Australia’s USV Program Supporting Maritime Border Security

08/08/2025
Australia faces one of the world's most daunting maritime surveillance challenges. With responsibility for approximately 10 percent of the world's ocean surface and 59,700 kilometers of coastline, the Australian Maritime Border Command (MBC) has long struggled with the fundamental problem of insufficient assets and manpower personnel to effectively monitor such…

The Porcupine Defense: How the Philippines is Revolutionizing Maritime Security with “Small, Cheap, and Independent” Capabilities

08/05/2025
By Robbin Laird The Philippines is pioneering a revolutionary "porcupine defense" strategy that uses distributed maritime autonomous systems to create defensive geometries that complicate adversary attack profiles while providing multiple axis points for disruption — proving that innovative, cost-effective platforms can effectively challenge traditional maritime power projection. A New Paradigm…

Beyond the Science Project: A CONOPS for Hypersonic Weapons in Today’s Fight

08/01/2025
By Robbin Laird The United States faces a critical strategic moment in the Pacific. While adversaries deploy operational capabilities — however imperfect — America continues to treat essential weapons systems as science projects rather than deployable assets. This is particularly true for hypersonic weapons, where the absence of a clear…

Textron Aviation Defense Announces its New Trainer Plane: The Beechcraft M-346N

07/29/2025
On July 28th, Textron Aviation Defense announced that it's proposing the Beechcraft M-346N jet trainer as a solution for the U.S. Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. The company has partnered with Leonardo in a teaming agreement to meet the Navy's requirements for this new aircraft procurement. The M-346N…

The U.S. Navy’s Journey to Achieve a “Hybrid Fleet”

07/21/2025
By George Galdorisi The Navy-After-Next will be a “Hybrid Fleet.” This concept was first articulated by then-CNO Admiral Michael Gilday and embraced by his successor, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. The basics of this initiative were described in the Chief of Naval Operations Force Design 2045 which called for 350 crewed ships…

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) Brings the King Stallion to the Force

07/18/2025
By Robbin Laird Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) at MCAS New River, North Carolina plays the foundational role in introducing the CH-53K King Stallion into Marine Corps operational service. Their operational expertise directly informs the ongoing transition of additional Marine Corps squadrons to the King Stallion. Here is a…

Marines Break New Ground in Anti-Submarine Warfare During Atlantic Alliance 2025 Exercise

07/14/2025
In a significant demonstration of evolving naval warfare doctrine, U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 successfully integrated into anti-submarine warfare operations during Atlantic Alliance 2025, marking a significant evolution in how the Navy-Marine Corps team approaches undersea threats. The exercise, conducted at the Surface Combat Systems Center…

Italy Sets to Establish First F-35 Training Center Outside U.S. in Sicily

07/13/2025
By Robbin Laird Italy is poised to make aviation history by establishing the first F-35 fighter pilot training center outside the United States, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced during a ceremony in Sardinia July 2. The groundbreaking facility will be located in Sicily, further cementing Italy's position as a key…