2015-11-09 By Robbin Laird (Originally published 2015-10-09) The Eurofighter is a clear player in shaping European and global air forces. It has reached critical mass and will be modernized through its operational life to work with new air assets and to deal with the evolving threat environment. The program currently has…
2015-11-03 Both the UK and Italy will operate a mixed Eurofighter and F-35 fleet. Both have operated the Tornado, which is reaching the end of its service life. Both will sort through evolutions of the Eurofighter to encompass some of the mission sets for Tornado as the Tornado is retired…
2015-11-07 At the end of October, a French Caracal was refueled by a USAF C-130 which was the first time this was done in an overseas operations. Operating in the Sahel desert is a logistical challenge of the first order The Sahel is zone of transition in Africa between the…
2015-11-06 The impact of the F35 as a global coalition capability is clear to the professionals who are shaping airpower modernization. For example, the head of the Italian Air Force, Lt. General Preziosa hammered home the point of how significant the impact of the F-35 was in a recent interview…
2015-11-05 The USAF and its lead role for shaping air combat power has finished the first phase of re-norming under the influence of the F-22. The F-22 and its impact is a good case study in a key challenge facing the defense analytical community. The aircraft is not only stealthy…
2015-10-29 By Robbin Laird Shaping 21st century U.S. and allied air combat capabilities is a function of the intersection of a number cross-cutting dynamics: The reshaping function of fifth generation warfare, Selective and appropriate modernization of the most capable of non-fifth generation aircraft, The introduction of longer range kinetic and…
2015-11-03 As the A400M has entered into the Air Forces of several nations, certification testing has continued, The most recent of which certifies the operation of the large aircraft on grass runways. According to Airbus and Defence and Space: Airbus Defence and Space has successfully completed certification testing of the…
2015-10-31 October 23rd 2015 was a historic day for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) following the first combat refueling by a RAAF KC-30 Multirole Tanker Transport aircraft using its new-technology computerized refueling boom. The flying boom system allows for faster transfer of fuel than the hose-and-drogue system and will…
