06/12/2011 - Prior to a mission, Afghan and U.S. Airmen equip an AAF MI-17 helicopter with 57mm rockets for the first time, allowing the Afghans to provide for their own mission security without reliance on ISAF aircraft for assistance in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan Credit: 16th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment…
06/10/2011 Marines with Lima Battery, Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit conduct riot control training for the final exercise in the non-lethal weapons course at Stone Bay aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. The 22nd MEU is a multi-mission capable force comprised of…
06/09/2011 - USS Carl Vinson Operations [slidepress gallery='uss-carl-vinson-operations'] Credit: USN Visual News Service: 4/4/11 In the first photo, an E-2C Hawkeye assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 approaches the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing 17 are conducting…
06/09/2011: The core advantages of the Osprey – speed and range – are highlighted every time VIPs show up in Afghanistan and want to cover as much ground in as short a time. In these two photos, Secretary of Defense Gates used the Osprey in such a manner. Here the…
06/09/2011 Earlier this year we published a key interview with a French officer with extensive Afghan experience. His discussion and formulas remain compelling. https://www.sldinfo.com/?p=16559 An excerpt from the interview underscores what recent reports about the Afghan situation issued by the U.S .government simply highlight; investing in a country without a…
The current Sound Off Column looks at Why Gates II Would Fire Gates I. http://www.sldforum.com/2011/06/why-gates-ii-would-fire-gates-i/ A recent Sound Off Column looks at an historic PR fumble in the Super Tucano versus AT-6 public fight. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2725392/posts The new terms of reference for the next forum which will address “What does the…
06/07/2011 - Aircraft breakdowns can interrupt operations. Staff Sgt. Charles McNamara tells us about a stand by team downrange who helps keep aircraft moving.The C-17 has an excellent maintainence record, in large part due to the acquisition of modern aircraft. The fleet is newer than any other core fleet in…
06/02/2011: In a brief during the Airbus Military Trade media event, the A400M head test pilot, Ed Strongman, provided an update on the status of the flight test program. Over the past 18 months there have seen significant flight-testing within the program. As of May 10, 2011, 55 pilots have flown…
