After the Brazilian Fighter Deal: An Update on the Evolution of Brazilian Aviation

03/14/2014
2014-03-14 By Kenneth Maxwell Brazil quietly deepening air combat capabilities and promoting overseas civilian aircraft exports After years of delays over the choice of a new generation of jet fighter aircraft Brazil has been quietly developing its defense capabilities. The decision to go ahead with the deal with Swedish company Saab…

F-35 Lightning II Arrives at Luke AFB: And the Aussies Prepare to Come

03/14/2014
03/13/2014: F-35 Lightning II Arrives at Luke AFB By Paul Giblin The Republic Mon Mar 10, 2014 11:55 PM Air Force test pilot Roderick Cregier flew several slow, low loops through the Arizona sky before landing Luke Air Force Base’s first F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet Monday, launching a…

The Wedgetail Enters into Service: The Aussies Build Out their 21st Century Airpower Capabilities

03/12/2014
[slidepress gallery='visiting-the-wedgetail-squadron-at-williamtown-raaf-base-australia'] 2014-03-07  The Aussies entered the 21st century with an aging Air Force. The silver lining in that difficult position is that as the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began to modernize, they could do so within the context of new 21st century capabilities. The process really began by…

The Way Ahead for NATO: The Ukrainian Crisis Intrudes

03/12/2014
2014-03-13 By Andrew Haggard British Prime Minister David Cameron will host the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s next ministerial summit in September 2014 at Cardiff, United Kingdom. Previously, the alliance was expected to focus on “capabilities, partnerships and Afghanistan,” which U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel described as, “three priority areas…

The F-35 Global Enterprise: Viewed from Down Under

03/11/2014
2014-03-09 By Robbin Laird It is clear that the F-35 global enterprise is a unique enabler of the entire re-set of US and allied airpower. Yet this crucial and even central reality is hardly recognized in the mounds or should one say piles of commentary on the F-35 program. And indeed,…

The Coming of the F-35 to Australia: Shaping a 21st Century Approach to Airpower

03/11/2014
2014-03-12 by Robbin Laird I attended a seminar held by The Williams Foundation yesterday in Canberra, Australia. The focus of the seminar was on Air Combat Operations: 2025 and Beyond. The core emphasis was on the impact of the F-35 on reshaping the Australian combat approach appropriate to the challenges,…