Commander Integrated Area Defence System (CIADS)
HQIADS is commanded by a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Air Vice-Marshal, who oversees the provision of relevant and effective combined and joint military activities, liaison and training to strengthen the defence of Malaysia and Singapore through the FPDA. If assigned by the FPDA member-nations, CIADS will participate in the coordinated defence of Malaysia and Singapore.
CIADS’ peacetime responsibilities are to:
(a) plan and conduct combined and joint training and activities;
(b) develop doctrine and procedures for FPDA activities in order to improve FPDA joint inter-operability and joint operational capability;
(c) promote closer interfaces between the FPDA defence forces; and
(d) maintain the combined joint operations centre at a minimum level of operational preparedness to facilitate FPDA situational awareness across multiple domains to enable the safe conduct of FPDA exercises and activities.
21st Commander Integrated Area Defence System
Air Vice-Marshal Nathan Christie
CSM
Air Vice-Marshal Nathan Christie was born in a little country town in Far North Queensland. After graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy he spent the early part of his career as a tactical Air Battle Manager. He was the dux of the Australian Fighter Combat Controller course in 1999 and in 2001 was posted as the RAAF exchange Officer to the U.S. Navy’s VAW-120 ‘Greyhawks’ at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia to qualify and instruct on the E2C Hawkeye airborne early warning platform.
In 2004 Air Vice-Marshal Christie was the Mission Systems Operator in Seattle, Washington to support the Australian test and evaluation of the E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft. Upon return to Australia in 2006, he held multiple roles in 2SQN and 42 Wing, culminating in 2008 where he was Officer Commanding Number 42 Wing.
Air Vice-Marshal Christie was deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 to lead the RAAF’s Control and Reporting Centre ‘Taipan’ in Kandahar. Upon returning from deployment, he was Staff Officer to the Chief of Air Force. In 2011 Air Vice-Marshal Christie attended the NATO Senior Defence College in Rome and then went on to become Australia’s Defence Attaché to NATO, the European Union and Belgium in Brussels for three years.
Upon returning to Australia in 2015, Air Vice-Marshal Christie was appointed Commanding Officer 114 MCRU located in Darwin. In 2016, he returned to the Middle East as the Chief of Staff Task Group 633 at the deployed Australian National Headquarters for which he was awarded a Conspicuous Service Medal.
In mid-2017 Air Vice-Marshal Christie returned to Australia and was posted to RAAF Base Williamtown as the Chief of Staff Surveillance and Response Group and in 2019 and 2020 Officer Commanding Number 41 Wing.
Air Vice-Marshal Christie deployed to the Middle East for a third time as the Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre during 2021. He then took up the position of Commander Surveillance and Response Group on 31 January 2022. Air Vice-Marshal Christie assumed his current position of Commander Integrated Area Defence System in mid-December 2023.