2016-08-25 By Robbin Laird I first met Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown, when he was the head of the Royal Australian Air Force. At that time, he was focused on ensuring that the F-35 became a key element of the modernizing RAAF. Since his retirement, he joined the Williams Foundation and…
2016-08-21 By Todd Miller The USS George Washington (CVN-73) is hosting the F-35C in its final Developmental Testing cycle (DT-III) Aug. 14-23. However, for a few of those days the two VX-23 “Salty Dogs” F-35Cs from NAS Patuxent River were joined by 5 F-35Cs from VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” out of…
2016-08-20 By Robbin Laird The Aussies are shaping a transformed military force. It is one which is built around new platforms but working together across services to achieve a joint effect and able to operate in a joint manner in an extended battlespace. It is about extending the defense perimeter…
2016-08-28 By Robbin Laird When I first became involved with the Williams Foundation, the initial focus was upon discussing, analyzing and explaining fifth generation aircraft and what they could bring to the force. This meant in part discussing two platforms which are described as fifth generation, namely the F-22 and…
2016-08-28 By Garth McLennan The United States Congress is contemplating changes to the standards it uses to define its defense architecture against ballistic missile threats. Any such changes are likely to be more symbolic than substantive in the short term, but over time will create more political space for the development…
2016-08-22 By Kenneth Maxwell The most negative expectations for the Rio Olympic Games did not materialize. Zika did not impact tourists or athletes as expected (at least not so far). The number of foreign visitors was less than anticipated, though those that came to Rio enjoyed the competitions. Many stadiums were often…
2016-08-18 By Robbin Laird When I last visited Amberley airbase two years ago, the KC-30A was a project of concern. Now it has become a key combat asset within the RAAF contribution to current Australian and allied Middle East operations. This time with those operations ongoing, Pitch Black 2016 ramping…
2016-08-19 According to Air Commodore Richard Lennon, Commander of the RAAF’s Air Mobility Group, the C-130J played a prominent role in Pitch Black 2016. Our first attempt at using C-130 equipped with Link 16 on Exercise Pitch Black 16 has been very successful. For the first time the C-130 crew have…
