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10/31/2024
By Pierre Tran Paris - The title of a new book - The Idea of China: Chinese Thinkers on Power, Progress, and People (European Council on Foreign Relations) - carries a sense of what drives Beijing when its leaders look at the world and consider how it works. It may be a bit of a stretch but there is something of opening… Read more »
10/23/2024
By Robbin Laird The panel on the future of vertical lift and interviews conducted by the press during the recent AUSA conference provided further insights regarding the FLRAA program and the way ahead. The conference was held from the 14-16 October in Washington D.C. Let us address first the schedule indicated by these sources plus information associated with achieving Milestone… Read more »
10/20/2024
By Robbin Laird FLRAA is coming at the dawn of the age of autonomous systems. It is being crafted as a manned program to operate in the con-ops of formations that will operate in the world of combined arms operations of manned systems working with autonomous ones. The Army approach encompasses the following considerations: Focus on the Platform; focus on… Read more »
10/18/2024
By Robbin Laird The Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) or the Army’s new tiltrotor aircraft is being designed to operate in a new world of combat, namely one in which autonomous systems will become significant players. I would argue indeed that when introducing new manned systems now and in the future, it is increasingly important to do so with consideration… Read more »
10/16/2024
By Robbin Laird I have returned from Australia and the latest Sir Richard Willians seminar. In that seminar, we dealt with the challenge of how to enhance the ready force while investing in the future force. The modernization of the ADF is a case study in the clash between force design for an envisaged future force and the need to… Read more »
10/15/2024
By Robbin Laird The Marines assisted in relief efforts in the Philippines after a Typhoon hit that country. And as has been done in the past, the dynamic duo of the KC-130J and the Osprey provided the means to do so. As Capt Mark McDonough noted in a 14 October 2024 story: MANILA, Philippines -- U.S. Marines across multiple forward-deployed… Read more »
10/07/2024
On September 26, 2024, the most recent seminar of The Sir Richard Williams Foundation was held. It was entitled: “Enhancing and Accelerating the Integrated Force: An Operational Perspective.” This seminar focused on how the force in being or the ready force was focused on improving its capability, its survivability and lethality for the fight tonight.… Download PDF Now »
10/10/2024
By Robbin Laird I had a chance to follow up with Jennifer Parker on her excellent presentation at the 26 September 2024 Sir Richard Williams seminar which focused on the… Read more »
10/07/2024
The September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams Foundation focused on accelerating the capabilities of the ready force. Defence industry in Australia is obviously a key player in the ability for… Read more »
10/07/2024
Some time ago – more than a decade – I worked with Alan Dupas, the noted French space expert, on a project for a European space company on the future… Read more »
10/05/2024
By Robbin Laird The strategic environment has clearly changed and the level of real world conflict has escalated, whether in terms of major hot wars – in the Middle East… Read more »
10/04/2024
It is fine to have long-range force structure planning, but what happens when the operational environment is rapidly changing for your operational force? How to adapt the ready force effectively… Read more »
10/03/2024
In the September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams seminar, we focused on how the force in being can evolve effectively in the near to mid-term as investments are being made… Read more »
11/06/2024
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division, board a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey during Super Garuda Shield 2024 in East Java,…
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11/04/2024
U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 (Rein.), conduct a simulated air assault during Ssang Yong 24 in Pohang, South Korea, Sept. 3, 2024. Exercise SY24 strengthens the…
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11/01/2024
The Finnish Air Force hosted exercise BAANA 2024, Sept. 4, on Hosio Highway Strip, Ranua, Finland. During the exercise the aircraft landed on a highway strip in Finland to practice…
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10/30/2024
U.S. and Bulgarian forces work together for Thracian Summer 2024, a flying training deployment, August 19-29, 2024, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. FTD Thracian Summer is a two-week training deployment for American…
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10/28/2024
STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. — International security force professionals from Indonesia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritius, the Philippines, and Thailand participate in the Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School’s (NAVSCIATTS)…
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10/25/2024
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. David Faerber, an F-35B Lightning II pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542, talks about Exercise Razor Talon 23-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry…
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10/23/2024
A Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024. Approximately 320 Australian Defence Force personnel have…
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10/15/2024
Pacific Marines work alongside members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stage and transport relief supplies in the Northern Philippines, Oct. 6 to 8, 2024. The U.S. Department… Read more »