By Dr Tom Loveard and Dr Marcus Hellyer. This article has been motivated by C2 Robotics’s internal company analysis of ongoing test and evaluation activities employing the Speartooth large uncrewed underwater vessel (LUUV). Our assessment is that the Department of Defence and the broader Australian strategic policy community have underappreciated…
The 2025 publishing year brought together a remarkably coherent body of work that spans contemporary defense transformation, global political change, and historical reflection, while continuing to deepen long‑standing partnerships with leading strategic thinkers and historians. Taken as a whole, the 2025 list underlines a central theme: democratic states are struggling…
By James Durso After NATO forces evacuated Kabul in August 2021, the U.S. government implemented Operation Allies Welcome to remove Afghan allies, including interpreters, embassy staff, and others who worked alongside U.S. forces. The program provided humanitarian parole and resettlement opportunities for those evacuated during the chaotic airlift from Kabul.…
High over the Libyan desert on March 21, 2011, a critical malfunction sent a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle plummeting towards the sand. The two crew members ejected into hostile territory, landing miles apart. While the Weapons Systems Officer was quickly recovered by friendly rebel sympathizers, the pilot, Major…
By Robbin Laird The GAO’s recent report on Osprey safety draws attention to real mishaps and genuine concerns, but its framing, methods, and omissions risk reinforcing an outdated caricature of the V‑22 rather than illuminating the actual safety problems the force faces. A more rigorous and operationally grounded assessment shows…
By Robbin Laird In 2020, Murielle Delaporte and I published a book examining what we termed "the return of direct defense" in Europe. Our central argument challenged conventional thinking about European security: defending Europe in the 2020s requires moving beyond traditional military deterrence to embrace a broader strategic concept that…
Michael W. Wynne’s wide-ranging career has influenced American defense innovation from every angle, military service, executive leadership in industry, transformative public service, and a continuing role as an advisor and champion of technological advancement. His legacy extends well beyond his time as Secretary of the Air Force, shaping the very…
CAMP PENDLETON, California By Robbin Laird On Friday December 5, 2205, I was at Camp Pendleton and watched the air insertion element of the Embassy Reinforcement Exerice which is part of Steel Knight 2025. In the sprawling urban training complex at Camp Pendleton, I witnessed the aviation insertion component of…
