Japan in Tailsman Sabre 2019: Opening the Aperture on Perimeter Defense

08/18/2019
We argued in our 2103 book on Pacific strategy, that Japan would work to enhance its perimeter defense and move eventually towards what we called a two anchor appraoch. We argued that expanded perimeter defense is a key part of what we referred to as the "dynamic defense" phase in…

SDB1 Arrives for the RAAF’s F-35s

08/18/2019
By Sergeant Max Bree and Corporal Mark Carter Bombing capacity of F-35As has quadrupled with the arrival of small diameter bombs introduced to No. 3 Squadron in June. The GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb, Increment 1 (SDB1), packs about 16kg of modern high explosive, guided by GPS-aided inertial navigation. Wing Commander Simon…

The UK and Norway Shape Enhanced Cooperation for ASW Operations in the North Atlantic

08/17/2019
By Robbin Laird Recently, both the UK Ministry of Defence and Norwegian Ministry of Defence websites highlighted the meeting between the UK Minister of Defence and the Norwegian States Security of Defence held at RAF Lossiemouth in August 2019. Defence Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan hosted Norwegian State Secretary Tone Skogen to…

The Fourth Battle of the Atlantic, the Nordics and the Direct Defense Challenge

08/17/2019
In 2016, Vice Admiral James Foggo III, currently commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe, spoke of the current situation in the North Atlantic as the arrival of the fourth battle of the Atlantic. “In the early 1990s, the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and…

Western Australia Indo-Pacific Conference 2019: The Australian Defence Minister Sets Out Long Term Goals

08/17/2019
The WA Indo-Pacific Defence conference is the flagship defence industry and defence issues conference. This year's conference examined topics such as; 'Partnership roles', 'industry support for the changing operational environment', 'New frontiers in Defence including the evolving role of technology and WA's STEM agenda', 'Defence industry applications for WA's battery…