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Northern Tier Defense and UK-Norwegian Defense Cooperation

05/04/2018By Robbin Laird I have spent last week in Norway and visited Bodø air base as well as Ørland airbase, home of the first F-35s in Norway. This week I visited RAF Marham, the Tornado and F-35 base, and RAF Conigsby, a QRA and Typhoon base and then yesterday Portsmouth to see the new Queen Elizabeth carrier and to discuss the… Read more »

Avoiding a Car Crash for UK Defense: The Brexit Challenge

05/04/2018By Philip Butterworth-Hayes Time, they say, slows down the few seconds before a car crash. For close observers of the UK’s disentanglement from the European Union’s (EU) defence and security institutions, time has started to decelerate over the last few weeks. First came the reports of the Commission’s decision that the UK would no longer be welcome as a partner… Read more »

The Challenges Facing Australian Defense: The Perspective of Senator Jim Molan

05/04/2018By Robbin Laird During past visits to Australia, I have had a chance to talk with Major General (Retired) Jim Molan. The last time we talked was during my August 2017 visit and we focused on the challenge for Australia preparing for future conflicts. In that interview, he focused on the need for the ADF and the nation to prepare… Read more »

The Strategic Shift Facing the Western Democracies: A New Special Report

04/26/2018Since 2014, the Williams Foundation has held a series of seminars, which have looked at the nature of military transformation enabled by new platforms, new technologies and new approaches. Now, the Foundation is focusing on the new strategic context within which this force will operate and the kinds of further changes necessary for Australia and allied forces in facing the… Read more »

The RAAF Transition and Tron Warfare: The Case of the Growler

04/26/2018By Robbin Laird The RAAF has been in the throes of significant modernization over the last decade as the C-17, KC-30A, Super Hornet and the Wedgetail have come together to shape an integrated and effective power projection force. The next wave of change is spearheaded by the F-35. But the introduction of the Growler is a part of this transition… Read more »

One-Third Up the Escalation Ladder

04/25/2018By Paul Bracken, Yale University The United States has recognized a return to major power rivalry in recent official documents such as the National Security Strategyand the Nuclear Posture Review. This is a useful step that catches up to a reality that analysts and many others have argued has been underway for some time. It is especially important because it… Read more »