Modernization and Innovation at the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing: A Conversation with Major General Swan

05/07/2025
By Robbin Laird During my latest visit to 2nd Marine Wing, I had a chance to talk with Major General Swan, Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW), on 29 April 2025. He offered insights into how the wing is navigating modernization while maintaining readiness for global…

Shaping a Way Ahead for the MV-22: A Modernization Path

05/06/2025
By Robbin Laird V-22 modernization efforts are essential to enable the Osprey to remain in service for the next thirty years. One important ongoing effort is the Nacelle Improvement Program. In an earlier interview with David Albin, the Nacelle Readiness Program Manager at Bell, we discussed the key aspects of…

The Paradigm Shift in Maritime Operations: Expanding the Impact of Capabilities for Distributed Maritime Effects

05/04/2025
By Robbin Laird At the recent Navy League meetings held during the first week of April, I had a chance to talk with several companies and analysts about the evolution of maritime capabilities and what the U.S. and allies could do to ramp up the capabilities of the “fight tonight…

Celebrating 15 Years of Publication: Highlighting the Release of The Emergence of the Multi-Polar Authoritarian World

05/03/2025
By Robbin Laird We have been publishing for several years. This is our 16th year of publication. We started as a single Franco-American website, and now we have three, two in the United States and one in France. A magazine which has been published for many years and is a…

The Paradigm Shift in Maritime Operations: What Potential Role for Future Tiltrotor Systems?

04/24/2025
By Robbin Laird In my forthcoming book on the paradigm shift in maritime operations, I focus on the importance of pairing distributed capital ship operations with the capabilities that air vehicles and autonomous systems can provide to deliver maritime effects in a contested environment. To achieve competitive overmatch in the…

The Textron Aviation Defense Offering for the U.S. Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System

04/22/2025
By Robbin Laird At the recent Sea-Air-Space Conference held in National Harbor, Maryland, Textron Aviation Defense was featuring its offering for the Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System. The Navy seeks to replace the aging T-45 Goshawk — with the candidates being the multi-engine Textron Aviation Defense-Leonardo-M-346N, the single-engine Boeing-Saab T-7…

Space-Enabled Distributed Forces: Orbit’s Contribution

04/21/2025
I met with Asaf Punis, VP of Marketing and Business Development of Orbit at during the 2025 Navy League meetings held the first week of April 2025. I was especially interested in talking with him because of my interest in C2 enabling a distributed kill web force. With the coming…

The H-1s at MAWTS-1: Participating in Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course 2-25

04/20/2025
U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper pilots assigned to Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1), are seen in the photo slide show below at the Weapons and Tactics Instructor course 2-25 at Mesquite, California, April 14, 2025. WTI is a seven-week training event hosted by MAWTS-1…