The Strategic Shift and the Role of the Heavy Lift Helicopter in the USMC

07/15/2024 By Robbin Laird My recent discussions with LtGen Heckl and visits to MAWTS-1 have both reinforced the nature of the USMC and its role within the overall strategic shift the U.S. military is undergoing. The U.S. military is being reshaped to enhance its survival and lethality through an enhanced ability to conduct distributed operations in various forms which also allow… Read more »

Spain Defeated England by 2-1 in the Euro 2024 Final on Bastille Day in Berlin

07/14/2024 By Kenneth Maxwell They were the much better team. Nico Williams scored the first goal soon into the second half. England’s Cole Palmer scored England’s goal in the 73 minute. Then Mikel Oyarzabel secured the win for Spain in the 86 minute. King Filipe of Spain was in attendance. So too was William, the Prince of Wales and his son.… Read more »

The Marines and the ADF Work Interchangeability

07/11/2024 In an article by Cpl. Nicholas Johnson, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, published on July 6, 2024, interchangeability between the RAAF and the USMC was emphasized as follows: In a demonstration of the ever-increasing interchangeability between U.S. Marine Corps and Royal Australian Air Force aviation, two F-35B Lightning II pilots with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 13,… Read more »

Meeting Sister Deirdre Byrne: Something out of the Ordinary

07/09/2024 By Robbin Laird I have met a wide range of people throughout my travels during my lifetime and have learned a great deal from individuals in politics, academia, the military, governments, and journalism. And through my friendship with Ed Timperlake, I have certainly met folks I would not have otherwise met. So when Ed suggested that he had recently met… Read more »

European Defense Cooperation and Military Capability: European Reflections

07/06/2024 By Pierre Tran Paris - A detailed book on the European Union response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a thoughtful research note from a European think tank point up a perceived need to boost European defense cooperation and military capability, as the U.S. prepares for a presidential election in November. The Nato allies were due to hold the annual… Read more »

Australia, a Complacent Nation … Adrift in the South Pacific?

06/29/2024 By Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn AO (Retd) and Group Captain Anne Borzycki (Retd) Australia has a lengthy history of seeking protection from great and powerful western saviours due to a long-held fear of invasion from "the north." Stunned by the withdrawal of British Forces following the surrender of Singapore in WWII, it turned its attention to another large and powerful… Read more »