A change of command ceremony for VRM-40, the "Mighty Bison" squadron, took place on July 31, 2025 at Naval Station Norfolk, where Cmdr. Brett H. Learner relieved Cmdr. Mason B. Fox as commanding officer. The ceremony marked the official transfer of leadership for the squadron, which provides carrier onboard delivery (COD) support using the CMV-22B Osprey.The event was held to…
By Robbin Laird In an interview I did in Norfolk last year with Commander Mason Fox and his team. Fox is the Commander of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 40, the “Mighty Bison.” In that interview he underscored a key point which is rarely noted in discussions about the way…
In an era of intensifying major power competition, China's diplomatic engagement with commodity-rich nations has emerged as a cornerstone of its global strategy. The contrasting yet complementary approaches Beijing has adopted toward Brazil under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Australia under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reveal a sophisticated…
U.S. Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 471, Marine Aircraft Group 41, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, provide maintenance and fuel to an MV-22B Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 764, during Atlantic Alliance 2025 at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, July 5, 2025. AA25 is a premier naval integration exercise…
In the turbulent landscape of contemporary global politics, few phenomena are as rare or as psychologically compelling as the successful comeback after political disgrace. Yet our current historical moment has produced one of the most extraordinary coincidences in modern democratic history: two septuagenarian leaders, Donald Trump and Luiz Inácio Lula…
President Lula's recent decision to station Brazilian general officers permanently in Beijing marks a potential inflection point in Brazil's defense partnerships, one that could jeopardize billions of dollars in established defense industrial relationships and undermine decades of successful technology transfer programs. While proponents frame this as a move toward "strategic…
U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), and 2nd Distribution Support Battalion (DSB), Combat Logistics Group 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, perform an external lift with a CH-53K King Stallion at U.S. Coast Guard Base Sector Key West, Florida,…
By Robbin Laird Australia stands at a strategic crossroads. The Pentagon's last-minute withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue in Canberra, coupled with the Trump administration's review of AUKUS and escalating trade tensions, has crystallized a fundamental challenge for Australian strategists: how to maintain essential alliance relationships while building the strategic…
