continue to conduct research and development into an electronic scheme of manoeuvre, aiming to ensure new communications capabilities contribute to a battlespace narrative in support of the Commander’s intent. No longer can Signals ‘just provide the network’.
72 EW Sqn, 7th Signal Regiment
Manoeuvring in the Electromagnetic Spectrum: Lessons from EX HAMEL 18 – By MAJ A. Gough
Featured Article
Treating the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) as a manoeuvre domain is a necessity for success on the modern battlefield. The EMS is a critical resource which enables a range of military capability from basic radio communications to advanced weapon geolocation and precision timing. The force which can dominate, control and influence the use of the EMS holds the advantage of dictating the options available to an adversary to employ advanced weapons and beyond line of sight C3. The Royal Australian Corps of Signals is in a unique position of being the custodians of the Australian Army’s CIS and EW capabilities, enabling the Army to quickly experiment and develop its concepts for EMS manoeuvre operations. EX HAMEL 18 represented a significant stepping stone in this development. This exercise taught valuable lessons on the importance of integrating friendly force use of the EMS while simultaneously influencing the enemy’s freedom of action. The Australian Army is at the leading edge of the Five Eyes partners in understanding the implications of manoeuvring in the EMS but to continue this lead we must ensure we share experiences and foster intellectual debate across the Corps on how to progress this concept. This article provide a summary of the critical observations, lessons learned and suggested pathways for future development as a starting point to share recent experiences.
CIS/EW Cross-training serials
Fundamental to the successful integration during EX HAMEL 18 was the conduct of combined CIS/EW field training activities during the road to HAMEL. These activities were based on the Raise, Train, and Sustain (RTS) requirements for the EW Sqn. To support this, a Radio Troop was assigned as the OPFOR to enable EW collection and targeting operations. To assist in the provision of a realistic scenario for the EW operators, the Radio Tp Comd was provided a level of freedom to implement Electronic Protection (EP). The effectiveness of these EP measures were provided back to the Tp Comd to assist in improving awareness of the capabilities and limitations of EW collection in a real-world environment.
Lessons learned
a. The interaction between ECN 663 and ECN 662 soldiers in an adversarial but collaborative environment improved awareness of the capabilities and limitations of EW collection systems enhancing CIS Electronic Protection (EP) and signature management procedures.
b. The practical nature of exercise provided more effective training outcomes than information briefs or written SOP/TTP guides as it demonstrated real-world employment.
c. Soldiers and junior officers were receptive of the practical exposure of EW target development and Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) processes.
Future development
a. Normalise the participation of CSR soldiers in EW training serials. This will require analysis to synchronise EW and CIS exercise schedules to identify mutual opportunities and avoid exercise fatigue.
b. EW elements continue to reach-out and facilitate the education of CIS elements of EW capability. This must include practical and open demonstrations of EW capability including target development and analysis processes.
c. Participation by CSR planning staff on the Introduction to Land EW course to increase their understanding of EW processes. This will improve the ability of CSR staff to contribute to Bde BOS analysis.
d. Embedding of CSR soldiers into LEWTs during Bde exercises to provide hands-on exposure to EW operations and assist with skill shortages such as PMV drivers for EW elements. This will require management of security clearances and compartment briefings.
CIS / EW contribution to reverse BOS analysis
Observation. A critical component of the 7 Cbt Bde’s planning processes was the conduct of detailed reverse BOS analysis requiring all staff to support the development of the enemy plan rather than the S2 cell in isolation. This analysis enabled the identification of key risks and opportunities by forcing planners to develop realistic and contestable enemy CIS plans based on the assessment of enemy manoeuvre. As part of this process the CIS planners would identify Most Likely /Most Dangerous (ML/MD) locations for critical enemy C3 nodes such as HQ and Retransmission (RTx) sites. The EW Liaison Officer (EWLO) would complete the same process for ML/MD enemy EW assets. This process enabled the detailed analysis of the enemy Courses of Action (COA) for CIS and EW enhancing the Bde ISR, targeting, and manoeuvre plans by providing locations and indicators for En C3 infrastructure.
It also enabled CIS planners to enhance the manoeuvre plan by analysing and advising commanders on the degradation of services by identifying what services were most critical if destroyed, denied, disrupted or degraded.
Lessons learned
a. The development of contestable CIS and EW plans during EX HAMEL 18 improved the ISR and targeting cycles by providing locations and indicators (physical and electronic) of likely En C3 nodes.
b. The collaboration between CIS and EW planners enabled the development of electronic deception plans aimed at obfuscating En EW sensors. This resulted in CIS plans enhancing the Bde manoeuvre plan rather than just enabling them.
c. Analysis of the impact of the En MD EW COA on Fr CIS improved the ability of CIS planners to identify risks and mitigations to Fr C3 and create proactive PACE plans synchronised with manoeuvre control measures.
Future development
a. To improve the utility of this process, the CIS planner should complete the En ML CIS COA (the plan of most utility to the En) and the EWLO complete the MD CIS COA (the plan least likely to support Fr EW collection). Using the same process the EWLO completes the ML EW COA (the plan most effective for the En) and the CIS planner completes the MD EW COA (the one most detrimental to Fr C3). This naturally creates the requirement for close collaboration between CIS and EW planners as well as producing CIS and EW plans with greater fidelity for the Bde.
b. Investigate the inclusion of a contestability or reverse BOS process as part of the Signals planning processes taught at DFSS. The reverse BOS process proved an excellent tool to synchronise CIS with manoeuvre and enable CIS planners to enhance the Bde’s plans. This process is not doctrine and has been developed and tested during HAMEL 18 therefore the subject matter expertise on the conduct and effectiveness of the process is limited. However, the utility of the process was captured by CTC and is already being suggested to 1 Bde to incorporate into their planning processes. The benefit of the process to force CIS/EW integration to aid operational planning cannot be understated.
EW contribution to CIS planning
Observation. During the development of CIS specific plans EW and CIS planners collaborated to identify risks and mitigations to enhance the survivability and resilience of Fr CIS concepts. This was achieved through the EWLO red-teaming the developed CIS and EMCON plans to identify the risks of En EW. This process enable CIS planners to clearly articulate residual CIS risks and mitigations to the Commander as well as develop EMCON plans which were threat based. It also enabled CIS planners and manoeuvre commanders to plan for network degradation and control the application of the PACE plan through detailed control measures rather just through reaction to network failures.
CIS/EW Cross-training serials
Lessons learned
a. Red-teaming CIS plans enables CIS planners to be proactive in the management of network disruptions.
b. Communicating CIS risk to manoeuvre commanders with mitigated service degradation through the PACE plan enabled greater understanding of the control mechanisms manoeuvre commanders needed to specify and include in their orders.
c. CIS plans benefited from EW input to provide awareness of the risks of En EW detection and targeting of the Fr CIS plan. This enhanced the Bde signature management and improved the use of the EMCON to respond to assessed threats.
Future evelopment
a. CIS red-teaming should be an emphasis point during CIS planning serials conducted during Subject Two and Officer courses at DFSS. However, this approach should be broader than just focussing on EW threats and can be applied to other risk factors in the network such as equipment or environmental risks.
b A greater emphasis on developing a credible En CIS/EW capability to be used in the training environment is required. This would require students to consider the impacts of En (or coalition / partner forces in a HADR scenario) use of the EMS/Cyber domain. With these consideration CIS planners could then look to exploit opportunities based on the way En CIS systems operate and identify areas where systems are likely to conflict. This would improve the risk definition of a congested EMS to known or high risk points of conflict, allowing greater depth in the analysis of Fr CIS requirements. The introduction of the DATE doctrine enables the training environment to leverage real-world systems to provide this threat CIS/EW capability. Overall this will improve the threat focus mindset of CIS/EW planners and reduce the emphasis of risk analysis based solely on internal or own system risk.
c. CSR / EW planners should collaborate on the development of Bde EMCON plans during major exercise / operational planning serials to ensure the EMCON results in the desired impact to En EW collection.
CIS/EW contribution Bde Electronic Scheme of Manoeuvre (ESOM) and deception plans.
Observations. 7 Cbt Bde focussed on the synchronisation of manoeuvre with electronic signature management as part of the Bde deception and manoeuvre plans. This was termed as the Bde’s ESOM. The purpose of this was to control the information p resented to En EW, enabling the deliberate deception of these elements. CIS planners synchronised the development of the ESOM with the manoeuvre plan to ensure the Bde’s digital signature did not betray the Bde’s intent. The EWLO provided advice on how the ESOM could be perceived by En EW elements and what resources would be required to make the effect electronically convincing. This assisted in the efficient employment of resources to ensure assets were not wasted on emitting an effect that was unlikely to convince or be detected by En EW elements.
Lessons learned
a. The ESOM process demonstrated the concept of deceiving EW elements by focussing on the EW analysis process rather than its detection capability.
b. ESOM must be nested to the manoeuvre plan in the same manner as ISR, M&S and OS.
c. Although adherence to communications restrictions is important to deliver the effect, this is secondary to tactical considerations and authority to break restrictions must be clearly articulated to commanders.
Future development
a. The effectiveness of the ESOM concept as an EW deception technique needs further assessment. The lack of OPFOR EW depth and intangible nature of ESOM effects makes objective assessment difficult as there was no ability to corroborate ESOM plans with responses or detections by OPFOR. A method to confirm effectiveness is through O/Ts with oversight of BLUFOR and OPFOR to assess if deliberate ESOM plans resulted in reactions by OPFOR. It must also be recognised the achievement of effective ESOM extends beyond the actions the Bde and must be considered at the theatre and national levels due to the boundary-less nature of the information environment.
b. The utility of ESOM as a supporting concept to manoeuvre planning should continue to be investigated and refined as part of the EX HAMEL / TALISMAN SABRE series of exercises.
EX HAMEL 18 demonstrated the utility of CIS/EW integration in enhancing the Cbt Bde’s manoeuvre plans. Fundamental to continuing this progress is collaborative planning focussing on identifying CIS/EW risks and opportunities through reverse BOS analysis during the Bde planning process. The current focus on CIS/EW must be maintained and enhanced through habitual EW support to CSR planning and the participation of CSR elements into EW training serials. The development of a credible and realistic CIS/EW threat force will improve the ability of students to develop contestable CIS plans through the Subject 2 / Officer training continuum and improve the overall threat focus of CIS/EW planners.
Defence Force School of Signals
Becoming and effective signaller – By Corps & Advanced Trg Wing, DFSS
RA Sigs Reflections: Troop Commanders, Regimental Signals Officers and Sub-Unit Commanders on their experiences and observations
There are many lessons that can be learned through the everyday experiences of leaders, managers and staff officers. However, despite the wealth of knowledge our predecessors can offer, we often fail to learn from the experiences of those that have gone before us. Valuable insights, even the most basic or seemingly intuitive, are routinely lost through the churn of Army’s posting cycle and our operational tempo.
The following is a collection of observations and reflections from Royal Australian Corps of Signals (RA Sigs) members that have recently completed postings as either a Troop Commander, Regimental Signals Officer (RSO) or Sub-Unit Commander. These positions can present many challenges and opportunities; a number of which are common to the all-corps environment and some which are unique to RA Sigs. The inherently technical nature of the Corps requires RA Sigs members to: develop and maintain specialised knowledge and skills; to possess particularly effective oral and written communication abilities; and to effectively manage the careers of soldiers with varied trade training requirements. The observations and experiences below are intended to assist other RA Sigs officers to navigate the challenges specific to the Corps by reflecting on lessons learned from previous incumbents.
Reflections from RA Sigs Troop Commanders
Technical requirements vs Command, Leadership and Management. An equilibrium between technical knowledge and command, leadership and management is achieved early in each RA Sigs Officer’s career, with this equilibrium adjusted to the individual requirements of their position. RA Sigs Troop Commanders should rely on their subject matter experts (Troop Sergeants and Corporals from the respective trades) to develop their technical knowledge. A Troop Commander’s technical knowledge will steadily increase as time progresses and experience grows. Therefore focusing efforts on understanding soldier management and administrative process flows has been identified as a good method to support soldiers and their welfare during the initial stages of Troop Command. Help expedite this by establishing a strong rapport with key squadron staff, troop hierarchy and other troop members. This enables the formation of a baseline from which a deeper understanding of other job aspects can be developed. Once this stage has been reached, one junior officer suggested spending an hour each day with soldiers from each trade to develop technical knowledge and a deeper understanding of communications capabilities and functions.
Understanding career management. Some junior officers noted that they lacked a comprehensive understanding of the career progression models for respective RA Sigs trades. This included requiring a greater appreciation of the All Corps Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Training Continuum, as well as a more detailed understanding of the optimal completion windows for trade and equipment-specific courses. This knowledge gap should be corrected by professional self-development through resources such as the Manual for Army Employments and Directorate of Soldier Career Management – Army, as well as by training generated through the chain of command.
Core deliverable focus. The focus of a troop should always be centred on its core role and this should drive everything they do. A reliable measure of this is the Personnel, Equipment and Training pie graph. If the team lacks experience, then the Troop Commander must provide opportunities to practice. If there is faulty equipment, repair of it must be made a priority. If the troop believes they are ‘good-to-go’, it is the responsibility of the Troop Commander to test them against their core deliverable. For a Combat Signal Regiment Formation Node Troop, this means a full technical rollout. The problems encountered, and the standards which are not met during the test, will guide the requirements for the next stages of training.
Create soldier certainty by quarantining time. Creating structure in the calendar provides the certainty soldiers need to develop and conduct innovative training. More specifically, a battle rhythm provides intent to Detachment Commanders and enables them to act in the absence of Troop Headquarters. Without such a system, a dynamic is created where soldiers consistently require further direction in order to commence work. One suggestion for a Formation Node was to consider allocating certain days to governance, creating an opportunity for the remaining weekdays to be devoted exclusively to training. It was noted that for this to be successful, support from Squadron Headquarters must be obtained in order to stop short-notice governance tasks from being allocated to the troop unless there are exceptional circumstances. The most frequently cited reason for junior non-commissioned officers not running detachment training is the perception that they are unable to isolate the required time due to ‘random tasks’. Further engagement across the unit is required to enable Workshops, Q-Store and other supporting elements to schedule administrative tasks around training time. Quarantined time gives soldiers the certainty they need to train, innovate and use their initiative.
Troop training. Reinforcement of skills and cross-training of trades is important and develops the understanding and competence of all personnel, including Troop Headquarter staff. Placing significant effort towards cross-training reduce the risk-to-mission of an individual as a single point of failure. An excellent time to achieve this is during stable periods in a field environment, i.e. once communication services and a battle rhythm have been established. The benefit of this training has broader implications as the cross-training of personnel assists in their integration with both small unit nodes supporting manoeuvre battlegroups and deployment of teams in support of Special Operations Command activities.
Briefing as a Communications Duty Officer (CDO). One of the most difficult aspects of RA Sigs Troop Command involves the requirement of a CDO to brief technical information to audiences with a varied understanding of technical and non-technical matters. The ability to articulate information clearly, accurately and with brevity, is essential. It also requires the briefer to possess a comprehensive understanding of the content being presented and its anticipated effects on the audience’s area of influence. Tailoring the information presented to the audience, be it the RA Sigs Squadron Operations Officer, the Brigade Headquarters Operations staff or visiting dignitaries, is an important skill which develops with experience and an understanding of the underpinning technologies. These skills are addressed during the CDO component of the RA Sigs Regimental Officer Basic Course, but require continual refinement and effort in order for personnel to become truly competent. The skills acquired as a CDO continue to benefit RA Sigs Officers through their
Captain, Major and staff officer years, yielding competent watch-keepers and officers confident and proficient at briefing members of a higher rank.
Foundation skills and professional self-development. Most RA Sigs junior officers reflected that they possess the requisite communication skills, technical knowledge and understanding of equipment capabilities to be ‘job-ready’ upon completion of their Regimental Officer Basic Course (ROBC) (notwithstanding unit-specific job requirements). However, it was acknowledged that individuals need to be responsible for their own continual professional self-development in order to remain abreast of emerging threats and capabilities. This includes learning concepts and technologies which may already be commonly used, but to which they have had limited exposure. This requires wide reading, engagement with peers, and identifying learning, education and training opportunities. While this should be supported by the chain of command, the professionalism of the Corps will ultimately be dependent on an individual’s willingness to invest in their own development. This is a theme reiterated at Defence Force School of Signals and is increasingly becoming a mantra across broader Army.
Reflections from Regimental Signals Officers
Communicating is the communications fundamental. RSOs should articulate information, issues and ideas in an easy-to-understand and meaningful manner, regardless of its technical nature. Failure to tailor information to the audience will frustrate supported personnel and not add value when conducting planning. br>
Know your worth. RSOs are posted into specific positions to provide specialist advice to the Commanding Officer. RSOs are highly qualified and trained officers in a complex field, and as such, are valuable to the effective functioning of the posted unit. Therefore building a strong relationship and trust with the Commanding Officer and Operations Officer early is crucial to ensure they understand your skillset and are able to rely on you to deliver it. Whilst an RSO is not required to be technically brilliant, it is important that you are confident in your ability to effectively plan communications. As communications systems develop in complexity, the RSO is critical to creating an integrated and robust communications plan. Becoming an integral member in the Operations Cell, and contributing subject matter expert knowledge when relevant planning is conducted, sets the conditions for success during execution of training and operations.
Work in the grey. The extent of an RSO’s duties and responsibilities are often not known by the personnel who are supported by them, leading some to perceive there is a lack of worth. It is essential to ensure that key personnel are kept aware of an RSO’s current workloads and future plans so that key functions and intent are understood. When this is achieved, it is possible for an RSO to have significant freedom to conduct testing, establishment and experimentation with communication networks, as well as having opportunities to autonomously build relationships with external agencies. Many RSOs reflected on their posting as a unique opportunity for an RA Sigs officer to be ‘hands-on’ with communications equipment, as they had the opportunity to physically build a network instead of leading a troop or squadron of soldiers and non-commissioned officers who complete it on their behalf.
Trust your training. The RSO is the only individual within a supported unit that will have received the training required to fully understand: the complexity of the technology; the networks; the wider strategic picture (as it pertains to communications); and the constraints on the employment of the equipment. In preparation for an RSO posting, or as early as possible after marching in, the completion of all digital communications courses (including Advanced Battle Management System (BMS) Planning) was observed to be a significant advantage both for shaping perceptions of the RSO and upholding the Corps’ reputation. It also enhances the ability to support unit Standard Operating Procedures and enables greater innovation when developing solutions.
Our capability is communications, our effect is information flows. The starting point of any communications plan is being able to understand the command and control structure of the exercise or activity. The “who” of a communications plan is always more important to understand than the “how” – an RSO must thoroughly interrogate the information flows so that the relevant stakeholders, and the information they require to pass, is correctly identified (this includes identifying information exchange requirements). This baseline analysis is an essential aspect of communications planning and contributes to the development of a cogent communications support plan.
Be comfortable with change. Change is continual within RA Sigs. The introduction of new capabilities, and constantly developing technologies, ensures that an RSO will not be operating in a ‘known-known’ situation; instead they will need to be comfortable in a ‘known-unknown’ environment. Each major exercise sees a new and different method to employ the Battle Management System, strategic networks, radio nets, cryptographic plans and information management architectures. An effective RSO must be able to quickly grasp and understand the concepts of technologies being employed and develop a communications plan to facilitate this.
Lean on your network. Strong relationships with your local Combat Signal Regiment and other local support elements are integral to success. An RSO will be challenged to adequately undertake all aspects of the role without the help and support of trade specialists. One example of this related to Communication Security (COMSEC) procedures and seeking advice from a local Vault. A generalist officer will not always possess the appropriate skill set for the management of cryptographic material, so Vault support can be critical. It is important for an RSO to not hesitate to contact organisations and other subject matter experts for assistance. Support organisations such as Battlespace Communications Operations Group (BCOG), Joint Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence Systems Program Office (JC4ISPO), Satellite Operations (SATOPS), Network Operations (NETOPS) and Defence Communications Area Master Station (DEFCAMSAUS) offer invaluable assistance for an RSO to achieve their mission.
Reflections from RA Sigs sub-unit commanders
Looking up and managing down. Troop command aside, sub-unit command is the first time an officer has a comprehensive body of soldiers to manage as well as the appropriate authorities and delegations required to implement substantial change. However, it is important for OCs to remain cognisant of the commanding officer’s intent so that initiatives implemented at the sub-unit level nest with the higher commander’s intent and direction for the unit. A commanding officer’s priorities may not align with the innovative ideas of a new sub-unit commander, and vice versa. Therefore finding common ground, and balancing accordingly, is essential.
Personnel performance reporting. There is a common misnomer that the time taken to become a sub-unit commander has been necessarily sufficient to generate highly effective performance report writing abilities. Upon reflection, many OCs believed that they had more robust report writing skills when they took up the position than they actually possessed. Those OCs that were able to arrange a visit to Directorate of Soldier Career Management – Army or Directorate of Officer Career Management – Army to observe a Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC) noted that they were able to more effectively manage the careers of their subordinates by better understanding how Performance Appraisal Report writing affects the PAC process. Following this visit with the delivery of a Professional Military Education session for all report writers, to explain how the PAC board looks for specific hooks regarding future potential, would enable more effective report writing. These skills also enable report writers to draft duty statements that allow each subordinate to demonstrate the specific attributes which will be required to achieve success in both mission and career.
Training and development of subordinates. A common observation by recent RA Sigs sub-unit commanders was that many Lieutenants struggle with the unit-specific nuances associated with their first appointments, despite their recent completion of the ROBC. In response, some Officers Commanding (OCs) implemented unit-specific induction training lasting one to two weeks for all newly posted troop commanders. This initial investment gave junior officers the confidence, skills and knowledge required to succeed, and avoided the unrealistic expectation that they had learnt everything they needed to perform their roles effectively during their ROBC. This was found to be highly effective and augmented other officer training already being conducted as “how-to” sessions within units.
Empower junior non-commissioned officers. RA Sigs relies heavily on junior non-commissioned officers (JNCOs) to run detachments remotely from higher elements, especially Communications and Information Systems support nodes attached to battlegroups or operating retransmission detachments. Operational experience in recent years has required JNCOs to work closely alongside senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs), which has provided them with unique mentoring opportunities. However this has reduced the need for JNCOs to act independently or to demonstrate initiative, and has often led JNCOs to think of themselves more as ‘senior diggers’. Having the Squadron Sergeant Major establish a formalised training program focused on empowering the JNCO is one way to prevent this from occurring. It is important to support this with constant messaging to impress upon junior officers and SNCOs that Corporals are commanders in their own right, and they should be consulted when making decisions about a detachment member’s welfare, allocation of equipment, tasking, and so on. Additionally, certain tasks, such as administrative debriefs and some counselling sessions, could also be completed by detachment commanders.
Training to combat the threat. With regard to specific areas in which to focus training, it has been noted by recent RA Sigs OCs that there is a general sense of our Corps becoming more attuned to the existence of ‘a threat’, but that we are not enabled to incorporate it into planning and advice. This logically suggests that there needs to be a greater emphasis placed upon providing RA Sigs Officers and SNCO access to intelligence reports, developing and implementing relevant threat-centric training within units, enabling access to classified briefings and reports, engagement in continual education in current and future technologies, and creating the expectation that we consider threats in all aspects of our roles as communications specialists. Sub-unit commanders are in an ideal position to drive this and shape the development of our junior officers and SNCOs, driving the professionalisation of the Corps from inside units, and complementing training conducted in traditional learning establishments (this concept is supported by Defence Force School of Signals).
General comparison of RA Sigs and other Corps. Being a sub-unit commander in an RA Sigs unit presents many of the same challenges as other Corps. However, the additional complexity resulting from the technical aspects of the Corps’ role may affect relationships up and down the chain of command. The requirement to articulate technical information up the chain, while managing the capability down, is a nuanced challenge. Multiple RA Sigs OCs reflected that the skills required to manage this challenge are developed in the period preceding sub-unit command, but are not perfected until well into a sub-unit command posting. It was also noted that taking responsibility for professional self-development and securing opportunities that present initially as challenges, is a great way to enhance these skills early in your career. To that end, it is recommended that a sub-unit commander has an understanding of: the capability lifecycle and current Communications and Information Systems projects; aligning innovative ideas; and planning to higher level capabilities or gaps.
Thank you to those members of the Corps who assisted in the collation of this article by providing their personal insights.
About the author: Corps and Advanced Training Wing deliver training to officers and SNCOs as part of the advanced communications training continuum at the Defence Force School of Signals. The Wing maintains the PACE site, a professional development resource for the ‘community of communicators’.
DFSS Corps Week 2018 – By LT L. Doughty, LT T. Wilson, WO2 D. Cross, SGT J. Holt and CPL O. Linton
RASigs Corps Week was held in the first week of November at Borneo Barracks, Cabarlah. This year it was comprised of the annual Caduceus, Grecian and Athena Cup running races, the rugby competition, a cyber-skills competition and the inaugural Junior Leaders Symposium (JLS). The respective team coaches from each event have written about their experiences and results, in particular about DFSS fantastic Caduceus Cup result.
Caduceus, Grecian and Athena Cups
DFSS’s preparation to win three Cad Cups in a row and two Grecians titles began back in Aug 2018, with the Simpson Barracks Cross Country event. The 7.2km course consisted of two 3.6km laps. Obviously the main focus for the event is to boost morale and encourage competitive spirit amongst the staff and trainees on Simpson Barracks. The secondary effort was to scout for potential members to be part of the elite DFSS Cad Cup Running Teams.
The top runners were carefully selected to participate in a 13 week conditioning program led by WO2 Dan Cross. Training was tough, with three sessions per week including several Friday afternoon runs around Melbourne’s iconic ‘Tan Track’, a 3.8km track around Kings Domain and the Botanic Gardens. A fourth session was conducted in the pool as a recovery session most weeks.
One month out from the event, DFSS had our 4 teams pretty much set. Two teams would represent DFSS in the Cad Cup along with a Grecian (Over 35yr olds) and Athena (Female) team. After a long two day road trip with an overnight stay in the Dubbo multi user depot, the team arrived in Cabarlah.
Race day came, and DFSS were focused from start to finish. You could smell the fear from the other units. Many of the previous DFSS runners from 2017 had moved on and now lined up against our new look 2018 teams.
DFSS ‘A’ Team had the race well and truly won by our sixth runner but we kept pushing on trying to lap as many teams as we could. Eventually we won by 21 minutes to the nearest team. Notable runners were CPL
Steinhauser, SIG Badari and SIG Weeks. Our DFSS ‘B’ Team pushed hard all day and with only a few runners left to compete their third lap stormed into second place. Never before had a unit taken out first and second in the Cad Cup.
The DFSS Grecian team was stronger this year. Several 2017 Cad Cup runners made the move into this year’s Grecian team. WO2 Gav Driver backed up again this year and the team welcomed the fresh legs of MAJ Lias and WO2 Cross. Not even a combined team from 1 SIG and 7 CSR could challenge for the title this year. Not everything went the DFSS Grecians way though, injuries prior to the event brought in subs on the morning and when one of the runners collapsed due to the heat on his first lap a winning result was in the balance. If it wasn’t for a quick reaction from the DFSS Padre, CHAP West, and the fact that he collapsed right in front of the DFSS tent, the result may have been different. The Padre went onto complete the lap and run the second lap.
The DFSS Athena team put up a credible effort with a few late scratching’s and additions. An injury to our quickest runner the day before during the Rugby dented our hopes of winning. The girls eventually took home a very respectable third place.We loaded up our vehicles with our silverware and started our epic 21 hour drive back to Melbourne.
Corps Week Rugby Competition
The Defence Force School of Signals (DFSS) submitted a team of 20 members for the 2018 Cad Cup Rugby competition, the majority of the team was made up from trainees with varying degrees of experience. The lead up for the competition was a bumpy one, which saw the end of a journey for no less than five dedicated members of the team.
I have been the head coach for the DFSS rugby union team for the last two years which has been very rewarding, however, unlike any of the other units, DFSS effectively starts with a brand new team each year which was highlighted with only three members remaining from the team in 2017. This in its own right makes the build up to the competition feel a lot shorter, with a lot of the training time being filled with fundamentals/basics.
After a long drive to Cabarlah we arrived slightly late and missed the draw for the Rugby competition which automatically saw DFSS pick up an extra match. With all of the above taken into consideration and injuries aside, the 17 trainees and three permanent staff performed well above my expectations. Our draw kicked off with a win over 7 SIG REGT, unfortunately this was not replicated throughout the remaining three games with losses to 1 SIG/7 CSR combined, 3 CSR and finally 152 SIG SQN. All of these games were closely contested and as the coach I saw no less than 100% effort from every member who donned the DFSS jersey.
I would like to congratulate all of the team for their efforts, dedication and hard work throughout the training and competition. In addition, their support to the running team the next day was exceptional where I am sure there was some dusty heads kicking around.
Corps Week Cyber Skills Competition
CAD Cup 2018 saw a number of presentations from agencies such as DSTG, ACSC, BAE Applied Intelligence to name a few as well as the second iteration of the Cyber Skills Challenge, this time in conjunction with Fifth Domain who hosted the Capture the Flag (CTF) component of the activity through their Penteract cyber-range and the Australian Cyber Security Centre who hosted the Incident Response (IR) component.
The seventeen competing teams were comprised of Australian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, members from 14 Sig Regt from the UK and members from other civilian Defence agencies. The event took place over a gruelling (air conditioned and catered) 30 hour period from the Highfields Community Centre near Borneo Barracks, Cabarlah and saw all participants heavily engaged in both the technical challenges and some moderate social engineering where technical skills failed.
The CTF component of the activity consisted of the following challenges:
Hacking: Participants had to manipulate how a program executed on a remote machine or exploit the normal behaviour of legitimate programs in order to reveal the required flags
DST: A variety of different challenges, usually requiring participants to analyse how a program executed and modifying it to reveal a flag.
Forensics: Sifting through packet captures and memory dumps to find evidence relating to malicious activity on a system.
Extras: Determining and solving a number of different ciphers that were being used to hide flags. This was my first exposure to the ‘Pikalang’ programming language, a real treat for all the fans of the original Pokemon series out there!
Miscellaneous: Mixed challenges requiring a broad set of skills.
While the IR challenge was based on detecting an intrusion and interrogating the forensic evidence of the attack with correctly identified artefacts resulting in points.
All teams performed exceptionally well, especially considering the lack of exposure most teams had to CTF and IR challenges and the limited preparation time leading up to the event. The efforts of all participants should be acknowledged with particular mention going out to the podium finishers for the CTF and IR events.
Results
CTF
1st: Defence Security Operations Centre
2nd: 14th Signal Regiment UK
3rd:462nd Squdron RAAF
Incident Response
1st: 8th Signal Regiment
2nd: Defence Security Operations Centre
3rd: Fleet Cyber Unit
The Defence Force School of Signals (DFSS) team was comprised of six members that crossed rank, trade and service with equally as mixed skill levels. Following some time compressed training in how to apply trade training to a CTF environment, conducted for at least two members on the long bus trip to Toowoomba. The team is to be congratulated on the level of success achieved across both the CTF and IR challenges resulting a respectable 5th in both competitions. However it was the collaboration, networking and skills developments achieved by all event participants that was the highlight of the event! With preparations already forming to ensure that the DFSS can put its best foot forward in 2019 the cyber team eagerly await further challenges and new members.
Junior Leaders Symposium
This year saw the first inclusion of a new, non-competitive event that combined junior NCOs and Officers into teams of mixed rank and unit to work together in tackling one of the Corps’ problems. Two teams of about 8-10 were formed, then issued a problem set each and provided with an afternoon to sit down together and come up with a solution. The following morning each team’s solution was briefed to the Corps Forum and as many competitors as they could fit in the room.
The activity fostered some interesting discussion between the junior leaders of the Corps and afforded the members an opportunity to voice their opinions and suggestions on how to overcome some of the current difficulties encountered as an RASigs member. It will certainly be interesting to see how this activity evolves into the future.
J. C. Church Award – By CPL W. Pleat
At the Last Post Ceremony at Ypres, Belgium the names of 54,000 fallen soldiers engraved on the Menin Gate Memorial had been lined with poppies and ‘The Ode’ had just been spoken to the countless faces. As I stood beside four other recipients of the Jonathan Church Ethical Soldier Award, we heard each word resonate against the walls of the Gate, ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say… for your tomorrow – we gave our today’. A moment later we stood in silence together, one crowd of three thousand from across the globe, paying our respect to the fallen.
‘When you go home, tell them of us and say… for your tomorrow, we gave our today’
I have never felt a greater conflict of sorrow and gratitude from a memorial as I did here. I find it difficult to reconcile how many lives were lost in such horrible wartime conditions, and just how many more memorials like this I was still yet to see. It was something that will stay with me forever: to have seen so many people, travel so far, to pay their respects at a ceremony that takes place every single day in Ypres, drawing the same number of people each time.
From 1914 – 1918, Australian soldiers left home to defend France and her people. They fought against and saw the destruction caused by the invasion of the German Army; the obliteration of cities and peaceful living blown to smithereens, carved apart by trench warfare and barrages of artillery and shrapnel. Today, more than one hundred years after the end of WWI the scars of the conflicts are still clearly visible across Europe and France in its landscape, in the walls of memorial sites and churches around the country. Ypres was completely annihilated, only to be restored to her former glory after the city’s architectural plans were all smuggled out prior to its destruction in 1915 during the Battle of Ypres.
As a recipient of the Jonathan Church Ethical Soldier award, I travelled the Western Front with four other soldiers and one Australian Officer to Villers – Bretonneux, The Somme, Fromelles, Passchendaele, Polygon Wood, Belgium, the John Monash Centre and finally to Le Hamel for the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Le Hamel.
During the Tour of the Western front, I saw lush green rolling hills, woven into patches of brown barley and striking golden canola. Every so often a white cenotaph would become suddenly clear in the wash-coloured landscape. Each one was surrounded by hundreds and sometimes thousands of limestone and marble headstones with so many bearing the Rising Sun and a loving but aggrieved inscription that their Australian families wrote as a last goodbye. More solemn were the headstones with no name but an inscription citing “A soldier of the great war”.
The people of France, Belgium, Ypres and Le Hamel, all loved and embraced the Australian soldiers that left home to fight there. We were not the largest Army by far to help in the war effort, but we were one of the fiercest and most revered by the people of France. One of the most moving things I saw during this tour was how much our fallen were loved, respected and how their final resting places are meticulously maintained to this day as more and more soldier’s remains are discovered and laid to rest each year.
At Le Hamel evidence of this appreciation couldn’t be clearer, the inscription on the black marble stone memorial wall reads:
‘When the Australians came to France, we expected a great deal of you. We knew that you would fight a real fight, but we did not know that from the very beginning you would astonish the whole continent. I shall go back tomorrow and say to my countrymen; I have seen the Australians. I have looked in their faces. I know that these men will fight alongside of us again until the cause for which we are all fighting is safe for us and our children.’
Georges Clemenceau, 54th Prime Minister of France, 07 July 1918
I was fortunate to share this Battle Field Study Tour with 4 other recipients of the Jonathan Church Ethical Soldier Award. Meeting these soldiers, hearing their stories and traveling across the Western Front in France with them, didn’t feel real for most of the journey but I am thankful we saw so much of what Australia has accomplished.
The Jonathan Church Ethical Soldier Award recognises selected junior officers and soldiers who consistently demonstrate Army’s values. The award acknowledges excellence in soldiering, while highlighting the ethical dimension of our profession. The award is named after Trooper Jonathan Church who was a member of the Special Air Service Regiment. During deployment of UNAMIR II in Rwanda, Trooper Church risked his own life and safety to save a Rwandan child who had survived a brutal massacre. Trooper Church was one of 18 soldiers killed in a training accident in Townsville on 12 June 1996 when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed. Further information can be found in CA Directive 37/16.
Virtualised Router Training at DFSS – By Network Engineering Wing
Introduction
Often the ongoing discussion between instructors is how we should best modernise training to reflect the issues and threats of current operations. This year DFSS has focused its efforts in modernising training to provide realist, real world simulations both at the basic and advanced level. Currently, DFSS has implemented a virtualised routing environment in the subject four Corporal course and trialling a Joint Network Routing course, replacing the Basic Routing Course. It is key for all communicators within the Corps to upskill their knowledge and understanding within an ever changing technical environment.
What is it?
Virtualisation is the process of moving away from physical devices to a simulated networking environment. We are using Emulated Virtual Environment – Next Generation (EVE-NG), which is a web based virtualisation program, currently housed on a server within DFSS’ SIGNET Training Network. EVE-NG has recently been approved on the Defence Approved Software list (DASL) for SIGNET.
How does it benefit training?
It allows students to commence practical exercises from a known starting point, which removes the requirement of applying a basic configuration to the network. This enables instructors to focus on the specific subjects that are being taught. Additionally, students are no longer reliant upon other students to complete their exercises in order to prove their configuration is correct.
Currently we have Cisco IOS, Linux OS and Windows devices operational on EVE-NG. We have been able to introduce TACACS+ servers, and developed a replica of the Defence Terrestrial Communications Network (DTCN) conforming to the architecture laid out by COBRA. The ability to provide realism in training without impacting upon the Strategic Infrastructure enables us to train to real world scenarios.
How does it increase capability to Defence?
By virtualising training it has created a more flexible backbone for subjects to be taught. Prior to virtualised router training, instructors would spend considerable time developing practical exercises for a small node. This process was overall time consuming and tedious.
The time savings experienced so far have been promising. As the maturity of the system grows there is a real possibility of reductions to course length. This allows for potential integration of realistic threat centric training, which will have systemic benefits for external Units.
Current limitations
Currently we are employing the community (free) edition of EVE-NG, which does not allow for separate administrator and student user accounts. This means that all students have the ability to change the configurations of labs which can have a drastic flow on effect to future users.
EVE-NG community edition does not provide the ability for pasting configurations directly in to a web session. As a result we are required to run separate Remote Desktop connections that are housed on another server.
What is the potential for the system?
The possibility to run remote training on the virtualised network is the largest potential gain for Defence as a whole. This could allow units deploying to re-create the entire deployed network and train their members accordingly in accordance with the specific scenario or objectives. It also allows for any network changes in areas that require minimal network outage time to test prior to implementation.
There is currently no scope to inject threat centric serials in to our Router continuum. This will be amended with introduction of EVE-NG Learning Centre. This system will permit the use of programs such as Wireshark to analyse packets travelling between devices. We will also be looking to install Network Monitoring Software on the Windows virtual machines to show a holistic view of the network, and provide ’cause and effect’ training the through incorporation of faults.
Conclusion
Although there is still work to be done in order for this system to be more effective in larger exercises and operational use. Virtualised routing training will significantly assist DFSS in preparing Army, Navy and Air Force personnel to be at the leading edge of their field through modernised and relevant training.
Lieutenant & Signaller of the year
8605643 LT Calum James Scott – 1 Combat Signal Regiment
Lieutenant Scott has displayed exemplary initiative and devotion to duty through the creation of the Signalman Alexander Young Battlefield Communications Wing, which followed his identification of digitisation training gaps and skills atrophy within the brigade. The training conducted in the Battlefield Communications Wing mitigates this by providing an exercise scenario based simulated network to enabling timely and targeted training to the Headquarters staff and Direct Command Units of the brigade. This has enhanced the exercise preparedness and digital literacy of the entire formation.
8603928 SIG Courtney Jessica Daniel – 3 Combat Signal Regiment
During Exercise Southern Jackaroo 18, SIG Daniel completed the role of the United States Marine Corps Liaison Officer Signaller. Throughout the activity, SIG Daniel displayed a level of initiative, capacity for work and professional mastery well above her worn rank. Her ability to articulate technical issues and provide adaptive solutions in challenging conditions was instrumental in providing the USMC and other 3rd Brigade units’ combat radio and battlefield management system capability in a multinational combined arms environment. This outstanding performance was noted across all elements of the 3rd Brigade and was recognised in the awarding of a USMC Commanding Officer’s Commendation.