Information Warfare Directorate RAAF

The Information Warfare Directorate (IWD, formerly Information Warfare Wing) of the Royal Australian Air Force's Air Warfare Centre (AWC)^[1] is the Australian Defence Force's central institution dealing with tactical information warfare.^[2]

IWD
Active	July 2017—Present
Branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Role	Intelligence, Cyber and Electronic Warfare
Part of	Air Warfare Centre
Garrison/HQ	RAAF Base Edinburgh

Although under the command of the Air Force, the IWD draws personnel from both the Australian Army and Navy. In turn the IWD develops and manages information warfare capabilities for land and maritime theatres in addition to aerospace. Within the Department of Defence there is also an Information Warfare Division (IWD), formed in 2017.

The Information Warfare Directorate is home to the Royal Australian Air Force's Intelligence, Cyber and Electronic Warfare support functions. It comprises four units (Information Warfare Capability, C4 and Battle Management Capability, Capability Support Directorate and the Joint Cyber Unit^[3]), each with specialists. The Information Warfare Directorate aims to provide asymmetric advantages to the Australian Defence Force over potential adversaries.

IWD personnel are posted to all major RAAF bases the Defence Complex in Canberra. IWD also has personnel deployed on exercises and operations, including the Middle East, on an almost continual basis.^[4]

Units

As of February 2021, the Information Warfare Directorate contained the following units:^[5]

• Air Intelligence Training Unit
• No. 83 Squadron operates the Distributed Ground Station, which integrates multiple sources of intelligence
• No. 87 Squadron produces target intelligence for other units in the Air Force.
• No. 460 Squadron assists the Australian Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation in the production of geospatial intelligence and precision target intelligence.
• No. 464 Squadron is a public relations unit

References

1. "RAAF's AOSG becomes Air Warfare Centre". Australian Aviation. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
2. "About Us: Air Warfare Centre". Royal Australian Air Force. 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016. Information Warfare Directorate – centralises the AF's tactical information warfare elements and provides the wider RAAF with an integrated and tailorable operational support capability drawn from across the Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Information Operations domains.
3. Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence; address=Russell Offices. "Information Warfare Division : Joint Capabilities Group : Department of Defence". www.defence.gov.au. Retrieved 22 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. wte.partica.online https://wte.partica.online/welcome-to-edinburgh/welcome-to-edinburgh-2019/edinburgh-defence-precinct/edp-operational-units. Retrieved 22 July 2019. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. MacDonald, Georgie (4 February 2021). "Directorate made for the future". Air Force. p. 5. Retrieved 5 February 2021.