2017-08-29 By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to Australia, I had a chance to continue my discussion with Major General (Retired) Jim Molan. He is a frequent commentator in the press and on the media generally on defense issues and with the recently announced Trump policy on Afghanistan as…
2017-08-23 By Robbin Laird I have been writing for some time about the strategic shift or one could call revolution to building software upgradeable systems. The new multi-mission platforms on sea or in the air such as the Australian ANZAC Class frigates or the Wedgetail are simply different from legacy…
2017-08-23 By Robbin Laird During my current visit to Canberra in August 2017, I was able to continue my discussion with Officer Commanding No 42 Wing, Group Captain Stuart Bellingham about the Wedgetail and its evolution. After the recent presentation by the head of the USAF Materiel Command underscored the…
2017-08-29 The PRC is not simply playing classic global power politics. They are working within key allied nations, including key ones like Australia and the United States, to achieve their power ambilitions. In an interview earlier this month, Ross Babbage, the Australian strategist discussed the challenge as follows: We then…
2017-08-29 According to an article written by Yoav Zitun and published on Ynet News on August 27, 2017, Israel has purchased an additional 17 F-35s, bringing the total now to 50 fifth generation fighters for the IDF. According to the contract, the planes' delivery will be completed by December 2024. "This…
2017-08-29 According to a story published on August 24, 2017 in Air-Force Technology, BAE Systems Australia is being contracted to manage F-35 Asia-Pacific regional warehouse. BAE Systems Australia has secured a A$300m contract to manage the Asia-Pacific regional warehouse of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter (JSF) programme. Under the…
2017-08-25 By Robbin Laird Last year I had a chance to talk with the Commander of the Surveillance Response Group Air Commodore Craig Heap about the way ahead for this unique and key part of the RAAF. In our discussion, he argued that the aperture needed to be opened on…
2017-08-24 By Richard Weitz Although Sino-U.S. military ties have showed surprising residence in the phase of numerous China-U.S. security differences, they lag considerably behind Beijing’s defense relations with Moscow. During the last week of July, the Chinese and Russian navies conducted a week of joint drills in the Baltic Sea,…
