2017-01-08 By Robbin Laird Norway stands at an interesting global and historical point in the evolution of Western defense. It faces directly resurgent Russia and faces the challenge with its Nordic partners of Baltic defense as well. Then with the Arctic opening and the High North actually part of Norwegian…
2017-01-08 By Robbin Laird As Mark Lewis, the former Chief Scientist of the USAF, has warned repeatedly, high speed weapons, notably hypersonic ones, are on the way and will be part of the evolving threat environment. As he wrote in 2010: Aerospace engineering is ultimately about pushing the boundaries, and…
2017-01-07 By Robbin Laird A simple news release highlights the evolving USN-USMC combat team as a key step forward in shaping the combat infrastructure for the sea base which can support evolving capabilities for the assault force. According to a press release from the USMC dated January 6, 2017: The…
2017-01-09 A subtle but important contribution of shaping a global F-35 system is the US services and core allies deploy similar high-end warfighting capability at the SAME time. This means that there is collective learning of higher end warfare shared across the services and the coalition partners built in. When…
01/12/2017: MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, California (January 10, 2017) Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, an F-35B squadron with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, departed Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, transferring to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Jan. 9, 2017. The first location to receive the Marine Corps' F-35B,…
2017-01-02 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird We last visited VMF-121 prior it being declared IOC with the F-35B. That visit was in the Summer of 2014 and we spent time the then XO of the Squadron, Major Summa, now Lt. Col. Summa and the CO of the Beaufort Squadron…
2017-01-08 Our latest Special Report provides an update on the introduction and integration of the F-35B into evolving USMC operations. With the significant change introduced into the amphibious fleet and for USMC land based operations by the Osprey, the F-35 B is accelerating the transformation of the CORPS into a wide-ranging…
2017-01-08 By Robbin Laird On December 12, 2016, the first two operational jets for the Italian Air Force arrived from the Cameri FACO to their operational airbase at Amendola. The air base has been the home for many years of the AMX ground attack aircraft. It is now home as…
