The US Air Force is actively developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that will fly alongside manned military jets. However, it is not alone in envisioning these “loyal wingman” systems as a pivotal part of future airpower. The US Navy shares this vision, as do allied nations like Australia and the United Kingdom — and adversarial powers such as China and Russia.

In a four-part video series by Breaking Defense, Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta, reporters Michael Marrow and Valerie Insinna, and Stacie Pettyjohn from the Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) think tank come together to discuss the global landscape of CCA systems. This insightful panel explores how various nations are positioning themselves in the race for these next-generation air combat capabilities.

Credit: Breaking Defense

For more from this series, check out the videos below:

Major-General Tim Cross joins John to discuss his experiences in the military amidst global security challenges. Reflecting on his involvement in the 2003 Iraq invasion, he acknowledges the failures of the post-war period, criticising the poor decisions that undermined lasting nation-building efforts. He also examines the growing threats from authoritarian regimes like Russia and China.

Cross argues that the West is facing a leadership crisis and must embrace morally courageous decision-making to survive. He advocates for a strategic defence posture that enhances military capabilities to address modern threats, while also defending the core democratic values that are increasingly under pressure in the West.

A recent report from the US Department of Energy has dismantled the anti-nuclear rhetoric pushed by figures like Chris Bowen and Anthony Albanese. Contrary to their claims, the analysis demonstrates that integrating nuclear energy with renewables can reduce electricity costs by approximately 30%. This finding stands in stark contrast to the assertions made by Australia’s government leaders, highlighting the critical role nuclear energy could play in driving down energy prices.

The US Government’s plans to triple its nuclear energy capacity by 2025 further validate this conclusion. As America embraces nuclear power to strengthen its energy mix, Australia continues to lag behind, shackled by outdated assumptions and misleading reports.

One of the key misconceptions debunked by the US analysis is the longevity of nuclear plants. While the CSIRO’s GenCost report inaccurately stated that nuclear plants have a lifespan of only 30 years, the US data shows that these plants can operate effectively for up to 80 years. This staggering difference underscores how misinformed policies based on flawed data can hinder Australia’s energy strategy.

Moreover, the economic benefits of nuclear energy extend beyond just cheaper electricity. The US report highlights that jobs in the nuclear sector pay, on average, 50% more than those in solar or wind industries. This offers a compelling case for nuclear energy as a driver of economic growth and high-quality employment in the clean energy transition.

For years, advocates of nuclear energy have championed these facts. Now, with hard evidence from one of the world’s largest economies, ignoring this information is no longer just misinformed—it’s a deliberate choice. Yet, thousands of Australians continue to fall for fearmongering campaigns against nuclear energy, perpetuated by anti-nuclear advocates.

If every Australian were made aware of these facts, it would shift the narrative. The fear-based campaign that has clouded the nuclear debate would finally be put to rest, allowing for informed decisions that prioritize both economic and environmental sustainability.

CLICK LINK to read the report

Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Advanced Nuclear (nationbuilder.com)

The ABC’s credibility has been called into question following the appointment of an independent investigator to examine their dishonest claims regarding Heston Russell, an ex-Special Forces officer, and their proven false reporting of alleged war crimes. The ABC’s handling of the case has raised concerns about journalistic integrity, with calls for the government to intervene and hold the national broadcaster accountable.

Russell, who was featured in the ABC’s contentious war crime reporting, recently revealed that an independent investigator, Alan Sunderland, has been appointed to review both the claims made in the ABC’s “7 Spotlight” episode and other grievances raised by those who were interviewed during the ABC’s investigation. Sunderland, a Walkley Award-winning journalist, has a long history with the ABC, having served as its editorial director and worked for over four decades in Australian journalism.

Despite this development, the ABC has yet to engage directly with Russell or acknowledge his concerns. Frustrated by the lack of response, Russell’s legal team is exploring various options to ensure accountability. “We are working through a variety of legal strategies,” Russell stated, “to seek justice and accountability for the misinformation that was spread.”

The ABC’s appointment of Sunderland, who is expected to deliver a public report by the end of October, has done little to quell public outcry. Many, including Russell’s supporters, believe that a more comprehensive investigation led by an independent body or government intervention is necessary. The ABC, as a publicly funded organization, has a responsibility to uphold strict standards of journalistic integrity.

Critics argue that the internal investigation may not go far enough to address the damage caused by false accusations, especially without the involvement of external, impartial authorities. “This isn’t just about one man,” Russell emphasized, “it’s about the broader implications for public trust in our national institutions.”

Many are questioning why no criminal investigation has been initiated to examine the ABC’s misconduct. In response to the ongoing controversy, there have been increasing calls for the government to step in and demand accountability from the broadcaster. Russell’s legal team continues to push for a more rigorous inquiry, stating, “It’s hard to believe that no authorities have stepped up yet.”

As Sunderland’s report is anticipated, public support for Russell grows. Many Australians have contributed to his campaign, demanding transparency and truth from the ABC. Russell expressed his gratitude, thanking those who have supported his cause, and vowed to keep the public updated on the progress of his legal efforts.

The question remains: will the internal investigation be enough, or will it take government intervention to restore the public’s faith in the ABC? The clock is ticking, and the nation is watching closely as the deadline for Sunderland’s report approaches.

Military forces from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United States recently conducted joint maritime operations within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The collaborative effort, held on September 28, featured the Australian Hobart-class guided missile destroyer HMAS Sydney and a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

This operation highlights the shared commitment of Australia and its international allies to uphold key principles of international law, such as freedom of navigation, overflight, and other lawful uses of international seas and airspace. These principles are particularly underscored by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Beyond the Philippines, HMAS Sydney also concluded its participation in Operation Argos in the Yellow Sea, which is focused on monitoring and deterring illegal ship-to-ship transfers of sanctioned goods. The Sydney’s MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, known as “Phoenix,” played a crucial role in this mission.

Leading Seaman Aircrewman James Neville, a member of the MH-60R Seahawk’s flight crew, played an essential role in tracking vessels of interest during Operation Argos. Meanwhile, the ship’s combat system operators in the Combat Information Centre monitored both surface and subsurface activities, providing key intelligence to the US Indo-Pacific Command’s Enforcement Coordination Cell.

Leading Seaman Combat System Operator Dion Dodd leads the team responsible for compiling and transmitting real-time tactical data from the Sydney to command headquarters. “My job is to ensure that what we observe here is communicated back to HQ,” Dodd explained. “This allows our commanders to make informed decisions on asset deployment during operations like Argos.”

The Sydney’s efforts were part of a broader multinational initiative embedded in the US Navy’s 7th Fleet. The primary goal of the collaboration is to support United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea by monitoring illicit maritime activities.

Commander Grant Coleman, the Commanding Officer of HMAS Sydney, expressed pride in his ship’s accomplishments. “Sydney’s operational success in Operation Argos follows a series of international engagements that have strengthened our relationships with allies and regional partners,” said CMDR Coleman.

“Dustoff inbound” was the message crackling over the radio that troops wounded in Vietnam most wanted to hear.

The message using the “Dustoff” call sign meant that an unarmed UH-1 “Huey” helicopter air ambulance with a red cross painted on the nose was coming for them no matter the weather, no matter whether the landing zone was “hot,” no matter whether there even was a landing zone — some 8,000 hoists while the aircraft hovered were conducted during the war.

To honour those who flew more than 496,000 Army medevac missions from May 1962 through March 1973, the House last week passed the Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act.

The bipartisan bill to award the highest honour Congress can bestow was sponsored in the House by Reps. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The Senate in May passed the bill, which will now go to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature.

The bill states that the Dustoff crews, consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, crew chief and combat medic, carried out “rapid medical evacuation and transported almost 900,000 United States, South Vietnamese, and other allied sick and wounded, as well as wounded enemy forces” in 11 years of operations in Vietnam.

The focus was on getting the wounded from the battlefield to a field hospital within the “golden hour” that greatly increased the chances for survival.

As a result of the Dustoff missions, “we would see patients so much more quickly than had ever happened before in a war zone, where you couldn’t depend on ambulance runs through rotten roads and muddy hills,” Dr. Michael Mittelmann, a surgeon with the 8th Field Hospital in Nha Trang, said in an oral history for the Vietnam Centre and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University.

Newcomers to Dustoff units were immediately told what was expected of them in their missions: “No hesitation. No reservation. No compromise. You get the wounded out,” said retired Army Lt. Col. Steve Vermillion, a Dustoff pilot who flew 1,452 missions and picked up 2,217 casualties.

In a video call, Vermillion, 76, of Altadena, California, now president of the Vietnam Dustoff Association, recalled his first mission in Vietnam in January 1969 when he had to put the UH-1 Huey into a hover while under fire. “It was a hoist off a tank” of two badly wounded soldiers, he said. “It was controlled chaos.”

The red crosses painted on the unarmed helicopters signifying a medical mission offered little protection from the anti-aircraft fire of the North Vietnamese Army or the Viet Cong, said former Dustoff crew chief Gary Hagen, 72, of Medford, Oregon.

“We picked up a lot of guys and we got shot up a lot, almost every time going and coming out,” Hagen said at a recent press event with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Of the approximately 3,400 Dustoff crew members who served during the Vietnam War, 211 were killed in action and 925 were wounded, retired Lt. Col. Chris Seidor, 77, of Barkhamsted, Connecticut, a pilot who flew Dustoff missions out of Binh Thuy in Vietnam, said in a phone call.

The dedication of the Dustoff crews to the rescue mission was epitomized by Maj. Charles Kelly, who commanded the 57th Medical Detachment and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second-highest award for valor after the Medal of Honor.

On July 1, 1964, Kelly “demonstrated exceptional courage, strong determination, and complete disregard for his own personal safety while participating in an aerial medical mission to evacuate wounded soldiers from an area under heavy attack by hostile forces,” the DSC citation said.

Ground commanders repeatedly told Kelly he was in grave danger and recommended that he take off and leave the area, but Kelly refused: “Not without the wounded,” he said. Kelly succeeded in taking aboard the wounded “moments before he was mortally wounded by hostile gun fire,” the citation said.

Army Gen. William Westmoreland, commander of the Military Assistance Command in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968, cited Kelly as an example of “the greatness of the human spirit” and highlighted his “not without the wounded” reply as an inspiration to all combat troops.

Gen. Creighton Abrams, who succeeded Westmoreland as overall commander in Vietnam, said of the Dustoff crews that “courage above and beyond the call of duty was sort of routine to them,” and “it meant so much to every last man who served there. Whether he ever got hurt or not, he knew Dustoff was there.”

Todd Mikolop, a lawyer with the Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP firm, which assisted the Vietnam Dustoff Association in mustering support for the Congressional Gold Medal, said in a video call that in the course of lobbying he heard from several veterans who had been wounded in Vietnam and told him, “When I heard the Huey coming, I knew I was going to be OK.”

The Australian government has announced a firm stance on dealing with individuals waving Hezbollah flags at recent pro-Palestine demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne. The displays have drawn significant concern, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stating that authorities are reviewing the visa status of any protesters who may pose a threat to public order.

“I won’t hesitate to cancel the visas of visitors spreading hate in our country,” Burke asserted. This decisive action aims to send a strong message that supporting terrorist organizations has no place in Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed this sentiment at a cabinet meeting, warning that such behaviour threatens Australia’s multicultural harmony. “We cannot allow radical ideologies to take root here. Our social cohesion and peaceful society must be preserved,” Albanese said, emphasizing that the government will not tolerate any efforts to bring conflict from abroad into Australian communities.

Opposition spokesman James Paterson added his voice to the call for action, stating that individuals displaying Hezbollah flags, who are on visas, should have them immediately revoked. “It’s a clear breach of the Commonwealth Criminal Code,” he said, noting that Parliament had amended the code last year to include the prohibition of symbols from terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. “This is not a matter of free speech—it’s criminal behaviour that undermines national security.”

Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed on Monday that they are investigating at least six reports of crime from Victoria Police related to the display of prohibited symbols and chants. These cases are being examined for breaches of counter-terrorism laws. However, AFP clarified that the mere display of a prohibited symbol might not necessarily constitute a federal offense unless it meets specific criteria outlined in the Criminal Code. These criteria include incitement to hatred or violence, or the promotion of racial or religious superiority.

The government’s move to cancel visas and prosecute supporters of terrorist organizations sends a clear signal: Australia will not tolerate the spread of hate or extremism. The tightening of visa controls on those connected with terrorist groups is a necessary step to protect the nation’s values and the safety of its citizens. Such actions are in line with Australia’s robust counter-terrorism laws and aim to safeguard the social fabric from individuals who seek to undermine it.

Additionally, the government has appointed Aftab Malik as a special envoy to combat Islamophobia, further demonstrating its commitment to promoting social cohesion. Malik, recognized globally for his work on Muslim affairs, will engage with various communities and experts to tackle religious discrimination.

The appointment has been criticized by the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), which called for a more inclusive anti-racism strategy that addresses the concerns of all marginalized communities. Despite these criticisms, the government remains focused on ensuring the safety of all Australians and preventing the spread of divisive ideologies.

The government’s proactive measures—including the potential deportation of visa holders who support terrorist organizations—underline its zero-tolerance policy towards extremism. Australia’s commitment to preserving peace and security within its borders is unequivocal.