The Kill Web Imperative: A Strategic Analysis of the Paradigm Shift in Combat Pilot Training

11/26/2025 Military aviation stands at a decisive inflection point. For the past two decades, air power development was largely defined by the demands of counterinsurgency and crisis management in the "land wars" of Iraq and Afghanistan. This era has decisively ended, supplanted by a new strategic reality of peer competitors, proliferating multi-domain threats, and a global security environment best described as… Read more »

The Relentless Analyst: A Tribute to Dr. Danny Lam

11/24/2025 There was a certain rhythm to the way Danny Lam worked — deliberate, meticulous, unafraid to challenge assumptions. To colleagues at Second Line of Defense, he wasn’t merely another contributor; he was a force, often unpredictable in where his thoughts might go, yet always rooted in clarity, data, and an almost intuitive grasp of where trends were headed. Born and educated… Read more »

The Mothership Impact

11/19/2025 When defense analysts discuss "hybrid fleets" combining crewed and uncrewed systems, they inadvertently obscure what may be the most significant transformation in naval warfare since the aircraft carrier displaced the battleship. The term "hybrid" suggests simple addition where manned platforms plus unmanned platforms equals enhanced capability. This mathematical metaphor fundamentally misrepresents the revolution actually unfolding across the world's oceans. The… Read more »

Australia’s Janus Policy: The Critical Minerals Contradiction

11/18/2025 By Robbin Laird Australia faces a strategic contradiction that reveals much about the complexities of navigating major power competition in an economically interdependent world. While Canberra signs billions in critical minerals agreements with Washington to counter Chinese dominance, Australian mines majority-owned by Beijing-backed firms continue supplying raw materials vital for China's hypersonic missiles and nuclear programs. This isn't just policy… Read more »

A New Head for the French Armaments Directorate: Major Challenges Ahead

11/14/2025 By Pierre Tran Paris - Patrick Pailloux has been appointed as the head of the Direction Général de l’Armement (DGA), with the senior official taking up Nov. 17 the top job at the arms procurement office, an official notice of the Nov. 10 cabinet meeting said. Pailloux, a former officer of the DGSE foreign intelligence service, will take over from… Read more »

Australia’s Maritime Future in Focus: State of Play and Strategic Transformation

11/13/2025 Australia stands at a maritime crossroads. The choices it makes in the coming years will shape not only its security and economic prosperity, but also the stability of the wider Indo-Pacific region. The Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, as covered in detail by The Australian, showcased this inflection point: expanding geopolitical competition, rapid technological advancement, the urgency of capability development,… Read more »