bruce keightley - flying and fighting: agile aircraft - agile team
DESCRIPTION
Mention the word ‘military’ and what springs to mind? Regimented, disciplined, trained groups of people who do what they are told and follow orders? What could they possibly teach us about Agile? Bruce will take you through an approach that the air force used to tap into the skills of small, highly motivated and successful teams to develop winning tactics – tactics that allowed them to win against adversaries with newer, more manoeuvrable aircraft equipped with more powerful engines, better radars and longer range weapons. Using the construct of John Boyd’s OODA loop, Bruce will show you how the Agile principles of Transparency, Inspection and Adaptation have been applied successfully in an arena well outside of software development.TRANSCRIPT
Flying and Fighting:Agile Aircraft – Agile TeamBruce KeightleyAssurity
3
What’s the Plan?
• Decision making• Rolling Wave Planning• How Radar Works• Developing New Tactics• Continuous Improvement • Winning Against the Odds
4
Welcome to the Military
Perception• Disciplined• Regimented• Obedient• Trained to act/react
5
Initial Training
Reinforces the perception• Lots of yelling and shouting• Pointless activities• Arbitrary punishment
6
Why?
What happens when life threatened?• Freeze• Flight• FightSurvive the first seconds/minutes of real combat• Don’t freeze• Don’t runAct/React
7
Advanced Training
Focus on Reacting • Taking the initiative• Winning
8
Wartime Reality
“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy”Helmuth von Moltke (the elder)
1800-1891Chief of Staff, Prussian Army
• Extensive preparation for all conceivable events• Agility of action
“Everyone has a plan, until they’re punched in the face” Mike Tyson
9
John Boyd’s OODA LoopDecision making processRecurring cycle
10
Winning Using the OODA LoopYour OODA loop must run faster than your opponent’sGet your opponent reacting to something you’re not doing anymoreActs inappropriately / becomes predictableCan be beaten
Commercial use:LitigationBusinessStrategy
11
Rolling Wave Planning in the Air Force
Operational Planning process• Annual plan• Monthly plan• Daily Plan• Actual missions
“Planning is everything.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower
12
Annual PlanBroken up into monthly activities
Exercises / deployments Resource allocation
WeaponsFlying hours
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Aust F-18 FCP IADS
FlaresFlares Flares
220 350 185 225 200 120 340 370190 210 180110
13
Monthly Plan Daily flying rate
Activity
June
1 Weekend
2 "
3 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6
4 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6
5 12 x 1v1 ACM 9.6
6 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6
7 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6
8 Weekend
9 "
10 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6
11 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6
12 12 x 2v2 ACM 9.6
13 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0
14 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0
15 Weekend
16 "
17 12 x 4v2 ACM 12.0
18 12 x 1v1 DACM 9.6
19 12 x 1v1 DACM 9.6
20 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6
21 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6
22 Weekend
23 "
24 12 x 2v2 DACM 9.6
25 12 x 4v2 DACM 9.6
26 12 x 4v2 DACM 9.6
27 12 x 6v4 DACM 9.6
28 12 x 6v4 DACM 9.6
29 Weekend
30 "
199.2
14
Daily Flying ProgrammeMorning briefing
SpecificPeopleAircraft
WeaponsArea
ActivityTiming
13 Jun
Serial A/C Crew Callsign Ex/Area Fuel Wpns Take-off Land
1 01 Keightley Red 4v2 Alpha 5200 AIM 9 0900 0950
2 11 Read " " " " " "
3 05 Barlow " " " " " "
4 03 Jackson " " " " " "
5 02 Fellowes Amber 2v4 Bravo " " 0905 0955
6 04 Barnes " " " " " "
7 01 Taylor Red 4v2 Alpha 5200 " 1300 1350
8 11 Compain " " " " " "
9 05 Lauder " " " " " "
10 03 Keith " " " " " "
11 02 Easthope Amber 2v4 Bravo " " 1305 1355
12 04 Styles " " " " " "
15
Mission
PlannedBriefedFlownDebriefed
16
Planning – 2 Week Exercise
F-18 Hornet vs A-4K SkyhawkSWOT analysis• Strengths - ours/theirs• Weaknesses – ours/theirs• Opportunities• What are the threats
17
Our Strengths
Small aircraft• Hard to see on radar and with the Mk. 1 eyeballRadar warning capabilityWe are world-class pilotsThere are only 12 of us – we are a very tight TeamWe’re very sneakyWe hate to lose• Specially to the Aussies
18
Our WeaknessesOld aircraftSkyhawk has• Limited radar performance• Short range weapons• Poor sustained turn performance• Low top speed
19
Opportunities
We’re very very cunning … so let’s surprise themThey are predictable:• In the way they fly their aircraft• In the way they employ their missilesThey are a larger air force, so they can’t adapt quickly – we aren’t and we can
20
ThreatsF-18 has:• Better radar• Better sustained turn capability• Better and longer range weapons• Supersonic
21
The Analysis?Sometimes it sucks to be us
• They can see us on radar before we can see them• They can launch their missiles before we can launch
ours• They can turn more tightly than us• We might as well go home because they are going to
wipe the floor with us
22
Or Are They?
• Their radar has limitations• Their missiles have weaknesses• Their Rules of Engagement are strict• Their operating procedures are not flexible
23
Radar 101
6°
-60°
+60°
60°
60°
24
Radar 101
40
26
Semi-active (has no radar)Needs aircraft to ‘illuminate’ targetHomes on reflected radar energyTarget must be tracked until missile hitsLose radar lock – missile misses
Missiles 101
27
Tactics 101
20
28
Radar Intercept
80 80
60 nm
29
Radar Intercept
80 80
30 nm
30
Radar Intercept
40 40
30 nm
31
Radar Intercept
40 40
20 nm
32
Radar Intercept
40 40
15 nm
33
Radar Intercept
40 40
15 nm
34
Time to Get Cunning
Designated pairs• No ego, no rankTry out tactics against each otherPractice the ones that workRefine/adjust/dropWhat ifs?
35
What We Came Up With
Hand grenadeDrag and bag
What the … ?Do I feel lucky?
36
Exercise Hot Wash-up
Review of the planReview of the conductWhat workedWhat didn’tWhat didn’t helpWhat do we do now/next?
37
Reality Check
• There will always be better aircraft, weapons and equipment
• If it ain’t broke … doing the same thing makes us predictable
• Doing things differently and adapting quickly gives us an edge
• Better people are the difference• Results against F18?
38
OODA Loop – So What?
• Reminiscing is fine but what does the OODA Loop have to do with you?• Tactical level – developing new features• Operational level – developing new products• Strategic level – heading in a new direction
• How quick is you decision making process?• How quick does it need to be?
Questions?
Interactive discussions designed to test knowledge
Thanks for listening…Bruce KeightleyAssurity
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