Driving Innovation for the Maritime Forces: Keeping up with the Criminal Class

01/20/2025
By Robbin Laird When I was working with the U.S. Coast Guard, more than a decade ago, the Commandant was considering a new acquisition approach. The acquisition approach became known as Deepwater. This is the only comprehensive mutli-domain acquisiton approach which the U.S. has tried to implement in the maritime…

A Paradigm Shift in Shipbuilding

01/15/2025
There is a shift in how the maritime warfighting force is evolving and with that significant elements for a paradigm shift in the maritime force. One aspect of that paradigm shift has been spearheaded by the Danes with their focus on a new generation of modular shipbuilding. That approach is…

The King Stallion at MCAS Yuma

01/14/2025
The King Stallion as the latest major aviation addition to the USMC has come to MCAS Yuma in two major ways. VMX-1, the key Marine Corps operational test squadron, based at MCAS Yuma and they received their first King Stallion last June. This brought together all the key aricraft which…

French Aerospace Industrial Outlook for 2025

01/13/2025
By Pierre Tran Paris - The French aerospace industry was entering 2025 with an “exceptional” geostrategic and political outlook, seeking to respond to strong demand for products and services, while bracing for a gathering storm of U.S. trade tariffs expected from an incoming administration, Guillaume Faury, chairman of Gifas, an…

Logistical Support to Amphibious Operations: How Maritime Autonomous Systems Fill the Gap

01/08/2025
By George Galdorisi One of the most frequently-read recent articles on this site is Mike Daum’s excellent piece: Infantry Wins Battles, Logistics Wins Wars: The Role of the Army’s ‘Little Navy’ in the Pacific​. As the title implies, this piece is focused on the U.S. Army; however, two key statements universalize…

Our First Book for 2025: The Australian Defence Force: Meeting the Modernization Challenges

01/07/2025
The Australian Defence Force: Meeting the Modernization Challenges examines the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) modernization efforts in light of evolving geopolitical realities, particularly concerning China. The book analyzes the challenges of balancing immediate readiness with long-term force planning. The author incorporates interviews and presentations from the 2024 Sir Richard Williams…

New Capabilities for Littoral Security and Military Operations: The Case for Seagliders

01/02/2025
By Robbin Laird Technologies and actions by our strategic competitors are dramatically reshaping maritime security and defense strategy, particularly in the Black, Red, & South China Seas.  Littoral operations are being significantly recalibrated by multiple technological advancements while simultaneously being compounded by the actions of strategic competitors. These battlefield advances…

Technology and Changing Concepts of Operations: Transforming Military Vehicle Architecture

12/21/2024
By Pierre Tran LIMOGES, France - Texelis, a builder of powertrains for armored vehicles, was working on an 18-month feasibility study for an electric hub drive to power hybrid diesel/electric vehicles, said Marin Tollet, marketing and communications director. The feasibility study ran to the end of 2025, he said December…