Shaping an Integrated Force in the Extended Battlespace: A Special Report on New Approaches to Air-Sea Integration

09/30/2016
2016-09-20 In this report, the major presentations and discussions at the Williams Foundation seminar on new approaches to air-sea integration held on August 10, 2016 in Canberra, Australia are highlighted along with interviews conducted before, during and after the seminar as well. Interviews with the Army, Navy, and Air Force…

France, NATO and Protection of NATO Airspace

09/30/2016
2016-09-30 In 2015, France joined the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System or NATINAMDS. This meant that NATO had enhanced potential for seamless coverage from Southern to Northern NATO and to the East. According to a NATO press release on 6/19/15: After thorough preparation and planning, jointly and effectively…

The French Air Force and the SCALP Cruise Missile: Strikes Daesh Again

09/30/2016
2016-09-30 In late 2015, the French Rafales used the Storm Shadow/SCALP for the first time against the Daesh. According to a statement from the French Ministry of Defense, the air strike involved ten aircraft from their deployment airfields in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. The raid targeted Daesh headquarters, training…

Aussie and American Instructor F-35 Pilots Operate at Mountain Home AFB

09/29/2016
2016-09-29  Recently, the new Chief of Staff of the USAF, General David Goldfein, referred to the "moral imperative of high end training." "I came to believe that high end training against the most difficult threat in the most difficult environment is nothing short of a moral obligation, and we had…

Unmanned Aerial Systems in Civil Airspace: Shaping a Way Ahead

09/23/2016
2016-09-23 In a recent press release from Airbus Defence and Space, dated September 22, 2016, it was announced that Airbus Defence and Space had reached an agreement with the European Aviation Safety Agency for the design and development of unmanned aerial systems intended for certification in civilian operations. “After more…

The Egyptian Navy Takes Delivery of Its Second Mistral Class Amphibious Ship

09/22/2016
2016-09-22 Earlier, Second Line of Defense has raised the question several times about whether the execution of the Mistral deal made any sense in light of Russian actions in Europe. As Steve Blank noted in 2014: Whatever the logic of negotiating a deal with Russia in 2011, the strategic situation has changed dramatically.  The seizure…