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Public Communications and the FCAS: A Case Study?

11/24/2022By Pierre Tran Paris - Perhaps future masters students at business and journalism schools will be presented with the European future combat air system as a case study on how not to handle communications on a multi-billion euro military project loaded with political and industrial implications. There appears to be a potential lesson to be learnt on how to confuse… Read more »

Edward the Peacemaker: Remembering How Fragile Peace Is

11/23/2022By Kenneth Maxwell In Tiverton there is a statue of King Edward VII on the bridge over the River Lowman. The River Lowman joins the River Exe a short distance downstream and delineates the riverine boundaries of the old town of Tiverton in mid-Devon. I pass by King Edward’s statue on my way into the town center after walking down… Read more »

Employment of Expeditionary Hospitalization on the First Island Chain

11/21/2022In an article by Grady Fontana published by the U.S. Navy on 18 November 2022, the exercising of an expeditionary medical facility in support of major combat operations was higlighted. “This exercise shows the power of Navy Medicine as part of an integrated Naval combat capability,” said Rear Adm. Darin K. Via, deputy surgeon general of the Navy and deputy… Read more »

Finnish Defence Minister Visits Japan: October 2022

11/20/2022According to a story published by the Japanese Ministry of Defence, the Finnish Defence Minister visited Japan and met the Japanese Defence Minister on 26 October 2022. On October 26, 2022, Defense Minister Hamada and Defence Minister Kaikkonen held a Defense Ministerial Meeting from 10:15 for 45 minutes at the Ministry of Defense. At the outset, Minister Hamada welcomed the… Read more »

Project Convergence Exercise

11/19/2022On 10 November 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence published a story about their participation in Project Convergence an exercise held in the U.S. with Australian and U.S. forces. Allies from the UK, US and Australia demonstrated the integration of cutting-edge technology alongside key industry leaders, in a series of experimental firsts. The event, Project Convergence 2022, examines how using… Read more »

Enhancing Capability for Fleet Logistical Support for Contested Operations

11/18/2022By Robbin Laird In a period of global competition and conflict, the liberal democracies need to accelerate their capabilities to defend themselves and to find ways to enhance their deterrent capabilities not just for the long haul but in the short to mid-term. My recent visit to Australia, where I met with new service chiefs of the Australian Defence Force as… Read more »

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The Australian Defence Force Faces Its Future in the Direct Defense of Australia

10/11/2022With the looming defence strategic review launched by the new Labour government, the Williams Foundation seminar held on September 28, 2022 looked at the challenges facing the ADF and the nation in shaping a defence policy shaped not by a peacetime mindset but one attuned to a global order in conflict. Download PDF Now »

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Building an Arsenal of Democracy in the 21st Century: The Perspective Penten’s CEO Matthew Wilson

11/15/2022By Robbin Laird During my September trip to Australia, I had a chance to sit down with the CEO of Penten, Matthew Wilson, along with my colleague John Blackburn, to… Read more »

Re-Imaging Nordic Defence

11/13/2022By Robbin Laird Brendan Sargeant, my late friend and colleague, and a noted Australian defence strategist, underscored the importance of strategic imagination when reshaping defence and foreign policies when entering… Read more »

Finland Prepares to Come Into NATO: A Finnish Perspective

11/08/2022During my visit to Euronaval on October 20, 2002, I had a chance to talk with Tuija Karanko, the Secretary General of the Association of Finnish Aerospace and Defence Companies.… Read more »

ADF Works with the French Forces in the Pacific

11/07/2022At the September 28, 2022 Williams Foundation Seminar, the Chief of the Australian Navy, VADM Mark Hammond, noted that: “I have spent much of the past 83 days as Chief… Read more »

Australia and South Korean on Air Refueling

11/06/2022In a November 2, 2022 articled by the Australian Department of Defence, the cooperation between the A330MRTT air forces was highlighted. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Republic… Read more »

NSM and JSM: A Norwegian Contribution to the “Arsenal of Democracy”

11/03/2022By Robbin Laird With the impact of the Ukraine war ongoing, one observation seems clear with regard to the preparation of the liberal democracies for war rather than military operations:… Read more »

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Island Seizure Training on Makiluoto Island, Finland

11/23/2022U.S. Marines assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conduct island seizure training on Makiluoto Island, Finland, August 14, 2022. The training was part… Read more »

USMC-Swedish Bilateral Exercise

11/21/2022U.S. Marines assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Swedish soldiers, assigned to Fifth Company, South Scania Regiment P7, conduct patrols during a… Read more »

U.S. Finnish Bi-lateral Exercise, August 2022

11/18/2022U.S. Army Soldiers with 12th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct flight operations with Finnish aircraft during an island seizure training exercise in Syndalen, Finland, August 10, 2022. The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready… Read more »

RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1 ENDEX

11/16/2022A wrap-up of RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1 and how the exercise has advanced over the years. EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK 10.20.2022 Video by Senior Airman Joao Marcus Costa 354th Fighter… Read more »

Allies Test Ground-based Air Defence Systems in Greece

11/14/2022Dutch, German and Norwegian soldiers took part in exercise Spartan Arrow in Chania, Greece. The exercise took place from late September to early October 2022. In the span of two… Read more »

RED FLAG-Alaska 23-1

11/11/2022U.S. Air Force Maj. William Hock, the assistant director of operations assigned to the 354th Operations Group DET 1, sits down for an interview detailing the history, purpose, and behind-the-scenes… Read more »

Osprey Maintenance in Hawaii

11/09/2022U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 268, perform maintenance on the internal weapon system of the MV-22B Osprey at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Hawaii, Feb. 16, 2022. VMM-268… 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 here or on a number of booksellers as well, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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HMH-461 Exercises External Lift with CH-53K

09/07/2022U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461 practice an external lift with a CH-53K King Stallion at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Aug. 11, 2022. T his… Read more »