By Robbin Laird The U.S. Navy and USMC are working closely together in shaping their approach to distributed operations. The Navy refers to distributed maritime operations; the Marines to expeditionary basing operations. Working closely together they are focused on weaving these approaches together to shape a more lethal and survivable…
By Robbin Laird As the joint force shapes a distributed force for enhanced survival and relevant presence, the ability to sustain and deliver relevant payloads to that force in combat is critical. Distributed force operations across the Pacific as a giant chessboard, requires an ability to cross link and cross…
By Robbin Laird When looking at the coming of the CH-53K to the fleet, it is shaped considerably by the air systems approach. The aircraft has been guided throughout its life by a digital thread approach which is focused on concurrently shaping development, with testing, with build, with sustainment efforts…
By Robbin Laird As the U.S. Navy works its ability for distributed operations with integrated effects, how will the fleet be supported and sustained? One answer to that question is the major challenge of rebuilding the fleet’s maintenance infrastructure. Years of just-in-time maintenance, supporting wars of choice not wars of…
By David Beaumont National Defence: Defence Strategic Review was released to the public on 24 April 2023, to a defence ‘community’ only too eager to scrutinise the document for its consequences on the ADF’s capability mix. The paper, of course, covers a swathe of topics and concepts. It describes the…
By Robbin Laird In an earlier discussion with David Beaumont, I focused on the challenge facing the ADF of managing what I called the strategic triangle for force enablement. That triangle is conceptualized in the featured graphic for this article. At the core of the triangle is the challenge of…
By Robbin Laird Ever since 2018, MAWTS-1 has focused on the high-end fight component of the full spectrum of warfare. Force distribution is a key part of the survivability against a competitor who has significant firepower and can concentrate fires on relatively fixed positions. The Marines have worked mobile basing…
By Murielle Delaporte Introduction The return of high intensity conflict in Europe is having a major impact on the way NATO countries are reconsidering their military stockpiles policies. In its first 2023 iDeaS conference entitled ‘’Military stockpiles within NATO: What challenges ahead for the defence industry?’’ held on March 21s…
