Looking Back: Remembering Desert Storm and Looking Forward to the Renorming of Airpower

02/25/2016
2016-02-25 As we look at the evolution of airpower, and its evolving role in military operations, we have argued that they can form the backbone for the insertion of force, properly calibrated, effects achieved and withdrawn. Evolving concepts of operations under the influence of technology are clearly changing the ways…

Italian Naval Airpower: The Importance of Showing Up at Beaufort Air Station

02/22/2016
2016-02-18  We have discussed the evolution of Italian Airpower with senior Italian Air Force leaders. And the Italian reshaping of their airpower capabilities with the modernization of the Eurofighter and the building, deploying and integration of the F-35, both the the As and the Bs, is a key part of…

Ninja Discusses His F-35 Flight Across the Atlantic: The Right Stuff Italian Style

02/18/2016
2016-02-08  On Feb. 5, the Italian Air Force’s first F-35, AL-1 with code “32-01” and markings of the 32 Stormo Wing landed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, at the end of the JSF’s first ever transatlantic flight. The aircraft was piloted by “Ninja,”an Italian Air Force test pilot, belonging to the Reparto…

The Need for Cultural Innovation: Lessons Learned from Dunkirk

02/18/2016
2016-02-14  By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake The F-35 working with robotic elements and with new weapons can empower a distributed operations approach. This approach is being tested out at various centers of innovation within the U.S. military and will be synergistic with allied partners. Traditional assets, such as the…

An Update on Eurofighter: Longer Range Missile Integration, An Historic Trans-Atlantic Flight and Going to Red Flag 2016

02/15/2016
2016-02-12 The Eurofighter is being effectively modernized with a new radar and with the integration of longer-range missiles for both ground attack and air-to-air operations. The Eurofighter as well is subsuming Tornado missions with the integration of key missiles such as Brimstone and Spear. According to a press release from Eurofighter…

An Update on Red Flag 16-1: Air Combat Integration and the Role of the F-22, the Typhoon and Wedgetail.

02/15/2016
2016-02-15  Red Flag is evolving as the services and partners focus on the need and capability to operate in the extended battlespace. In early 2015, we visited Nellis, and discussed the evolution of Red Flag with senior USAF officers. Col. Jeffrey Weed, the Commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron clearly…