By Robbin Laird As the Australian government sorts through its way ahead for the defence of Australia, the creation of a fifth-generation air force is a key element providing a foundation for innovations in the decade ahead. But it can be forgotten too quickly the central role of airpower for…
By Robbin Laird Ed Timperlake and I are working on book to be published next year on MAWTS-1, the unique USMC training center. As LtGen (Retired) Rudder has noted: "We need to avoid smoke and mirrors. The talking points from a wargame or ideas from force design planners may sound…
By Robbin Laird When I first dealt with fifth generation aircraft, I focused on how the F-22 and a relatively expansive global enterprise of F-35s would re-norm airpower, or re-set the baseline for what would be expected from the fighter element of the air combat enterprise. This was above all…
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake We all know what tunnel vision is. But what is necessary for successful adaptation of a military in a dynamic situation is to be able to do trajectory vision. In other words, the ability to adapt but to do so with an eye on…
By Robbin Laird In a visit to Quantico, I had a chance to talk with LtGen Karsten Heckl, who serves as the Commanding General, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration. I first met him when he was Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation,…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 in November 2023, I had a chance several times to talk with the CO of the command, Col Eric Purcell, about the evolution of the three WTIs he has been in charge of since he took command. Because I had visited in…
By Robbin Laird The strategic shift from the priority on the land wars to dealing with a world of multi-polar authoritarians and a diversity of contingency operations requires significant operational change in the force. Because MAWTS-1 is focused on standardized training for the operational force, they have an open aperture…
In an article by John Trevithick published on November 2, 2023, the author highlighted the weapons/platform combination represented by the Devil Ray USV with the Switchblade UAV: “The U.S. Navy drone speedboat armed with Switchblade 300 loitering munitions was able to successfully destroy multiple mock targets at sea during a recent test.…
