SLD Special Reports

The Critical Challenge of Achieving Cost Effectiveness in Multi-domain Military Operations

06/12/2025 The Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminar held on May 22, 2025, at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra examined the critical challenge of achieving cost effectiveness in multi-domain military operations. The event addressed how Australia can “build and maintain military forces that are both affordable and effective in an era where traditional strategic assumptions… Download PDF Now »
Whats New

Carving a Path to a More Sustainable Ready Force: The Next Generation Heavy Lift Helicopter

07/10/2025 By Robbin Laird It may seem a strange candidate to blaze a path towards a more sustainable ready force or a “fight tonight” force but that is exactly the potential… Read more »

Training on Display at the Paris Air Show 2025: The M-346 and International Flight Training School

07/09/2025 By Pierre Tran Le Bourget, France – Visitors climbing up to the open cockpit of the Leonardo M-346 could see the two distinctive tilted and overlapping glass screens which delivered… Read more »

AUKUS at a Strategic Crossroads: Redefining the Path Forward

07/08/2025 By Robbin Laird The AUKUS partnership stands at a critical juncture. Born from the vision of three leaders who have since left the political stage, this ambitious trilateral alliance centers… Read more »

The Defense Department Should Restore Cornell University’s Research Funding

07/07/2025 By Ed Timperlake Cornell University President Michael I. Kotikoff recently expressed serious concerns about the sudden freeze of federal research grants, particularly those from the Department of Defense. His statement… Read more »

Chinese Bravado and Australian Sovereignty: A New Era of Strategic Competition

07/06/2025 By Robbin Laird I have been coming to Australia since 2014 and writing the seminar reports for the Sir Richard Williams Foundation bi-annual seminar reports. I have done so because… Read more »

A B-17 Crashes at Noirmoutier Island, France, July 4, 1943: The B-17, Its Impact and Continuing Signifcance

07/04/2025 On this July 4th 2025, it is important to remember the Flying Fortress: When Heroes Fell from the Sky When that B-17 went down over France on 4 July 1943,… Read more »
In Briefs

Advanced Motorized Operations Course : King Stallion Brings News Capabilities to the Fight

07/18/2025 A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53 King Stallion aircraft assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, executes an external lift of Humvee… Read more »

Iron Fist 25

07/16/2025 Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members prepare to land in V-22 Ospreys assigned to 108th Aviation, Transport Aviation Group, during a bilateral insert exercise in support of Iron Fist 25, at… Read more »

Raid Training During Realististic Urban Training (RUT) Exercise

07/14/2025 A U.S. Marine V-22 Osprey with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) prepares to land during a raid for realistic urban training (RUT) in Lynchburg, Virginia, Mar. 19, 2025. RUT,… Read more »

F-35B Ordnance Load

07/11/2025 U.S. Marines load air intercept missile ordnance and launch F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, during flight operations aboard the… Read more »

Justified Accord (JA25)

07/10/2025 Exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) was U.S. Africa Command’s largest military exercise in East Africa, held from February 10-21, 2025. The exercise was led by U.S. Army Southern European Task… Read more »

Task Force Bataan

07/09/2025 Task Force Warhawg, 1st Battalion, 360th Infantry Regiment, 5th Armored Brigade, incorporated counter-unmanned aerial systems training into Task Force Bataan, 1st Battalion, 200th Infantry Regiment’s culminating training exercise in preparation… Read more »

Helicopter Support Training and the Super Stallion: March 2025

07/08/2025 U.S. Marines with Logistics Operations School conduct helicopter support team training utilizing a CH-53K King Stallion assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, March… Read more »
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The Second Line of Defense team provides high quality publications with regard to key global strategic developments. You can purchase these on a number of booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Video of the Month

VMM-162 in Anti-submarine Warfare Exercise

07/13/2025 U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 transport Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, during Atlantic Alliance 2025 at Pickerel Pond, Maine, July… Read more »
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