The European Intervention Initiative Conference: An Update on European Defense Cooperation

06/22/2021
By Pierre Tran Paris - The French air and space force should not have to wait for a future combat air system to gain access to a highly capable command and control network, a senior French air force officer said June 22. “We cannot wait for SCAF/NGWS. "We need to…

Tracking Chinese Engagement with Western Universities

06/22/2021
By Audrey Fritz When the University College Cork in Ireland withdrew from a partnership with Minzu University of China (MUC) in 2021, speculation cited concerns linking MUC with human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. This included the arrest of a Uyghur professor at MUC who was accused of separatism and escalating…

French, German and Spanish Air Chiefs Received FCAS Industry Briefings

06/21/2021
By Pierre Tran Paris - The French, German and Spanish air chiefs were briefed June 17 and 18 by three companies leading the industrial effort on a European Future Combat Air System, the three nations said in a joint statement. The official visits were made just days before German parliamentarians…

The Predator’s Potential Contribution to the Quad

06/21/2021
By Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd) New Delhi. The US-India ties peaked during the Trump Administration in security and capability building. Many of the pending LOAs (Letters of Acceptance) were hurriedly approved by the US, the driving factor apparently being a very aggressive China which literally wants to push the…

The Coming of the USS Gerald R. Ford: A June 2021 Update

06/20/2021
According to a U.S. Navy press release issued on June 18, 2021, the USS Gerald R. Ford has completed its next test succssfully. On Friday, June 18, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completed the first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST). The…

Rogue Ambush Exercise in Australia’s Top End

06/20/2021
According to an Australian Department of Defence story published on June 15, 2021, the Rogue Ambush exercise began in the Northern Territories. The Royal Australian Air Force will deploy over 300 personnel and approximately 30 aircraft to RAAF bases Darwin and Tindal to conduct Exercise Rogue Ambush 21-1 from 15…

An Update on the CH-53K, June 2021: Colonel Jack Perrin Provides an Overview

06/16/2021
By Robbin Laird The coming of the CH-53KTM to the USMC could not come at a more appropriate time. As the Marines are focused on mobile basing as a key aspect of how they contribute to crisis management, the capabilities of the new aircraft will be in immediate demand. It…