From Afghanistan, to Bold Alligator 2012, to the Future: The USMC Re-shapes Its Capabilities

02/08/2012
02/08/12 In a wide-ranging interview with Second Line of Defense’s Robbin Laird, the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Air Wing (MAW) provided an overview of how USMC aviation operates now and is evolving in the future. The bottom line for the role of USMC Aviation was underscored throughout the interview…

Obama’s Defense Budget Priorities and Choices Partially Revealed

02/08/2012
By Dr. Richard Weitz 2/01/2012 - On January 26, the Pentagon released its “Defense Budget Priorities and Choices” document. This 15-page brochure, along with the budget briefings provided by Senior DoD officials that day and subsequently, provided some information on how the new Defense Strategic Guidance will affect the Department’s…

Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Bank: Achieving Benefits at Acceptable Risk

02/01/2012
[caption id="attachment_12920" align="alignleft" width="150" caption=" "][/caption] By Dr. Richard Weitz 01/25/2012 - The world needs a multinational nuclear fuel bank and Kazakhstan is eager to host it. Kazakhstan has certain attributes that make it a welcome candidate to house one of perhaps several nuclear fuel banks. But Kazakhstan needs to…

New Defense Guidance: Needs Resources To Travel

01/31/2012
[caption id="attachment_12920" align="alignleft" width="150" caption=" "][/caption] By Dr. Richard Weitz 01/31/2012 - The authors of the Pentagon’s new Strategic Guidance must have been reading Second Line of Defense since they affirm many of the arguments made by SLD team. The only problem with the Guidance, which may prove fatal, is…

ESG-2 Prepares for Bold Alligator 2012

01/31/2012
[caption id="attachment_32640" align="alignleft" width="150"] Col. Weisz during the SLD Interview (Credit: SLD)[/caption] 01/31/2012 - During the week of Second Line of Defense Interviews in early January 2012, Col. Bradley Weisz, Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, explains the approach being followed in support of BA-2012. The Colonel discusses the role…

An Update on F-35 Manufacturability

01/30/2012
[caption id="attachment_32648" align="alignleft" width="300"] Frank Dougherty During the SLD Interview (Credit: SLD)[/caption] 01/30/2012 - During Second Line of Defense’s annual visit to the F-35 manufacturing facility, Frank Dougherty, Vice President, F-35 Production Operations provided an update on F-35 manufacturability.  Dougherty has extensive experience with both the F-22 and the F-16,…

The USCG Gets It Right: The 13th Ocean Sentry Aircraft Arrives Ahead of Schedule

01/30/2012
The USCG C-130 and Ocean Sentry fleet provide significant and crucial coverage for the maritime air arm for the USCG. As we have argued: The maritime patrol aircraft, the C-130s and the helos form together the surveillance, lift and action team, which provide significant capabilities to extend the reach of…

Tail Hook is More Than a Party

01/26/2012
01/26/12 by Ed Timperlake Since the term “Tailhook” entered the vernacular (as a rowdy out of control party because of a social engineering agenda that set that media template), American’s may have lost sight that a real tail hook is a deadly serious piece of equipment. It was said during…