By Robbin Laird When you are a medium-sized force and not adding a lot of manned platforms in the next five years, how to you enhance combat mass? Or put another way how does the ADF as a ready force create mass effects with what they must fight with tonight…
General Kevin Schneider, Commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces and AVM Mark Flewin, Air Officer Commanding 1 Group Royal Air Force both spoke at the September 26, 2024 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar. The first presentation was by a video recording and the second was an in person presentation after…
By Robbin Laird Recently, LtGen Heckl retired from the USMC after 37 years of service. He has held several command positions and has a wealth of combat experience. In a series of interviews with him, we will be discussing both his experience and his judgement with regard to the way…
By Robbin Laird The F-35 has finally come to Cherry Point. VMFA-542 is the first of eight operational 2nd MAW F-35 squadrons, with six to be F-35B squadrons and two to be F-35C squadrons. As 2nd Lt. John Graham, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, wrote in an article published on February…
By Robbin Laird On July 9, 2024, I had the opportunity to visit MWCS-28 which in English is Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and…
By Robbin Laird You have heard of the USMC Force Design 2030 as an adaptation to the threat environment. But with an emergent multi-polar authoritarian world, an even larger strategic redesign of U.S. forces is warranted. The Osprey is important for the first; but is crucial for the second. The…
By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, I visited Marine Corps Air Station New River and had a chance to meet with two members involved from the outset in HMH-461 standing up the CH-53K. I first visited New River in 2010, where the focus was…
By Robbin Laird As the Marines rework how they approach distributed operations, a key focus is upon how to shape what they call Expeditionary Advanced Operations or EABO. This requires reworking how the air and ground elements operate together to shape a more effective distributed force with reduced force signature…
