Keeping USMC H-1s Ready and Relevant for Today’s Crisis Management Response

05/13/2025
The Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA) 2025 Symposium is going on this week from May 12 through the 15h in Dallas Texas. We are publishing a piece highlighting the role of one of the somewhat undervalued aviation capabilities which the Marine Corps operates today, namely the H-1 helicopters. By Allen…

Lula in Moscow and Beijing: Coming to Terms with the Multi-Polar Authoritarian World?

05/13/2025
By Kenneth Maxwell The three major Brazilian newspapers in their editorials had nothing good to say about Lula’s presence in Moscow for the 80th anniversary parade on Red Square celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in WW2. The Brazilian President and his wife, Rosângela (Janja) Lula da Silva, joined…

Middle Powers in a Changing World: How Australia and Brazil Navigate the China Dynamic

05/12/2025
By Robbin Laird and Kenneth Maxwell In today's rapidly evolving global order, middle powers find themselves in an increasingly complex position as they balance economic opportunity against strategic independence. Two nations, Australia and Brazil, offer a fascinating case study in how different countries are responding to China's rise while pursuing…

Modernization and Innovation at the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing: A Conversation with Major General Swan

05/07/2025
By Robbin Laird During my latest visit to 2nd Marine Wing, I had a chance to talk with Major General Swan, Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW), on 29 April 2025. He offered insights into how the wing is navigating modernization while maintaining readiness for global…

Shaping a Way Ahead for the MV-22: A Modernization Path

05/06/2025
By Robbin Laird V-22 modernization efforts are essential to enable the Osprey to remain in service for the next thirty years. One important ongoing effort is the Nacelle Improvement Program. In an earlier interview with David Albin, the Nacelle Readiness Program Manager at Bell, we discussed the key aspects of…

A South African Perspective on the Challenge of Maritime Defense and Security

01/30/2016
2016-01-30 Recently, our partner defenceWeb looked at the evolving challenges of maritime defense and security seen from South Africa. Thursday, 28 January 2016 Economic growth through development of the ocean economy as part of Operation Phakisa requires effective maritime surveillance and defence, with nearly 4 000 kilometres of South Africa’s…