By Robbin Laird Canberra, Australia During my visit to RAAF Edinburgh on August 10, 2018, I had a chance to talk with Group Captain Darren Goldie, Officer Commanding 92 Wing. 92 Wing is described by the RAAF as follows: Headquartered at RAAF Base Edinburgh, No 92 Wing (92WG) has long…
By Robbin Laird Missile defense capabilities have grown over the years, and have become important elements of the joint force. But they have operated largely as organic assets supporting either tactical or strategic operations, but not as an element of C2 integrated force. As the US forces shift from a…
By the end of RIMPAC, the U.S. and Indian planes were sharing high-end missions, an Australian P-8A squadron joined in as a major step towards the Royal Australian Navy declaring final operational capability on their new planes, and the U.S. and Australian P-8s not only prosecuted submarines but also dropped Harpoon missiles on a decommissioned…
By Robbin Laird During my current trip to Australia, I started with the opportunity to visit the HMAS Hobart, the first Aegis Air Warfare destroyer for the Royal Australian Navy. This was my second visit to Garden Island, and it is always exciting to see the city of Sydney in…
During the RIMOAC 2018 exercise, RAAF air traffic controllers enhanced their experiences in managing maritime air traffic onboard HMAS Adelaide. According to a story published by the Australian Navy on August 3, 2018 and written by Stephanie Anderson: Two Air Traffic Control Officers posted to HMAS Adelaide are taking advantage of an…
The Zephyr S is an interesting aircraft, which falls, in the area between satellites and high altitude manned aircraft, and opens up interesting potential applications to civil and military related missions. According to Airbus, the Zephyr S can provide a number of potential applications for users. The Zephyr S is…
Although most of the press attention to the Future Combat Air System has focused on the possibility of a new European fighter, if the FCAS is looked at as a template rather than a platform program, it is clear that Airbus Defence and Space is forging ahead. The focus is…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 shortly after the completion of their latest WTI course, I had a chance to talk with Marines involved in the WTI about their combat focus. In the strategic shift, an adversary clearly has access to a variety of advanced combat capabilities and…
