Williams Foundation Conference - Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance

  • 18 Sep 2025
  • 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • Gandel Hall, National Gallery of Australia, ACT

Registration

  • Attendance is complimentary for Defence members. Contractors in Defence require a Williams Foundation membership to attend. Inquiries: events@williamsfoudation.org.au
  • Please note - Tickets aren't transferrable for individual memberships. Please contact info@williamsfoundation.org.au if you wish to bring a guest.
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 Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the
Speed of Relevance

Download the current program here

Context 

The 2025 seminar series will identify and discuss strategic themes which impact the Whole of Australian Government, Defence and industry, as well as international partners in a multi-domain context. Given the increasingly complex set of threats and operational risks, it is also set within the context of the emerging issues aligned with the development of NDS26 and beyond.

The seminar series will address the need to balance near-term decisions in air and space capability to ensure Defence and industry investment also provides the sustainable foundations for future force structure planning and growth.     

Aim

The aim of September seminar is to build on the theme of accelerating critical capabilities and link to the speed, responsiveness, and agility of air power to generate combat power at relatively low operational and political risk as global security settings deteriorate rapidly.

Further, with Air Force in reasonable shape in comparison to the other Services, the seminar will highlight the importance of national resilience, and that ongoing investment in air domain sustainment is imperative given its ultimate impact on combat power in terms of availability, capability, and readiness.

Background 

The main contextual developments shaping the September seminar are:

  • Recent observations from operations in Europe and the Middle East. 
  • Major changes to Australian defence policy unlikely following the Federal election. 
  • Defence is shifting from NDS Epoch 1 to Epoch 2 (2026 to 2030), the Objective Integrated Force, which will see ‘the accelerated acquisition of critical capabilities’.
  • Broader inflationary pressures are impacting sustainment costs and preparedness.
  • Acquisition budget prioritises major Navy programs and guided weapons.
  • US Government maintains pressure on allies to increase defence spending.
  • UK Strategic Defence Review positions for an increased likelihood of near-term conflict.  
  • PLA remains the pacing threat.   

Agenda 

Cutting across each of the strategic themes are policy, process, technology, basing / infrastructure, and workforce considerations including, but not limited to:

  • Operational Risk Management: Balancing Lethality and Survivability
  • Workforce: Management, Automation, and Development
  • Training System Effectiveness & Mission Rehearsal
  • Future Technologies and Collaborative Combat Systems
  • Accelerating Capability Development
  • Preparedness, Replenishment, Basing, Logistics & Supply Chains 


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