Sec Def Hagel Visits the 33rd Fighter Wing

07/19/2014
2014-07-19 Recently, Secretary Hagel visited the 33rd Fighter Wing to reinforce his commitment to the way ahead and highlight the progress with the F-35 program. Because you might have missed the extensive mainstream press's coverage of the event, we thought you would like to hear what the Secretary himself chose…

Norway Comes to RIMPAC 2014 for the First Time: A Symbol of 21st Century Dynamics

07/19/2014
2014-07-19  Norway, India and China are all first time participants in RIMPAC 2014. According to the basic statement on the Commander of the Pacific’s website: Held every two years by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), RIMPAC 2014 is a multinational maritime exercise that takes place in and around the Hawaiian…

Shaping a 21st Century Presence and Assault Force: Visiting the USS America, Military Sealift Command and Second Marine Air Wing

07/06/2014
2014-06-29 By Robbin Laird Recently, I have had the chance to visit the USS America, interview with Ed Timperlake the head of the Military Sealift Command and to spend several days with Second Marine Air Wing, including watching the change of command for VMX-22. We will have several pieces coming…

F-35B STOVL Mode Formation Flight Testing

07/01/2014
2014-07-01 Two F-35B aircraft flew in close formation for the first time in short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) mode, also known as Mode 4, on Feb. 11, 2014, at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Recently, we talked to instructors at MAWTS about their work with the F-35 at Yuma Air…

The Skipper Discusses the USS America: Shaping an Innovative Path to 21st Century Operations

06/29/2014
2014-06-20 On June 12, 2014, Second Line of Defense visited the USS America at the Ingalls Huntington shipyard in Pascagoula Mississippi. The ship is to leave mid July for its initial homeport of San Diego and will travel around South America and visit along the way. In addition to VIP…