RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 101 resilience: if communications fail, the fight can continue in accordance with the Air Defence Commander’s intent. Training & Mentorship Model Building Tactical Control Officer and Tactical Control Assistant teams who can fight from the “inside-out” means they must understand their role from the very foundation of their system in a completely procedural environment, before moving onto more advanced positive control and joint engagement operations. This should involve the following: Doctrine-to-tactics translation. There is notable disparity between service, joint, and coalition doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures in air and missile defence (AMD). Misunderstandings across service boundaries can and will occur (ALSA, 2022). Operators who know their systems inside out must be the ones creating and requesting ACMs for promulgation via the Airspace Control Order (ACO) and reflected in the Area Air Defence Plan (AADP), as they are the ones who ultimately execute the TTPs that those ACMs enable. Physics-based boundaries. Train TCOs to plot range rings, engagement envelopes, and sensor coverage, understanding not just where the radar can see, but where the missile can realistically achieve effect (Department of the Army, 2020). Begin with organic sensors first. Train this repetitively until it becomes instinctive. Mastery at the SHORAD level builds a foundation that will transfer to Medium Range Ground Based Air Defence (MRGBAD) if and when that becomes our responsibility. Degraded operations. Rehearse engagements with no positive control, comms down, and incomplete IFF data. This reflects the reality that adversaries are unlikely to signal the start of hostilities (Air Combat Command, 2024). TCOs must be empowered as the engagement authority, not just a human to push a button. Layering positive control later. Once procedural mastery is established, then—and only then— should ADAFCO or ABM inputs be introduced as enhancements to a fight the TCO and TCA already own. This model builds confidence, initiative, and resilience under pressure. Broader RAA Lessons While this discussion centres on NASAMS and SHORAD, the principles apply across the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery. Field artillery fire control, counter-battery operations, landbased maritime strike, and joint fires coordination all benefit from operators who understand their procedural authority and responsibilities, and who can act decisively when cut off from higher direction. As we modernise with longer-range systems held at high release authority, we must remember our foundations in the short-range fight. When strategic comms links fail, the tactical commander on the gunline may be forced to conduct a strategic engagement—and they must remain trained and equipped to do so. Mission command philosophy—empowering subordinates to act within intent—is as relevant to air defence as it is to any other gunnery discipline. Conclusion A TCO that is confident in their system and their training, well-versed in the procedural, and comfortable when it all turns to custard, is the kind of operator a higher echelon commander should find comfort in—not the over-theshoulder marionette that live feeds and positive control can breed. Returning to our opening vignette: our fearless young TCO sees the inbound threat, realises they are now operating procedurally, identifies and declares it as hostile under the rules of engagement, and prosecutes the engagement— without waiting for higher authority. The missile flies, the threat dies, and the defended asset remains—well, defended. This outcome is not luck. It is the result of a deliberate training philosophy: build procedural foundations first, then overlay positive control where it adds value. In short-range air defence, the fight starts and ends at the TCO’s console— on the goal line. About the Author Captain Matthew White is an RAA officer who works in capability management. He previously served at 16th Regiment, where he commanded the Initial Operational Capability Troop for the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) and led its first live-fire activities. His career has included roles in operations support and air–land integration, as well as representing the ADF in joint and international IAMD forums. He is passionate about mentoring junior leaders, fostering procedural mastery in air defence operations, and contributing to the professional development of the wider Gunner community
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