What has Happened Since the DSR has been Published: The Perspective of Marcus Hellyer

10/05/2023
By Robbin Laird During my current visit to Australia to support the Williams Foundation Seminar held on 27 September 2023, I had a chance to talk with the well-known Australian strategist, Marcus Hellyer. Formerly of ASPI, he is now is head of research at Strategic Analysis, Australia. I asked Marcus…

Maritime Autonomous Systems and the Operational Force: How to Accelerate the Effort?

10/03/2023
By Robbin Laird Recently, I had a chance to continue my discussions with CDRE Darron Kavanagh who is Director General Warfare Innovation, Royal Australian Navy Headquarters, concerning maritime autonomous systems. Kavanagh has been one of the most articulate leaders of the development and introduction of maritime autonomous systems in Australia.…

The Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar September 2023: The Enterprise Requirements of an Australian Multi-Domain Strike Enterprise

09/29/2023
By Robbin Laird On 27 September 2023, the second Williams Foundation seminar for the year was held at the National Gallery in Canberra. The first focused on deterrence and the second provided a case study of building blocks for enhanced deterrent capabilities, namely shaping a multi-domain strike enterprise for the…

Denmark Receives Its First F-35s: Looking Back and Looking Forward

09/26/2023
By Robbin Laird Recently, I published my book My Fifth Generation Journey: 2004-2018 in which I highlighted how a program not supported by three presidents nor actively by any Secretary of Defense became the dominant air combat system being flown in the era of “great power competition.” I intend to…

Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2023

09/22/2023
According to a DSEI press release on September 21, 2023: Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) delivered the most successful edition for its customers, key stakeholders, partners in its 24-year history. DSEI broke all records last week in terms of overall attendance, number of visitors, and international delegations. Attendee numbers…

Countering Chinese Espionage Requires More Than a Government Response

09/21/2023
By Richard Weitz Recent incidents make clear that Chinese hacking and espionage remain a core U.S. national security concern. The scope and scale of these activities are breathtaking. Defeating this threat requires an optimized public-private partnership since the magnitude of the challenge far exceeds what the federal government can combat…

Digital Maintenance in the Shift to Distributed Maritime Operations

09/16/2023
By Robbin Laird The U.S. Navy and USMC are working closely together in shaping their approach to distributed operations. The Navy refers to distributed maritime operations; the Marines to expeditionary basing operations. Working closely together they are focused on weaving these approaches together to shape a more lethal and survivable…