Vice Admiral Miller Looks Back at His Tenure as the US Navy’s Air Boss

09/09/2020
By Robbin Laird In my discussion with Vice Admiral Miller last February we discussed the way ahead for the carrier air wing. In that conversation, we highlighted the way ahead for the carrier wing in terms of a shift from the integrated to the integratable air wing. The shift is…

Innovating in Support of RAAF C-17s: Leveraging Virtual Reality Systems

09/09/2020
In an article published on August 31, 2020 by Flight Lieutenant Clarice Hurren, a recent innovation driven by a need to overcome a COVID-19 induced barrier was highlighted. Aircraft technicians at No. 36 Squadron are now using Microsoft HoloLens mixed-reality devices with Boeing-developed software to maintain C-17A Globemaster III aircraft. …

George Galdorisi Talks Maritime Remotes: The Past and the Way Ahead

09/08/2020
By Robbin Laird I first became aware of George Galdorisi when were both working for Dr. Scott Truver at Anteon Corporation in support of the US Navy in the early 1990s. And even though we have interacted through the years, and most recently, with regard to publishing some of his…

The Australian Defence and Security Strategy 2020 Reset: The Perspective of Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown

09/07/2020
By Robbin Laird On 1 July 2020.The Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Scott Morrison, and the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds, launched the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and the 2020 Force Structure Plan at the Australian Defence Force Academy The Defence Strategic Update sets out the…

German Platform Decisions: Selecting the Tornado Replacement and the Nuclear Mission

09/04/2020
By Robbin Laird Nuclear deterrence is back on the agenda for NATO and the United States. The buildup of the Russian missile arsenal, short, medium and long range, with clear violations of INF limitations are designed less to create a so-called anti-access and area denial capability than an arsenal designed…

The Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Foundation for the CH-53K Sustainment Approach: Shaping a New Way Ahead for Next Generation Digital Aircraft

09/03/2020
By Robbin Laird In my last article focused on CH-53K sustainment, I highlighted how the next generation digital aircraft reshape how sustainment is managed and executed. I concluded that “the CH-53K is a smart aircraft birthed in a digital age that is doing support and manufacturing differently. In other words,…

FCAS, Networks and Platform Choices: Implications for Airborne SIGINT

09/02/2020
By Robbin Laird The Germans had a clear opportunity to acquire F-35s as their Tornado replacement aircraft and chose not to do so. Unlike other Tornado users, namely, Britain and Italy, the F-35 was put aside in favor of a new Eurofighter replacement option known as the Future Combat Air…

Australian Industry Supports Virtual Pitch Black 2020 Exercise

09/01/2020
By Australian Defence Business Review Following the cancellation of its largest biennial air defence exercise – Exercise Pitch Black 2020 – because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RAAF recently conducted a Virtual Pitch Black 2020 (VPB20) in order to at least partly meet its training objectives for the year. The…