By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 in November 2023, I had a chance to talk with Maj Scott Mahaffey, the Department Head for the Ground Combat Department. Maj Mahaffey has been at MAWTS for three years but prior to that has had a number of deployments, including Afghanistan,…

By Robbin Laird I spent parts of March and April this year in Australia and then flew to Hawaii where I visited PACFLEET and PACAF. The Australians and the American commands are both working to build a path to enhance deterrence of China and then augment capabilities which work to…

By Robbin Laird During my November 2023 visit to MAWTS-1, I had a chance to talk with Major Kyle “Elton” McHugh, tactical air department head at MAWTS-1. McHugh was originally a Harrier pilot who transitioned to the F-35B and served for three years with the first forward deployed F-35B squadron,…

By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 in 2018, the shift from operating in the land wars to dealing with challenges which could be posed by peer competitors was clearly underway. At the center of the shift was clear recognition of the need to deal with the ongoing challenge…

By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 during the first week of November 2023, I had a chance to talk with Colonel Eric Purcell, the CO of MAWTS-1 about the coming of the CH-53K to the USMC. This is the third new air system I have seen come to…

By Robbin Laird I wrote a chapter in the 2018 book entitled, One Nation Under Drones, which focused on the experience of the USMC with UAVs to date. I wrote this piece as the Marines were shifting from the primary focus on the land wars and to an enhanced focus…

By Robbin Laird From my first visit to MAWTS-1 with Ed Timperlake to MAWTS-1 to my most recent visit in November 2023, I have been impressed with how focused the team is upon force integration which can be created with real forces, not power points or by wargames or what…