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

An Update on European Defense Industrial Cooperation: December 2021

12/07/2021By Pierre Tran Paris - Airbus Defence and Space and Dassault Aviation are still in detailed talks for a development contract for a next generation fighter, a key element in a planned European future combat air system, said Michael Schoellhorn, chief executive of the Airbus unit. “Some points still need to be tackled,” he said Nov. 30 in a virtual… Read more »

The Evolution of the Viper Attack Helicopter: JAGM Testing

12/05/2021Recently, VMX-1 tested the Viper Attack Helicopter with the JAGM weapon, and for the purpose of enhancing the Marine Corps's capability to support maritime/littoral missions. This is how the December 2, 2021 USMC press release described the effort: HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS – Marines from Marine Operational Test & Evaluation Squadron 1 (VMX-1) conducted an operational test and evaluation of the… Read more »

Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 and Australian Defence

12/05/2021By Justin Burke The announcement of the AUKUS partnership has prompted the old accusation that Australia is ‘trying to find its security from Asia rather than in Asia’ to resurface in public debate, most recently in former prime minister Paul Keating’s recent National Press Club address. The basis for this view is twofold. First, Australia is seeking the assistance of… Read more »

Moving Beyond Its Legacy Fleet of Mirages and F-16s: The UAE Adds Rafales to Its F-35 Buy

12/03/2021By Pierre Tran Paris - The United Arab Emirates signed Dec. 3, 2021 contracts worth a total €17 billion ($19 billion) for 80 Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets, MBDA missiles, and 12 Airbus Helicopter Caracal H225M helicopters, the armed forces ministry said. The UAE Tawazun arms acquisition authority signed Rafale orders worth €14 billion with Dassault, and with MBDA contracts… Read more »

Training for the Interoperable and Integratable Force: Preparing for the High-End Fight

12/01/2021By Robbin Laird To get the kind of combat effect which U.S. forces seek, integratability of key elements of the force is crucial. It is not the old concept of network centric warfare being pursued, but rather integration of modular capability-based task forces to deliver the desired combat effect in the distributed battlespace. But how do you resolve the integration… Read more »

The Bataclan Attack in 2015: Now the Trial Six Years Later

11/30/2021By Pierre Tran Paris. Can you remember where you were on Friday 13 November 2015 is the big question, following the opening of a criminal trial for what has become known as the Bataclan attack. The court hearing, which opened Sept. 8,2021 has heard survivors, police, intelligence officers, and political leaders give testimony on that night when assailants claiming allegiance… Read more »

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The Coming of the CH-53K: A Look Back at 2020 and 2021 Developments

10/12/2021By Robbin Laird In this report, I have brought together my pieces (with one exception) on the CH-53K published since mid-2020. The one exception? II start the report with a NAVAIR press release about the event highlighted on the cover page photo. All of these articles show steady progress towards the CH-53K coming into the… Download PDF Now »

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A Discussion with Major General James F. Glynn: The CG of MARSOC

11/30/2021By Robbin Laird The Marine Forces Special Operations Command provides an interesting case study for the USMC transformation path. It was stood up in 2006 and was clearly part of… Read more »

RAAF Receives Latest Delivery of F-35s: November 2021

11/29/2021By Flying Officer Bronwyn Marchant Air Force has now received 44 of the planned 72 F-35A Lightning II aircraft after three more aircraft touched down at RAAF Base Williamtown on… Read more »

INS Visakhapatnam Commissioned into the Indian Navy: November 2021

11/24/2021By India Strategic Mumbai. INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard,… Read more »

AFRICOM Chief Visits South Africa

11/23/2021By Guy Martin As part of a regional visit, the US military’s Africa Command chief, General Stephen Townsend, has met with senior members of the South African National Defence Force… Read more »

Russia’s Space Shot across NATO’s Bow

11/22/2021By Richard Weitz The Russian military obliterated a defunct Soviet-era Tselina radio-surveillance satellite, Cosmos 1408, that had been orbiting almost 500 kilometers above the Earth since 1982, with a single-short… Read more »

10 Year Mark in Expanded U.S.-Australian Cooperation

11/22/2021According to an Australian Department of Defence article published on November 16, 2021, Australia and and the United States had reach the 10 year mark in their enhanced defense cooperation.… Read more »

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Coast Guard Role and Missions 2021

12/06/2021Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the American people and promoted national security, border security, and economic prosperity in a complex and evolving maritime environment. The Coast Guard saves… Read more »

Is the RAAF Ready for AI?

12/03/2021Developing an understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is essential for Air Force, and Defence, to enable personnel to make smarter and faster decisions, often in high-risk situations. To effectively and… Read more »

Australian Regional Combat Team Warfighter Training Exercise

12/01/2021Soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) Ready Combat Team (RCT) completed the new Regional Combat Team Warfighter Exercise at the Jungle Training Wing in Tully and at… Read more »

MAG-24 and EABO

11/30/2021U.S. Marines with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron (HMLA) 367, conduct live-fire training off the coast of Hawaii, Nov. 4, 2021. HMLA-367 conducted this training to demonstrate readiness and combat… Read more »

B-2 Engagement

11/29/2021A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., links up with a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 126th Air Refueling Wing, Scott Air… Read more »

USS Essex Replenishment at Sea

11/26/2021ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 16, 2021) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Corey Martin signals to an MH-60S Sea Hawk attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 aboard the amphibious assault ship… Read more »

Italian F-35 Pilot in Estonia Air Policing Mission

11/24/2021The militaries of each NATO Ally rely on machines and vehicles to help them perform at the highest levels. Meet the men and women who operate those vehicles and learn… 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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CH-53K Infantry Lift

11/30/2021U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, are transported by a CH-53K King Stallion assigned to Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 across multiple locations near Marine… Read more »