The Sea Services Prepare to Prevail in the Extended Battlespace: An Interview with Rear Admiral Manazir

12/15/2015
2015-12-07  By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake The decade ahead is not a repeat of the past 15 years; it is not about a continuation of the land-centric and counter-insurgency slow motion war. It is about global agility, the ability to insert force to achieve discrete and defined objectives, and…

Three Historic Firsts for Italy in the F-35 Program During 2015

12/12/2015
2015-12-06 By Robbin Laird At the beginning of the 20th Century, Italy was a pioneer in combat aviation. Although different at the beginning of the 21st century, Italy has again emerged as an important player in military aviation. They are key players in the two key 21st century multinational military…

Fifth Generation Warfare Capabilities Arrive For a USMC Combined Arms Exercise

12/12/2015
2015-12-12 While the Air Combat Command is holding an exercise with F-22s, Typhoons and Rafales at Langley AFB to shape fifth generation warfare integration, the Marines are bringing fifth generation warfare capabilities to close air support. F-35B Expeditionary from SldInfo.com on Vimeo. During our visit to Denmark to participate in a unique…

The New UK Aircraft Carrier: Reshaping the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (Updated with New Video)

11/30/2015
2015-06-02 By Robbin Laird The Royal Navy (RN) is returning the large deck carrier business after many years absence. This means that the RN while shaping the concepts of operations for it new carrier and the RAF for the new carrier air wing, the two services are not constrained by…

Transforming Jointness: Lt. General (Retired) Deptula Looks at the Way Ahead for Combat Innovation

11/16/2015
2015-11-12  By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake On November 5, 2015, Lt. General (Retired) Deptula testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The key topic was the challenge of revisiting the roles and missions of the Armed Forces. This is especially crucial because of the more than decade long…

Shaping a Way Ahead for the 21st Century Air Combat Enterprise: An Australian Perspective on the Italian First Flight

11/16/2015
2015-11-13 By Robbin Laird The first flight of Italian F-35 pilots occurred on November 5, 2015. The two pilots flew a USAF and a RAAF jet. The flight aboard the Australian jet highlighted the role of the partners in the F-35 program, and a harbinger of things to come. As…