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Working Mobile Basing: Defining the Challenge

05/31/2020By Robbin Laird The USMC has mobile basing in its DNA. With the strategic shift from the Middle Eastern land wars to full spectrum crisis management, an ability to distribute a force but to do so with capabilities which allow it to be integratable is crucial. For the Marines, this means an ability to operate an integratable force from seabases,… Read more »

The Coming of the Air Warfare Destroyer to Australia: A Key Maritime Kill Web Building Block

05/31/2020By Robbin Laird, Williams Foundation Research Fellow Recently, the third and final Air Warfare destroyer, appropriately named HMAS Sydney was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy. This was a very significant moment on many levels for Australia and for its allies in the Asia-Pacific region. For this is not just about what a single Air Warfare destroyer capable of doing;… Read more »

Working Expeditionary Basing: MAWTS-1 and the F-35

05/29/2020By Robbin Laird Over the past few weeks, I have been discussing with USAF and U.S. Navy officers, how the two services are training to shape greater synergy with regard to the integrated distributed force. The fusing of multiple sensors via a common interactive self-healing web enhances the ability of the entire force, including key partners and allies, to engage… Read more »

The Strategic Shift and Dynamic Targeting: Meeting the Challenge

05/28/2020By Robbin Laird With the strategic shift from the land wars to the more fluid battlespace involving peer competitors engaged in full spectrum crisis management with the United States and its allies, one aspect of the change for military forces is how to use lethal force effectively. This comes down in part to how to target dynamically in a fluid… Read more »

The Return of Direct Defense in Europe and Political Warfare: A Canadian Perspective

05/27/2020A key part of the direct defense challenge being faced in Europe today is political warfare with the 21st century authoritarian powers. And a key policy instrument being used by both Russia and China WITHIN European states is disinformation guided by an ability to connect that disinformation with the defense efforts of European allies participating in joint defense efforts. At… Read more »

Chinooks and Seahawks Train with HMAS Canberra

05/27/2020One of the challenges facing the future use of the HMAS Canberra is the evolving nature of the threat in the region, which undoubtedly see the evolution in the ship's capability to work with other air and maritime assets to work sea control missions as well as embarkation missions as well. This is a work in progress for sure. The… Read more »

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A Small Ship with a Big Impact: The Aussies Work the Integrated Distributed Force

04/23/2020The Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel is the first of the new build platforms. It provides the template with regard to the entire reset of how the Australians are seeking to build out their integrated distributed force. The contours of the new template are in place and can be identified and this report provides an… Download PDF Now »