The Integratable Air Wing and Re-imaging the Large Deck Carrier: The Coming of the USS Ford

10/15/2020
By Robbin Laird On Friday, October 9, 2020, I had a chance to visit the USS Ford and to get an update on the progress of this formidable warship. Earlier, Ed Timperlake and I have visited the USS Ford in 2015 and discussed the next generation large deck carrier with…

Weapons, Crisis Management and the High-End Fight: Perspectives from NAWDC

10/14/2020
By Robbin Laird As the fleet re-works blue water maneuver warfare and expeditionary operations from the sea, a key element of the effort is shaping an effective weaponization approach and strategy. Doing so is a work in progress and a major challenge for the United States and its allies. During…

Reshaping Combat Architecture and Training: An Evolving Dynamic

10/09/2020
By Robbin Laird With the shift from the land wars to rebuilding U.S. forces for contested operations with peer competitors, the role of training is changing significantly. There clearly was innovation during the land wars, but the geographical battlespace was well known, and air and maritime power could operate with…

Training for Electronic Warfare in the High-End Fight

10/06/2020
By Robbin Laird During my visit to NAWDC in July 2020, I had the chance to continue my discussion on the evolution of electronic warfare with Captain Brett Stevenson, the CO of HAVOIC. During the earlier teleconference, we discussed a number of issues, most notably that being able to operate…

Exercise Lightning Storm: The RAAF Works Fifth Gen Deployability

10/03/2020
The RAAF from the initial moment of considering F-35 acquisition has focused on shaping a fifth generation Australian Defence Force. And for such a force to be able to operate, it needs to be integratabtle and expeditionary. That is what was being tested out in the month long "Lightning Storm"…

Perspectives on the Coming of the CMV-22B to the Large Deck Carrier

10/01/2020
By Robbin Laird I first viewed an CMV-22B in person when attending the Reveal ceremony in Amarillo, Texas held on February 6, 2020. But I am not stranger to the Osprey having seen my first Ospreys at Second Marine Air Wing in 2007. At that time there were four Ospreys…

Shaping Combat Architecture for Blue Water Expeditionary Operations

09/27/2020
By Robbin Laird As the USMC focuses on how it can best help the US Navy in the maritime fight, two key questions can be posed: "How is the Marine Corps going to contribute most effectively to the Pacific mission in terms of Sea Control and Sea Denial? “And how…