The Italian F-35 FACO: A Key Asset in the Global F-35 Support System

12/05/2012
2012-12-05 We have written often about allies and their role in the F-35 program.  We have also written about the unique aspects of the impact of the F-35 as a fleet of aircraft.  And we have brought the two together in a discussion of evolving Pacific strategy and the potential…

The Evolving North Korean Missile Threat

12/04/2012
2012-12-04 by Richard Weitz The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) already has sufficient missile capability to inflict major damage on U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as against U.S. allies such as Japan and South Korea. The DPRK has developed several ballistic missiles types, of varying ranges…

The USS Enterprise: The End of An Era and the USS America Opens the New One

12/02/2012
2012-12-02 by Robbin Laird The ceremony to declare the USS Enterprise inactive was held yesterday. After a glorious career, and after shaping many innovations in Naval history, the USS Enterprise enters into history. [caption id="attachment_48170" align="alignnone" width="300"] USS Enterprise over the years. Graphic Credit: Huntington Ingalls  [/caption] It is an…

Russia and DPRK Proliferation Issues: Positioning for Influence

12/02/2012
2012-12-02 By Richard Weitz Russian diplomats generally oppose using sanctions to punish countries whose governments misbehave. In the case of the DPRK, as with Iran, Russian policy makers argue that a non-coercive, incentive-based strategy offers the best means for persuading Pyongyang to denuclearize. Especially in the case of North Korea, Russian…

Shaping a New Approach to Combat Learning: The Role of the F-35

11/30/2012
2012-11-30 by Robbin Laird Ed Timperlake has pioneered work on how to understand the entire approach to re-thinking what the new generation of combat air is really all about.  To capture the difference between his generation of aircraft and the F-35, Timperlake has focused on what he calls the Z-axis and…