2013-02-01 By Richard Weitz Russia’s new (fourth) generation Project Mk 955 Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), equipped with the new RSM-56 Bulava (NATO code name SS-NX-30) Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), officially entered service with the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet this month. Christened the Yuri Dolgoruky, the ship was under…
2013-02-01 In a recent interview with the weekly newsmagazine, L’Express, Lt. General (Retired) Gaviard discussed France, Europe and the Mali crisis. Why are the European states reticent to engage with the French forces in the Serval operation? Historically, France always had a hard time convincing European countries to commit at…
2013-01-31 By Col. Bradley Weisz, Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, United States Fleet Forces Command, Little Creek, Virginia “I believe that our nation needs fast, austere and lethal expeditionary naval forces that can execute missions across the spectrum of conflict. The Navy-Marine Corps team is that key.” In 2008, the…
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…
