The RAAF Adds New Tanking Capability: A Key Step in Building Out Its Reach, Range and Sustainability

03/14/2014
2014-03-14 By Robbin Laird During my visit to Australia, I have had a chance to visit No. 33 Squadron, at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Amberley in the state of Queensland. The Squadron operates the KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). My mentor and guide for my day at the…

The Wedgetail Enters into Service: The Aussies Build Out their 21st Century Airpower Capabilities

03/12/2014
[slidepress gallery='visiting-the-wedgetail-squadron-at-williamtown-raaf-base-australia'] 2014-03-07  The Aussies entered the 21st century with an aging Air Force. The silver lining in that difficult position is that as the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) began to modernize, they could do so within the context of new 21st century capabilities. The process really began by…

The F-35 Global Enterprise: Viewed from Down Under

03/11/2014
2014-03-09 By Robbin Laird It is clear that the F-35 global enterprise is a unique enabler of the entire re-set of US and allied airpower. Yet this crucial and even central reality is hardly recognized in the mounds or should one say piles of commentary on the F-35 program. And indeed,…

The Coming of the F-35 to Australia: Shaping a 21st Century Approach to Airpower

03/11/2014
2014-03-12 by Robbin Laird I attended a seminar held by The Williams Foundation yesterday in Canberra, Australia. The focus of the seminar was on Air Combat Operations: 2025 and Beyond. The core emphasis was on the impact of the F-35 on reshaping the Australian combat approach appropriate to the challenges,…