2013-04-18 The F-35 as a fleet is a key foundational element for the future of US power projection. The F-35 has been designed from the ground up to provide for interconnected ISR and strike capabilities which can be leveraged as a fleet to enable more effective use of U.S. and…
2013-04-16 Second Line of Defense had a chance to continue our discussions with Rear Admiral Buzby, Military Sealift Command Commander, in early April 2013. Day in and day on the oceans of the world, operating in the support of the Navy fleet in all weather, climate and sea states it…
2013-02-27 On February 27, 2013, Second Line of Defense interviewed the head of the Military Sealift Command, Admiral Buzby, in his office in the Navy yard. The ship is to be christened this coming Saturday on March 2. The full interview will be available soon. But here we are presenting…
2012-12-05 We have written often about allies and their role in the F-35 program. We have also written about the unique aspects of the impact of the F-35 as a fleet of aircraft. And we have brought the two together in a discussion of evolving Pacific strategy and the potential…
2012-11-12 In late October 2012, Second Line of Defense sat down with Mr. Jim Strock, Director Seabasing Integration Division and members of his Connectors and Doctrine (C&D) Branch at the Marine Corps Combat Development Command MCCDC), Quantico, VA to discuss the expected role of the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV)…
2012-11-08 By Robbin Laird Many analysts and politicians have discussed the F-35 as if it was a simple replacement aircraft. And in such conversations, the notion of stealth is seen as a high-end capability needed only sparingly and in specialized circumstances. If this were true, the Marines would not be…
2012-10-22 By Robbin Laird The F-35 is a fifth generation aircraft, which has been characterized by one of its most notable pilots as a “situational awareness machine.” I referred to in a Defense News op ed in 2005 as a “flying combat system.” But too often in a platform centric acquisition…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to the 33rd Fighter Wing, I had a chance to talk with a couple of the folks involved in shaping the evolution of the life support system. Sargent Baskin and Sargent Velasquez discussed with me the challenge of evolving from the legacy to the…
