C2 for a Distributed Maritime Force: A Key Building Block for 21st Century Defense

03/17/2021
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake It is clear that C2 is a key element for shaping the way ahead for maritime operations. The U.S. Navy highlights the importance of distributed maritime operations as it reworks its way ahead with regard to 21st century deterrence and warfighting. As Navy Vice…

Re-Crafting North Atlantic Defense: The Impact of the 2nd Fleet and Joint Force Command Norfolk

03/15/2021
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake A recent article in the London Times highlighted the new role of the Royal Navy in the Arctic. “The Royal Navy will have a regular presence in the Arctic Circle to counter the Russian strategic advantage over trade routes that will open as the…

USAF Combines Orange Flag With Black Flag: Working Kill Web Integration

03/13/2021
According to a recent USAF article, the USAF has recently combined two exercises -- Orange Flag and Black Flag in order to accelerate change in operating in contested airspace. EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) By 2nd Lt. Christine Saunders, Air Force Test Center Public Affairs and 1st Lt. Savanah…

C2, the Kill Web and Concepts of Operations

03/10/2021
By Robbin Laird In my recent book, Training for the High-End Fight: The Strategic Shift of the 2020s, a major element of the shift focused upon was how command changes with the crafting of a distributed but integrated force. The book started by quoting Rear Admiral Manazir, then head of…

Evolving Maritime Unmanned Surface Vehicle Capabilities: The Importance of Exercises and Real-World Tasking

03/08/2021
By Robbin Laird The pathway for the U.S. Navy to integrate unmanned surface vessels into its fleet operations is for these vehicles to be able to effectively and efficiently support real-world tasks that fit into maritime concepts of operations, rather than being disruptive technology to mission operations and undercutting combat…

The ITS Cavour on the U.S. East Coast

03/07/2021
The Italian aircraft carrier the ITS Cavour is operating off of the Virginia Coast in order to integrate with the F-35Bs which it will operate for the next several years. The coming of the ITS Cavour is an interesting case study in terms of Italian policies, USMC-US Navy integration, the…

CMV-22B and On-Board Delivery: A Sec Def, an Engine, and Ship-to-Ship Logs Options

03/07/2021
The CMV-22B is replacing the C-2 as the carrier on-board delivery system for the large deck carriers. But that is no all of which can be subsumed under the new concept of on-board delivery. First, the Secretary of Defense visited the USS Nimitz on February 25, 2021 via CMV-22B "delivery,"…