2013-01-31 by Robbin Laird Prior to discussing ways in which the USN and USMC team might innovate in the decade ahead to achieve a successful strategic re-design, we need to start with where we are and current thinking about the way ahead. Both the extant forces and existing thinking form…
2013-01-29 by Robbin Laird Given the size of the Pacific, and the significant reductions in the numbers of US air and sea platforms over the last decade, greater capacity to integrate air and sea platforms across the Pacific is a must. And integration is not simply about the USAF, USN,…
2013-01-28 Recently, Second Line of Defense sat down with Professor Paul Bracken to discuss his new book entitled The Second Nuclear Age. https://sldinfo.com/paul-bracken-on-the-second-nuclear-age/ The book is an important statement of the challenge of deterrence in a proliferating nuclear world, one in which Americans see less value in nuclear weapons, but…
By Adm. James A. Lyons Monday, January 28, 2013 Excerpts from Washington Times Op Ed The U.S. Navy, operating with too few carriers, now has a forward-deployment dilemma…. With the four-year overhaul of the USS Abraham Lincoln, combined with the delay of the USS Gerald Ford, the Navy will still…
2013-01-27 According to a recent interview with a senior French military officer, the role of coalitions in shaping an effective approach was discussed. In the interview, the officer argued that an efficient command structure with a clear approach to engagement termination was central. He argued that NATO or EU command…
2013-01-24 Second Line of Defense and AOL Defense Board of Contributor Members Dr. Robbin Laird and Lt. General Dave Deptula USAF (Retired) sat down in mid December 2012 with General Mike Hostage, the Commander, Air Combat Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va. As the commander, he is…
2013-01-24 Mass and Supremacy presents a series of arguments for increased and sustained funding for the F-35 “Lightning II” Joint Strike Fighter. The American Enterprise Institute authors argue that the program is the key index of weapons modernization for US forces for the coming decade, and that because of this,…
2013-01-24 by Robbin Laird Often, the acquisition of a new defense platform is discussed in terms of itself and the entire operational impact or strategic context is lost. This is the usual case with the most innovative air tanker solution to date, namely the A330MRTT. The A330MRTT deployed as a…
