By Robbin Laird During my visit to MAWTS-1 during the first week of November 2023, I had a chance to talk with Colonel Eric Purcell, the CO of MAWTS-1 about the coming of the CH-53K to the USMC. This is the third new air system I have seen come to…
By Robbin Laird I wrote a chapter in the 2018 book entitled, One Nation Under Drones, which focused on the experience of the USMC with UAVs to date. I wrote this piece as the Marines were shifting from the primary focus on the land wars and to an enhanced focus…
By Robbin Laird From my first visit to MAWTS-1 with Ed Timperlake to MAWTS-1 to my most recent visit in November 2023, I have been impressed with how focused the team is upon force integration which can be created with real forces, not power points or by wargames or what…
By Robbin Laird In November 2023, I sat down with George Galdorisi to discuss the way ahead for maritime autonomous systems. He started by looking at where we are currently with autonomous systems more generally. He noted that we have seen significant progress with air and ground unmanned systems over…
Recently, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59 demonstrated a new mission capability which a UAS can deliver for the fleet. As J.P. Lawrence wrote in a 3 November 2023 article published in Stars and Stripes: "The 5th Fleet has used drone boats extensively in the Middle East for…
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake We started our series of interviews of the founders of MAWTS-1 with Randy Brinkley, call sign “Dragon.” He was the fourth commander of MAWTS-1. As Dragon explained it: “Howard DeCastro was the first commander of MAWTS-1, followed by Bobby Butcher who become a Major…
During my recent visit to Australia in support of the 27 September Sir Richard Williams Foundation, I had a chance to meet again with Wing Commander Keirin Joyce and to discuss the impact of the Triton on the ISR-T enterprise in Australia. Wing Commander Keirin Joyce has dealt with uncrewed…
According to a 12 October 2023 NATO Press Release: Two initiatives were signed in the margins of the NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting this week (11-12 October 2023), demonstrating Allies’ commitment to work together to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence in the air domain. On Wednesday (11 October 2023), Germany and…
