Leveraging Amphibious Capabilities to Shape More Effective Global Capabilities

01/31/2013
2013-01-31 By Col. Bradley Weisz, Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, United States Fleet Forces Command, Little Creek, Virginia “I believe that our nation needs fast, austere and lethal expeditionary naval forces that can execute missions across the spectrum of conflict.  The Navy-Marine Corps team is that key.” In 2008, the…

The F-35 Flight Test Program: 2012

01/28/2013
2013-01-28 The F-35 flight test program ended a successful year in 2012.  We have interviewed many of the participants in the flight test program at Eglin AFB, Fort Worth and Yuma Arizona. The standup of the first F-35B squadron with the USMC is part of an overall innovation approach being…

The Challenge of Deterrence in the Second Nuclear Age: A Discussion with Paul Bracken

01/28/2013
2013-01-28 Recently, Second Line of Defense sat down with Professor Paul Bracken to discuss his new book entitled The Second Nuclear Age. https://sldinfo.com/paul-bracken-on-the-second-nuclear-age/ The book is an important statement of the challenge of deterrence in a proliferating nuclear world, one in which Americans see less value in nuclear weapons, but…

Next Steps for F-35C

01/24/2013
2013-01-23 When we visited Eglin to talk with pilots and maintainers of the F-35 at the Training Facility last August, we passed by the area where the USN is getting ready for its variant of the F-35. https://www.sldinfo.com/an-update-on-the-f-35-integrated-training-center-at-eglin-afb/ It is expected to come to the facility later this year, and…

Second F-35A Posts 500 Flight Hours

01/24/2013
2013-01-23 According to a Lockheed Martin press release: AF-1, joined the 500 flight hour club recently during its 272nd flight. It joins AF-2 which passed the milestone June 26, 2012. The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) fighter begin flight operations when it made its inaugural flight Nov. 14, 2009. The…

Shaping the Way Ahead for Airpower: General Hostage Focuses on the Future

01/24/2013
2013-01-24 Second Line of Defense and AOL Defense Board of Contributor Members Dr. Robbin Laird and Lt. General Dave Deptula USAF (Retired) sat down in mid December 2012 with General Mike Hostage, the Commander, Air Combat Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va. As the commander, he is…