Building a 21st Century Base at RAF Lakenheath: A Fifth Generation Infrastructure for a Fifth Generation Enabled Force

07/14/2016
2016-07-07 By Robbin Laird When I visited Williamtown Air Base in Australia last March, I was given a tour to the bed down of the F-35 at the airbase and the shaping really of a fifth generation infrastructure for the evolution of the Royal Australian Air Force. The challenge put…

Synergy Between the Commercial and Military Marketplace: HForce as a Leveraging Strategy for Helo Combat Systems

07/09/2016
2016-07-04 By Robbin Laird During the second day of the Airbus Defence and Space Trade Media Event, 2016, the Hforce weapons suite was highlighted as a new approach by Airbus Helicopters to the military market place. Prior to the briefing, journalists toured the modified H145 to see the Hforce configured…

CH-53s: The New Generation

06/12/2016
2016-06-06 A look at the new CH-53K is provided in a set of interviews with the USMC. The article is based on interviews with: Colonel Paul Fortunato, Branch Head, Weapons Requirements (APW-1) Colonel Hank Vanderborght, Program Manager, PMA-261/H-53 Heavy Lift Helicopters Major Thomas Trimble, Heavy Lift Requirements (APW-51), Department of…

RAF’s Airbus Tanker at Pax River: Working with the F-35B

05/21/2016
2016-05-21 The F-35 has already worked with the Aussie A330MRTT known as the KC-30A at Edwards. Now the RAF has flown its Voyager to Pax River to work with the F-35B as well. Both the F-35 and the KC-30A are being bought and operated by multiple allied air forces, and…

Shaping a Way Ahead for the F-35 in UK Defence: The Perspective of Air Commodore Harvey Smyth

05/15/2016
2016-05-12 By Robbin Laird During my visit to the United Kingdom in May 2016, I had a chance to meet with Air Commodore Harvey Smyth and members of the RAF Lightning Force team. Air Commodore Smyth was the Tornado Force commander and has been involved with the F-35 program throughout…