By Robbin Laird During visits to the United Kingdom, I have had a chance to see and visit with RAF the operators of the quick reaction air capability in the United Kingdom. A key point is that to have two aircraft ready to fly on a moment’s notice, or within…
The Arrow Exercises are led by the Finnish Army and are part of training of Finnish forces based in large part on their mobilization capabilities. For example, the Finnish Army provided this comment with regard to Arrow 17: Arrow 17 is the final manoeuvre for many conscripts. There are also…
By Robbin Laird Trident Juncture 2018 will be a major NATO exercise. As the head of the Transformation Command in NATO, General Mercier, put it last year: “NATO needs to hold exercises on a large scale. “Only this way are we able to test all the levels in the alliance:…
The Marines are regular visitors to Norway and have prepositioned equipment in country. As the Marines fly F-35Bs in the region and as the Norwegians continue to stand up their F-35 force, collaboration in this area will be accelerated as well. Working a diversity of basing options within a crisis…
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Chief of the French navy Adm. Christophe Prazuck use the ship’s loudspeaker system (1MC) to address U.S. and French sailors embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77). The ship is seen in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier…
By Robbin Laird During a visit to Bodø Airbase on April 25, 2018, I had a chance to discuss Norwegian Air Force training with the Finns and the Swedes as they expand their cooperation to provide for enhanced regional defense. Major Trond Ertsgaard, Senior Operational Planner and fighter pilot from…
It is clear that with the strategic shift from the primacy of counter insurgency missions to operations in a contested environment, significant changes can be expected from the ground maneuver forces. For the Marines, changes are induced as well by the air combat capabilities already in the Corps and being…
Between 9 and the 20th of April, a large exercise was held at Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands. The exercise is called Frisian Flag 2018. Participating aircraft from several countries in the world will be airborne twice a day. 04.11.2018 Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Coffer Regional Media Center…
