01/26/2012 - During interviews conducted in Norfolk, VA and in Cherry Point, Second Line of Defense discussed with various combat elements involved in the forthcoming Bold Alligator 2012 exercise. In this piece, we discussed the preparations for the strike force off of the USS Kearsarge for the operation of 16…
01/26/12 During the week of Second Line of Defense interviews prior to the beginning of the Bold Alligator 2012, Lieutenant Commander George Pastoor provided a unique coalition perspective. Pastoor is a Dutch Naval Officer with Expeditionary Strike Force 2 and the lead planner for Bold Alligator. SLD: You are a…
01/19/2011 by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake The Second Line of Defense team spent the week of January 8th talking with USN and USMC planners and operators involved in Bold Alligator 2012. Visits to USMC Forces Command and to 2nd US Fleet Forces in Norfolk were combined with a visit…
01/16/2012 by Ed Timperlake Every Midshipman in the US Navy has learned in the "Miracle at Midway" that in just four minutes on June 4th 1942 the Pacific war changed in favor of America. In just those four minutes, with a tremendous sacrifice of US carrier pilots, three Japanese fleet carriers…
01/13/2012 by Robbin Laird The USN-USMC team is building forces for the future : as the largest amphibious exercise since the 1990s will take place starting this month in Norfolk, Va, it will include not only US forces but French, Dutch and British forces as well. The USN-USMC team is…
01/12/2012 by Robbin Laird Combining Aegis with the new Joint Strike Fighter will enhance coverage and lead to a global honeycomb of defensive capabilities…. Aegis capabilities are essential for power projection against missiles and other threats, especially in light of the current instability and uncertainty emanating from areas such as…
01/08/2012 - by Robbin Laird The F-35 will be a cornerstone of Japanese defense. The Japanese know something about technology. As a leader in technology worldwide, the Japanese decision validates the cutting edge role of the F-35. The F-35 is the first aircraft in history which can see 360 degrees…
01/04/2012 By Ed Timperlake There is tremendous news for the American/NATO war effort in Afghanistan. With the selection of the Super Tucano, the Afghan Army Air Force can now begin to develop a combat capable air fleet for the Afghan Air Force. Doing so is part of the process of…
