An Update on the Evolution of Airpower: A Discussion with Lt. General Preziosa on the Way Ahead for the Italian Air Force (Updated With Italian Translation)

10/25/2015
2015-10-12 By Robbin Laird On September 29, 2015, I had a chance to meet with and to discuss with Lt. General Preziosa, his perspectives on the evolution of 21st century airpower. This is the third time I have had the opportunity to meet with the Italian Chief of Staff, and…

Coalition Missile Defense Test: USS Ross Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target

10/23/2015
10/23/2015: US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum’s At Sea Demonstration (ASD) Oct. 20, 2015. This is first time a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA guided interceptor was fired…

NATO Sec Gen Visits Joint Warfare Center in Norway

10/15/2015
10/15/2015: The Norwegians are serious about defense. And they are investing in capabilities to provide deterrence against their aggressive neighbor, the Russian bear. In the rollout of the first Norwegian F-35, Norwegian defense officials made it clear that there were focused on transforming their forces, with the F-35 as a…

Norway’s First F-35: Shaping a Way Ahead for the Global Enterprise

10/12/2015
2015-10-08 Whether discussing the evolution of airpower in Japan, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, or Italy, there is little question that the F-35 is seen as not only a priority but a key element for reshaping or renorming airpower. The Norwegians have made this abundantly clear as…

The New Japanese White Paper: Shaping a Way Ahead

10/12/2015
2015-10-08 The Japanese released their 2015 White Paper in July and have published an English version as well. They also released a look back at defense activities in 2014. With regard to the security environment facing Japan the judgement is direct: “The security environment surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe,…

Italian Airpower Modernization: A Discussion with the Editor of Rivista Italiana Difesa

10/09/2015
2015-10-07  By Robbin Laird During my recent trip to Italy, I had a chance to discuss with senior Italian Air Force officers the way ahead with regard to Italian airpower. The Italians, like the British, are undergoing a double transition, whereby the Eurofighter is being modernized in two ways: namely,…