By Robbin Laird Last February, I visited San Diego and met with Vice Admiral Miller, the US Navy’s Air Boss. During that meeting, we discussed a shift from what I call the integrated to the integratable air wing and its impact on innovation for the fleet and the joint force.…
By Flight Lieutenant Bel Scott. Generated from the Air Warfare Centre’s – Distributed Training Centre (AWC-DTC) at RAAF Base Williamtown, training audiences from Amberley and Williamtown were virtually connected in the Northern Territory airspace and ranges between Darwin and Tindal from June 29 to July 10. For the first time,…
By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to Jax Navy, I had a chance to talk with several members of the maritime reconnaissance patrol community about Triton. A particularly insightful discussion was with Joseph Opp, currently the Northrop Grumman Director/Site Lead for Triton at Jacksonville Navy Air Station, who has…
By Guy Martin An unidentified African country has ordered two OPV 45 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) from Israel Shipyards. The company announced the agreement on 9 July, saying the vessels were designed for a wide range of missions including protection against the increasing threat of piracy in the region, but…
By Alisha Welch The software in the FMSims was upgraded to align with the latest Operational Flight Program. The four F-35A Full Mission Simulators (FMSims) currently operational at RAAF Base Williamtown have been successfully upgraded by local experts to support the continued build-up of pilot training at No. 3 Squadron…
In 2019, the Ministry of Defence granted a total of 284 permanent export licences for defence materiel (257 in 2018). The total value of the licences was EUR 105 million, which is 40% lower than in 2018; then the figure was EUR 176 million. The value of actual exports decreased…
By Richard Weitz On July 6, the member states of the Open Skies Treaty (OST) met at an online special conference to discuss the treaty’s future in light of the U.S. decision to withdraw from the treaty in November. At this session, no other party indicated an intention to withdraw,…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to the maritime patrol reconnaissance community during the week of June 14, 2020, I had a chance to meet with the leadership of the HSM Weapons School, Atlantic based at Mayport. According to the US Navy’s description of the HSM Weapons School, Atlantic: To…
