The first pillar of the Italian approach to airpower has been a clear commitment to the F-35 as a driver of change in shaping a fifth generation enabled force. The second pillar has been to build a facility to produce their own F-35s along with European allies and to place…
By Robbin Laird Currently, I am in Australia for the latest Williams Foundation Seminar. The key theme for the September 26, 2024 seminar is upon how to enhance the force in being's operational capabilities. And when you extend that to the broader question of how to do so for Australia…
By Robbin Laird As the U.S. and allied militaries face the realities of the evolving threat based environment, shaping ways for enhanced force mobility, lower signature operating forces, and more rapid insertion capabilities are shaping the demand side of the military communications market. To operate at the tactical edge or…
By Robbin Laird I was not amazed but concerned when one of the few comments which VP Harris made in her acceptance speech about the U.S. military was this one: "As commander-in-chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world." Leaving aside the…
By Robbin Laird Col Kate Fleeger is the head of NAVAIR’s PMA-261 which manages the cradle to grave procurement, development, support, fielding, and disposal of the entire family of H-53 heavy lift helicopters. Col Fleeger has an impressive background in working acquisition issues, and she and her team are providing…
By Robbin Laird Improving sustainment has been an ongoing major effort throughout the evolution of the tiltrotor enterprise. The Nacelle Improvement program (NI) is a major milestone in this effort. When discussing sustainment, an important metric is the mission-capable rate (MC). That rate - expressed as a percentage of total…
By Robbin Laird Each of the services is seeking ways to distribute their force for survivability and presence, but at the same time working through a joint lens to enhance lethality. But the elephant in the room is sustainability, maintainability, and broader considerations of logistics support. When visiting PACFLEET and…
By Pierre Tran October 31, 2023 Paris - France signed Oct. 6 a contract with Airbus Defence and Space to add a secure, high-speed satellite communications link to the A330 multirole tanker transport, a deal the company sees as plugging MRTT jets into a network of a planned European future…
