The KC-30A and Shaping the Future of Air Tanking: The Perspective of the 86th Wing Commander

04/11/2018
Robbin Laird During a visit to Amberley Airbase, Murielle Delaporte and I had a chance to talk with Group Captain Steve Pesce, Officer Commanding 86 Wing, comprising the RAAF’s C-17, KC-30A, B300, CL604 and B737 fleets. We discussed his perspectives on the future of air tanking, and specifically the next…

Are We In a New Nuclear Arms Race?

04/10/2018
Interview with Paul Bracken In February, the U.S. Department of Defense released the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, a report that outlines the state of the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons and the threats it faces from other nuclear powers, as well as recommending policies and strategies for the future of the…

The Surveillance and Response Group Working to Enhance the Situational Awareness and Decision Making Capabilities of the RAAF

04/08/2018
By Robbin Laird During my visit with Murielle Delaporte to RAAF Williamtown in mid-March 2018, we had a chance to meet with Air Commodore (AIRCDRE) Craig Heap the Commander of the RAAF’s Surveillance and Response Group (SRG). I have had a chance twice before to talk with AIRCDRE Heap as…

Seeking Prudent Progress Through Arms Control, Not Disarmament

04/06/2018
Richard Weitz The Trump administration is skeptical of nuclear disarmament, but supports arms control and strategic stability measures, under appropriate conditions, designed to keep state competition constrained. Specifically, the administration recognizes that arms control, along with other measures, can bolster the security of the United States, its allies, and U.S.…

African Arms Exports Down Over the Past Decade

04/05/2018
Over the last decade, African arms imports dropped by 22 per cent, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), but Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria continued to order large quantities of weapons and equipment. According to an article published by our partner defenceWeb, the trends were discussed leveraging a…

The Centrality of Missile Defense as Part of a 21st Century Deterrent Force

04/05/2018
By Richard Weitz The newly enacted FY2018 Omnibus Appropriations Bill provides urgently needed funding for U.S. defense priorities. The spending package signed by President Trump supports fighting terrorism, rebuilding the U.S. Navy, developing next-generation capabilities to manage emerging challenges, and protecting Americans from immediate threats. North Korea’s emerging nuclear missile…

Geopolitics and Shaping a Way Ahead for the Liberal Democracies in the Pacific

04/04/2018
During the RAAF Airpower Conference, 2018, one key subject was the nature of the change geopolitical dynamics in the region and its implication for Australian and for its liberal democratic allies. The keynote address by Bilahari Kausikan Ambassador at Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Singapore provided a challenging…