Norwegian Updates on The Standup of Their F-35s

06/05/2018
On May 22, 2018, three additional F-35s arrived at Ørland Air Base in Norway. According to a Norwegian Ministry of Defence press release dated May 23, 2018: Six aircraft are now on Norwegian soil. – Our new F-35s are a major investment and the most important acquisition to strengthen the…

The Allied Dimension in Play: The US Navy Selects the Naval Strike Missile

06/03/2018
By Robbin Laird Last week, the Pentagon announced that Raytheon has won a $14.8 million contract to purchase the Naval Strike Missile for the Littoral Combat Ship and to put it in line to do the same for the new class of frigates which the US Navy is postured to…

The USMC Shapes a Way Ahead: The Perspective of the Commanding Officer of MAWTS-1

06/01/2018
By Robbin Laird MAWTS-1 plays a unique role within the USMC and in the joint force. In our book on the reshaping of Pacific strategy and the role of new technologies and concepts of operations, we highlighted the role of the warfighting centers in the development and evolution of US…

Navigating the Way Ahead for a Fifth Generation-Enabled Combat Force: The Perspective of Maj. General Morten Klever

05/29/2018
By Robbin Laird The Royal Norwegian Air Force is transitioning from an F-16 to an all F-35 air combat force as part of both Air Force modernization and overall defense transformation for the Norwegian forces. The coming of the F-35 and the interaction between the standup of the F-35 and…

RAF A330MRTT Tankers Train with UK F-35s for Deployment to Britain

05/25/2018
According to a story published April 12, 2108 on the UK Royal Navy website, the training of the Voyager tankers with UK F-35s was highlighted. Thousands of feet above the Eastern Seaboard of the USA four British jets of tomorrow take on fuel from an RAF tanker – preparation for…

From HMS Illustrious to HMS Queen Elizabeth: A Decade’s Journey

05/24/2018
by Robbin Laird Recently, I had the chance to visit RAF Marham and to interview Air Commodore Bradshaw who was appointed as Lighting Force Commander, Royal Air Force Marham in April 2017. In looking through his background, I found that we had something in common.  We both had been onboard the…

The BAE Systems Role in the F-35 Program

05/24/2018
An overview of the significant role which BAE Systems plays in the F-35 program is provided by the company on their website. https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/f-35# The following graphic above provides a representation of this role with regard to the air system. And the graphic below provides a representation of the key role…