Australia's rapidly modernizing Air Force counts on the network-centric approach to overcome long distances and small force size. The service's leadership decided more than a decade ago that a focus on strike should be supplanted by long-term investment in the technologies that would allow Australia to field the central nervous system for an international expeditionary force tailored to meet a wide range of natural and military emergencies. Key technologies include command and control, next-generation sensors, kinetic and non-kinetic weapons, long-range projection, broadband communications and unmanned aircraft. Air Marshal Geoffrey D. Shepherd, Australia's chief of Air Force, explains to Aviation Week & Space Technology Senior Military Editor David A Fulghum the vision at mid-course and how it reflects shifts in world events. Shepherd is a 1974 graduate of the RAAF Academy who flew the Mirage III and F-111. He has served as director of General Operations in the Defense Signals Directorate and director general of Joint Operations during the conflicts in Iraq and the Solomon Islands. During his tour as air commander Australia, he oversaw introduction of the Joint Forces Air Component Commander concept and development of the Air Operations Center. He assumed his current position in 2005.
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机译：澳大利亚迅速现代化的空军依靠以网络为中心的方法来克服长距离和小规模的部队。军方领导层十多年前决定，对技术的长期投资应取代对罢工的关注，这些技术将使澳大利亚能够为一支专门为满足广泛的自然和军事需求而设计的国际远征军部署中枢神经系统紧急情况。关键技术包括指挥与控制，下一代传感器，动能和非动能武器，远程投射，宽带通信和无人驾驶飞机。澳大利亚空军负责人杰弗里·D·谢泼德空军元帅向《航空周刊》和太空技术高级军事编辑大卫·阿富尔格姆（David A Fulghum）解释了中途的构想以及它如何反映世界事件的变化。 Shepherd是1974年从RAAF学院毕业的，当时他驾驶了Mirage III和F-111。在伊拉克和所罗门群岛的冲突期间，他曾担任国防信号局的总务总监和联合行动的总监。在作为澳大利亚空中司令的访问中，他监督了联合部队空中部队司令官的概念以及空中作战中心的发展。他于2005年担任现职。
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