2016-12-17 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake During our most recent visit to USMC Air Station Yuma, we had a chance to meet with the head of MAWTS-1 and discuss the way ahead for USMC concepts of operations as seen from this key tactical innovation center. [caption id="attachment_92535" align="alignnone" width="273"] The…
2016-12-30 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird In addition to the interview which we had with the CO of MAWTS-1, Col. Rowell, we had a chance to talk with Lt. Col. Nelson, the XO of MAWTS-1 and Major Duke. Lt. Col. “Cowboy” Nelson was on the deployment under the command…
2016-12-29 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Col. Rowell is the first Commanding Officer of VMX-1: Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1. VMX-1 includes the operational test & evaluation (OT&E) and science & technology (S&T) activities that have supported Marine Aviation from HMX-1, VX-9, MACCS-X and MAWTS-1. One…
2016-12-07 By Ed Timperlake Second Line of Defense has tried to make a direct difference to improve the lives of those in need. Some of those cases are as follows: Writing about The Vietnam Children’s Fund (http://www.vietnamchildren.org); Sponsoring combat disabled Marines ability to ride the rapids through the Grand Canyon (…
2016-12-29 By Robbin Laird As we end 2016 and look forward to 2017, it is difficult not to believe that we face a year of upheaval. Several dynamics in play at the same time and these dynamics will interact with one another to generate profound change in the world as…
2016-12-22 By Robert Newton The election has delivered an accomplished businessman, untainted by the favors and funding of classic politics, who is soon to enter office with a mandate for change. His declared commitment is to make “America Great Again” and, while our country has many dimensions, the US military…
2016-12-16 by Gulshan Rai Luthra New Delhi/Paris. The Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) competition for the Indian skies is beginning again, this time for a much larger number than the 2007 figure of 189 MMRCAs asked by the Indian Air Force (IAF). This time, there is also an additional requirement…
2016-12-18 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird The Chinese Navy has come out into the big world as a counter-piracy force. For example, the PLAN has been part of the anti-piracy operations off of the waters of Somalia. And in 2014, the PLAN did an exercise with the US Navy with…