Countering Asymmetric Attrition Strategies: Optimizing the Combat Approach of the Ready Force

05/24/2025
By Murielle Delaporte For thousands of years, military commanders have considered mass — having more troops and equipment than the enemy — a critical factor in winning battles. The last fifty years have seen a shift from mass to precision, a trend that has accelerated since the end of the…

Air Power in an Age of Strategic Uncertainty: The Perspective of General Moseley

05/23/2025
By Robbin Laird Dateline: Canberra, Australia Recently, General "Buzz" Moseley spoke via video link to the May 22, 2025 seminar held by the Sir Richard Williams Foundation in Canberra, Australia. General Moseley was the 18th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Moseley was a distinguished war fighter…

Australia in Era of Strategic Uncertainty: The Defence Dimension

05/22/2025
Robbin Laird Dateline: Canberra, Australia On May 22, 2025, the first seminar of 2025 for the Sir Richard Williams Foundation was held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The seminar was entitled: The Imperatives for Cost Effectiveness in Multidomain Operations. The program for the seminar laid out the…

The KC-130J: A Key Enabler of Marine Corps Aviation Operations

05/21/2025
By Robbin Laird On 30 April 2025, I had the chance to talk with Major White, the Operations Officer at VMGR-252. This is a KC-130J squadron based at the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point and is part of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The last time I visited the…

Australia’s Littoral Defense Strategy and Regional Security

05/20/2025
By Robbin Laird Dateline: Canberra, Australia Australia's approach to littoral defense represents a strategic pivot that extends far beyond simple territorial protection. As outlined in the national strategy, this approach demands a fundamental rethinking of force deployment and equipment, creating opportunities for enhanced regional cooperation and security integration. Reframing Territorial…

Distributed Aviation Operations: Marine Wing Support Squadron Adapts for Future Combat

05/20/2025
By Robbin Laird In an increasingly complex and contested battlefield environment, the U.S. Marine Corps is adapting its aviation support strategy to meet emerging challenges. Captain Medlen, an eight-year Marine Corps veteran currently commanding the Engineers Company of Marine Wing Support Squadron (MWSS) 272, provided valuable insights into how distributed…

Britain, Germany and the Way Ahead in European Defense: A May 2025 Update

05/17/2025
By Pierre Tran Paris - Britain and Germany have pledged to boost military spending in response to Russia’s bloody advance on Ukraine and uncertainty about U.S. defense efforts in Europe, sparking questions on how those funds will be found and what the rearmament drives will yield. Those two allied nations…

From Reykjavik to Riyadh: Trump’s Strategic Pivot to the Middle East

05/16/2025
President Donald Trump has outlined a dramatic foreign policy shift during his recent address in Saudi Arabia. The speech signals what appears to be a fundamental realignment of American priorities in the Middle East and potentially reshapes the global balance of power. A New Vision for the Middle East Trump's…