2013-02-11 Unfortunately, the debate about the littoral combat ship, and the confusion of building a fairly limited ship with disruptive change, has obscured the real transformation at sea. The dynamics of change affecting the seabase are truly significant. The ARG-MEU is being transformed into an expeditionary strike group. With the addition…
2013-02-08 The UAE has ordered three A330MRTT tankers. It has now received its first one. According to a comment made to Second Line of Defense by a senior USAF officer (retired) who has worked closely with the UAE: “They should consider buying a larger fleet of tankers, in order to…
2013-02-06 Recently, the USCG has ordered an additional aircraft to its Maritime Patrol aircraft fleet. This order will bring the fleet size to 18. The role of the Ocean Sentry (the USCG's version of the CN-235) is central to the USCG's missions. [caption id="attachment_50622" align="alignnone" width="300"] A USCG CN-235 in…
The F-35 is built to become a global plane. The defense industrial agreement underlying the program have both that intent and if realized that impact. In a recent Japanese piece on the F-35 this was underscored. The fighter jet is being developed by an international consortium led by U.S.…
2013-01-30 According to a Lockheed Martin Press Release: Assembly of the 100th Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II is well underway at the F-35 production facility here. [caption id="attachment_50376" align="alignnone" width="300"] Wing of 100th F-35 on the Fort Worth Assembly Line, January 2013. Credit: Lockheed Martin [/caption] F-35 technicians…
2013-01-30 By Brett Davis Unmanned aircraft the size of hummingbirds could one day sport GPS navigation capability, according to Rockwell Collins, which is developing tiny GPS systems with DARPA. DARPA's Dynamics Enabled Frequency Sources (DEFYS) program has created tiny electronic oscillators that Rockwell Collins is testing on GPS radios. “Never…
2013-01-24 The Vietnamese are increasingly vigilant about their air and sea borders. Their concern with the Chinese in the South China sea is evident. The Vietnamese are buying submarines and Maritime Patrol Aircraft among other things to ensure their security. In a visit to the final assembly line in September,…
2013-01-24 by Robbin Laird Often, the acquisition of a new defense platform is discussed in terms of itself and the entire operational impact or strategic context is lost. This is the usual case with the most innovative air tanker solution to date, namely the A330MRTT. The A330MRTT deployed as a…
