By Dr. Gary Schaub, Jr. Acquiring new combat aircraft is a big deal. The combat aircraft fleets of most Western countries are nearing the end of their useful service life and therefore must be replaced. Such acquisition programs have been among the most expensive ever pursued and have therefore been…
By Robbin Laird Because the F-35 has been built from the outset on a digital thread production approach and foundation, the program can incorporate, and contribute to a broader set of industrial transformations, known as Industry 4.0. In other words, the F-35 can produce an innovative combat aircraft but it…
By Ian McDonald AM, MSc, DipEng & AVM John Blackburn (Retd) AO, MA, MDefStud The phrase “5th Generation” (Gen) is often dismissed as just another fad, whilst totally missing the paradigm shift in both technology and operations that is implied or intended by it. It is envisaged that mature 5th…
Don Kinard, Senior Fellow for F-35 Production, provided an overview on the history and the evolution of the F-35 production process. It is a process built around digital thread production and is both benefiting from and contributing to what is called industry 4.0. According to Wikipedia, Industry 4.0 is defined…
By Robbin Laird When looking at the evolution of an air force, the normal focus is upon the platforms they fly and the evolution of what those platforms can do organically. With regard to the evolution of the Royal Danish Air Force this would mean focusing upon F-16s and their…
The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is the most advanced, affordable fifth generation multi-role stealth fighter to meet Australia’s need to defeat emerging threats well into the future. The F-35A is truly next-generation due to its stealth capability, advanced sensors, data fusion and its ability to share information with other aircraft,…
The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter is the most advanced, affordable fifth generation multi-role stealth fighter to meet Australia’s need to defeat emerging threats well into the future. The F-35A is truly next-generation due to its stealth capability, advanced sensors, data fusion and its ability to share information with other aircraft,…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to Denmark in October 2018, I had a chance to visit Fighter Wing Skrydstrup and my host for the day was “SON” Pedersen a 727 Fighter Squadron F-16 pilot and Electronic Warfare Office. He has around 1600 flight hours on the F-16 with 400…
