SLDinfo.com - Second Line of Defense | Delivering Capability to the Warfighter

Re-Shaping the USMC as a Crisis Management Force: Working Naval Integration

07/30/2021By Robbin Laird The Marines are re-focusing their efforts from the Middle East land wars to shaping their way ahead to build a purpose-built force to facilitate sea denial and assured access in support of fleet and joint operations against potential adversaries. One way they are doing this is working with the U.S. Navy in new ways to operate together.… Read more »

An Update on 2nd Marine Air Wing: July 2021

07/29/2021By Robbin Laird The Marines are undergoing a change with a sense of urgency associated with the strategic shift from the Middle East land wars to being effective in strategic competition. The Marine Corps exists to provide a globally deployable Naval Expeditionary Force in readiness, this means preparing for initial engagements in contested areas of operation and working within the… Read more »

An Update on Dassault: July 2021

07/28/2021By Pierre Tran Paris - Industry and government are still in contract talks for studies on a technology demonstrator for a European fighter jet, Dassault Aviation said in a July 22 statement on first-half financial results. “The contract for phase 1B (under negotiation) is still to be signed,” the company said. “This will cover all the work carried out jointly… Read more »

The Coming of the CH-53K to the USMC: Shaping a Way Ahead

07/25/2021By Robbin Laird In recent visits to both II MEF and 2nd Marine Air Wing (2nd MAW), it is clear that the coming of the CH-53K to the North Carolina-based Marines is crucial. As the Marines work enhanced naval integration and expanded force mobility in dealing with the evolving strategic environment, the capabilities which the CH-53K brings to the force… Read more »

VADM Lewis: Shaping a Way Ahead for C2F and Allied Joint Forces Command, Norfolk

07/23/2021By Robbin Laird Recently, I had a chance to talk with VADM Lewis, Commander of Second Fleet and of Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk. We spoke one day after the full operational capability ceremony held on the USS Kearsarge for Allied Joint Force Command Norfolk. Together, the two commands represent a key capability for shaping a way ahead for North… Read more »

An Update on the Coming of the CMV-22B to the Fleet: July 2021

07/20/2021By Robbin Laird Recently, I had a chance to talk with Captain Dewon “Chainsaw” Chaney, the Commander of COMVRMWING (or Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Wing). My last conversation was in April of this year, and the first one last year. With the CMV-22B to be first deployed on the USS Carl Vinson later this year, the pairing of the F-35C with… Read more »

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Next Generation Autonomous Systems: A Williams Foundation Special Report

06/09/2021On April 8, 2021, the Williams Foundation held a seminar originally scheduled for last March. It was postponed as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. As Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown, Chairman of the Williams Foundation put it in his prologue to the conference: “Since 2013 the Sir Richard Williams Foundation conferences have focused on building… Download PDF Now »

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French Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: A Work in Progress

07/22/2021By Pierre Tran Paris – Onera and European missile builder MBDA are due to conduct the first test flight of a full-scale prototype of a French hypersonic cruise missile in… Read more »

Summer Fury 21: 3rd Marine Air Wing Works Maritime Strikes

07/21/2021by 1st Lt. Charles Allen MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – (July 7, 2021) Marines with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing begin Exercise Summer Fury 21 with a long-range maritime strike… Read more »

2nd MAW Marines Train with Finnish Air Force at Exercise ILVES

07/18/2021By Robbin Laird Since 2018, the Marines have ramped up their efforts to train in the Nordic region and to operate in Cold Weather. With the Nordics ramping up their… Read more »

HMLA-169 Long-Range Self Deployment: H-1s in the Indo-Pacific Region

07/18/2021By 1st Lt. John Hardin and 1st Lt. Tess LaBossiere KINAWA, Japan. – Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 169 executed one of the longest maritime HMLA self-deployment… Read more »

An Update on the French Navy: July 2021

07/16/2021By Pierre Tran Paris – The French navy has “excellent relations” with the Australian navy, which shares the French view of the importance of the Pacific region, Admiral Pierre Vandier,… Read more »

Looking Back and Looking Forward for the USMC: The Perspective of Lt. General Beaudreault, II MEF

07/15/2021By Robbin Laird I first met Lt. General Beaudreault during my visit to II MEF in April 2021. I returned on June 29, 2021 prior to the General’s retirement in… Read more »

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II MIG and the New Battlespace

08/02/2021The Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group (MIG) provides dedicated functions within the information environment to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. Utilizing the interconnectedness of troops and automated systems allows the… Read more »

Amphibiosity on Display in Talisman Sabre 2021

07/31/2021Soldiers from the ADF, U.S. Marines, Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, and Royal Marine Commandos participated in a combined joint amphibious landing and air assault as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre… Read more »

US Navy Virtual Medical Operations Center

07/30/2021A video of Navy Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) San Diego’s Virtual Medical Operations Center. NMRTC San Diego’s mission is to prepare service members to deploy in support of… Read more »

Sub Readiness Squadron

07/28/2021Naval Submarine Support Centers changed their names to Submarine Readiness Squadrons (SRS), July 15. The commands will be known as SRS 31 (Bangor), 32 (Groton), 33 (Pearl Harbor), and 36… Read more »

MAG-16 Readiness Training

07/26/2021Aircraft with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), prepare to take off at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, July 14, 2021. In a dynamic display of combat power that featured… Read more »

Sea Breeze 21 Final Exercise with Marines 6th Regiment

07/25/2021U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment conduct the final exercise, or FINEX, during Exercise Sea Breeze, July 6, 2021. UKRAINE 07.07.2021 Video by Sgt. Dylan Chagnon U.S. Naval… Read more »

Exercise Sea Breeze 21 Joint Training

07/24/2021U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment and Ukrainian Marines with1st Marine Battalion, 36th Naval Infantry Brigade, conduct joint planning and movement-to-target drills during Exercise Sea Breeze, July 3,… 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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Night Warrior: CH-53K Night Air Refueling

07/18/2021The CH-53K King Stallion executing night vision goggle helicopter aerial refueling. It is the Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations vertical, long-range, heavy-lift, logistic backbone of the Marine Corps, today and for the… Read more »