By Air Vice-Marshal John Blackburn AO (Retd) and Group Captain Anne Borzycki (Retd) Australia has a lengthy history of seeking protection from great and powerful western saviours due to a long-held fear of invasion from "the north." Stunned by the withdrawal of British Forces following the surrender of Singapore in…
By Pierre Tran VILLEPINTE, France - There was something for everybody at Eurosatory, a trade show for land weapons and air-ground combat, which closed June 21. Above all, there was politics, domestic and international. The vast halls and outdoor displays just north of the capital were packed with every kind…
By Robbin Laird On June 7, 2024, the CH-53K moved from the VMX-1 detachment at New River to join the core of the unit which is located at Yuma. This means that the VMX-1 aircraft is co-located with MAWTS-1 and becomes an integral part of the ongoing transformation of the…
By Robbin Laird RSL Australia has recently released a paper by John Blaxland of the Australian National University which underscores the need for a broader Australian national defence strategy rather than one narrowly focused on the Australian Defence Force. “The Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL Australia) was formed…
By Richard Weitz The Ukraine War and other recent conflicts highlight the imperative of preserving U.S. air superiority. Ukraine demonstrates the challenges militaries face when they do not enjoy air superiority. In that conflict, advanced drones have provided the most effective combat air support for both the Russian and Ukrainian…
By Pierre Tran Paris - The Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet may be “an old bird,” but there was a large supply of spare parts, which will be a “big advantage” for the Ukrainian air force, a French ex-fighter pilot said. It was not clear how many of the French-built fighters…
2017-12-18 By Brian Morra The Department of Defense’s acquisition system is a major cause of the erosion of the defense capabilities of the United States. This erosion is visible in high profile, fatal accidents like those the US Navy has experienced in the Western Pacific over the past two years.…
2016-03-02 Our colleague Air Vice Marshal (Retired) John Blackburn has focused attention on the energy security shortfall for Australia for some time. As an island continent at the bottom of the Asia Pacific region, Australia is heavily dependent upon liquid energy imports and with a rapidly disappearing domestic refinery production capacity,…