The Farnbourgh Airshow 2012: Glimpses of the Future

07/06/2012
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake This year’s Farnbourgh Airshow is occurring at an interesting juncture in history. On the financial side, there is the Euro crisis, and various dynamics such as the fate of the Chinese and American economies. On the defense side, there is the end of a…

Shaping Redundant Response U.S. Military Space Capabilities

07/01/2012
7/1/12: by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake In a recent report by The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, the evolving threat to U.S. space capabilities was highlighted. “China is pressing forward with an ambitious counterspace program, including a ground- and space-based space surveillance systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and kinetic kill…

The F-35: The Impact of a Global Fleet

07/01/2012
7/1/12: by Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Much of the Inside the Beltway debate about the F-35 revolves around the program as if it were simply building a replacement tactical aircraft PLATFORM.  In reality, the program was established to manufacture a global product in significant numbers to enable a global…

The Japanese Buy Their First F-35s: Building Blocks for a Global Fleet

06/29/2012
6/29/12: By Robbin Laird By building on the F-35 and leveraging its capabilities, the U.S. and its allies can build the next phase of power projection within affordable limits. U.S. forces need to become more agile, flexible, and global in order to work with allies and partners to deal with…

Shaping a Strike and Defense Enterprise: The Role of DAS

06/27/2012
A key impact of the F-35 as a fleet will be to enable deployed air power to work simultaneously as a strike and defense force.  The F-35 fleet will take multi-mission to a new level.  A core enabler for such a role will be the combat system capabilities of the…

MBDA Spear missile and the F-35

06/27/2012
6:27/12:by Craig Hoyle Excerpt: European manufacturer MBDA has unveiled a UK-developed design for a next-generation air-to-surface weapon suitable for internal carriage by the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. To be shown for the first time as a full-scale mock-up at the Farnborough air show, the Spear concept would use…

Quickstep signs contract for even more advanced F-35 composites

06/25/2012
6/24/12: Quickstep Holdings has secured its second Long Term Agreement (LTA) with Northrop Grumman to manufacture parts for the international F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, allowing the company to manufacture more complex parts for the aircrafts. Quickstep, based in Perth, is an advanced composites manufacturer currently supplying…

Allies and the F-35: Getting on With It

06/24/2012
6/24/12: by Ed Timperlake A recent Heritage Foundation seminar focused on the F-35 and allies. The presentations were by Colonel Kevin J. Killea, 
United States Marine Corps, Dr. Robbin F. Laird, 
Co-Founder and Senior Analyst, Second Line of Defense and Anthony “Lazer” Lazarski 
Military Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK). The…