From Afghanistan to Libya to Bold Alligator 2012 to ... ? French Forces on Deployment By Murielle Delaporte and Robbin Laird February 20, 2012 - Defense debates rarely picture the folks who get into harm’s way to execute strategies and whose actions determine mission success or failure. The last decade…
by Robbin Laird As BA-12 was unfolding, the Iranian threat to mine the Straits of Hormuz was a real world event which seemed to remind folks of the need for amphibious capabilities and the sea basing approach. The Navy's biggest amphibious exercise in a decade, Bold Alligator, is not specifically…
Indonesia is a key player in shaping the future of Asian security. With significant security challenges due to its geography, topography and maritime character, a key element will be shaping capabilities for lift, and maritime patrol capabilities. An insightful perspective on why and how Indonesia is shaping its capabilities was…
SLD Coverage of Jamestown’s PLA Conference (Part 1) By Richard Weitz The Jamestown Foundation held its Second Annual China Defense and Security Conference on February 16. In his opening remarks, Glen E. Howard, President of The Jamestown Foundation, rightly noted the importance of China defense developments for the United States…
An important development in the Libyan operation was the use of the MV-22 as the Fed Ex supply link between Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy and the USS Kersarge. In our interview with Lt. Col. Boniface, the new role for the MV-22 was underscored. [caption id="attachment_33768" align="alignleft" width="300"] (Feb.…
By Murielle Delaporte 02/12/2012- Onboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship BPC Mistral (BPC stands for "Bâtiment de projection et de commandement") - which starts its tenth month of continued deployment -, the French Navy and Army prepare to play a major role in Bold Alligator 2012. The USN-USMC team and…
02/11/2012 - During the week of Second Line of Defense interviews with the USN-USMC team in early January, the SLD team sat down with Captain Sam Howard and Col. Phil Ridderhof to discuss the exercise and the approach. In effect, the USN-USMC team is developing an approach to maneuver warfare…
02/08/12 In a wide-ranging interview with Second Line of Defense’s Robbin Laird, the Commanding General of 2nd Marine Air Wing (MAW) provided an overview of how USMC aviation operates now and is evolving in the future. The bottom line for the role of USMC Aviation was underscored throughout the interview…
