Command and Control Amphibious Complexity: C2 in the AAF
Oct 13, 2025
Ray Leggatt, retired Commodore of the Royal Australian Navy and the first Commander Amphibious Task Force, shares his journey in revamping Australia's amphibious capabilities. He candidly discusses the cultural integration challenges between Navy and Army, the necessity of adapting doctrine from US and UK practices, and the unique logistics hurdles of amphibious operations. Leggatt also highlights the critical trust between commanders and the need for mindset shifts to tackle complex threats, using Taiwan as a case study for logistical vulnerabilities.
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Rapid Stand-Up Of A New Amphibious Staff
- Ray Leggatt arrived at amphibious command with little direct experience and built the staff from 8 to over 30 in two years.
- He integrated Navy, Army and allied personnel rapidly to stand up Australia's amphibious task force capability.
Mindset Shift Is The Core Challenge
- Amphibious operations force a wholesale mindset change across services because they operate at land-sea-air seams.
- Planning must treat embarkation, rehearsal and environmental constraints as mission-critical, not optional.
Adapt Doctrine, Don't Adopt Blindly
- Cherry-pick doctrine and practices from US and UK models but adapt them to your force size and context.
- Use exchange experience and allied expertise to shape a workable, not blindly followed, doctrine.