The Kill Web Imperative: A Strategic Analysis of the Paradigm Shift in Combat Pilot Training

11/26/2025
Military aviation stands at a decisive inflection point. For the past two decades, air power development was largely defined by the demands of counterinsurgency and crisis management in the "land wars" of Iraq and Afghanistan. This era has decisively ended, supplanted by a new strategic reality of peer competitors, proliferating…

The Relentless Analyst: A Tribute to Dr. Danny Lam

11/24/2025
By Robbin Laird There was a certain rhythm to the way Danny Lam worked — deliberate, meticulous, unafraid to challenge assumptions. To colleagues at Second Line of Defense, he wasn’t merely another contributor; he was a force, often unpredictable in where his thoughts might go, yet always rooted in clarity,…

The Mothership Impact

11/19/2025
When defense analysts discuss "hybrid fleets" combining crewed and uncrewed systems, they inadvertently obscure what may be the most significant transformation in naval warfare since the aircraft carrier displaced the battleship. The term "hybrid" suggests simple addition where manned platforms plus unmanned platforms equals enhanced capability. This mathematical metaphor fundamentally…

Australia’s Janus Policy: The Critical Minerals Contradiction

11/18/2025
By Robbin Laird Australia faces a strategic contradiction that reveals much about the complexities of navigating major power competition in an economically interdependent world. While Canberra signs billions in critical minerals agreements with Washington to counter Chinese dominance, Australian mines majority-owned by Beijing-backed firms continue supplying raw materials vital for…

Kenneth Maxwell: The Historian Who Redefined Our Understanding of the Luso-Brazilian World

11/17/2025
In the landscape of modern historical scholarship, few figures have done more to illuminate the complex relationships between Portugal, Brazil, and the broader Atlantic world than Kenneth Maxwell. Over a career spanning more than five decades, this British-born historian has fundamentally reshaped how we understand the evolution of the Portuguese-speaking…

Australia’s Maritime Future in Focus: State of Play and Strategic Transformation

11/13/2025
Australia stands at a maritime crossroads. The choices it makes in the coming years will shape not only its security and economic prosperity, but also the stability of the wider Indo-Pacific region. The Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, as covered in detail by The Australian, showcased this inflection point: expanding…