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…
The security of Australia’s maritime borders will be significantly strengthened with another major military investment. The Turnbull Government will invest $1.4 billion and acquire the first of six MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft through a cooperative program with the United States Navy. The Triton will complement the surveillance role of…
By Robbin Laird With peer adversaries emphasizing technological change and force modernization, focusing on strategic advantage for US and allied forces is a key element for combat success. At the heart of such an approach, clearly will be the ability to operate more effective distributed forces and to leverage the…
