An interview with Major Sean Timothy Penczak, Operations Officer with VMM-162 By Robbin Laird The MV-22 Osprey has come a long way since its early days as a novel tiltrotor aircraft. What began as a specialized assault platform has evolved into an incredibly versatile multi-mission aircraft capable of transforming Marine…
The paradigm shift in maritime operations involves moving away from concentrating power in capital ships to distributing capabilities across a network of assets. Distributed Maritime Effects (DME) are the effects created by this distributed force, often independent of or supplemental to traditional capital ship operations which are increasingly focused on…
The Marine Corps Aviation Association (MCAA) 2025 Symposium is going on this week from May 12 through the 15h in Dallas Texas. We are publishing a piece highlighting the role of one of the somewhat undervalued aviation capabilities which the Marine Corps operates today, namely the H-1 helicopters. By Allen…
By Kenneth Maxwell The three major Brazilian newspapers in their editorials had nothing good to say about Lula’s presence in Moscow for the 80th anniversary parade on Red Square celebrating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in WW2. The Brazilian President and his wife, Rosângela (Janja) Lula da Silva, joined…
By Robbin Laird and Kenneth Maxwell In today's rapidly evolving global order, middle powers find themselves in an increasingly complex position as they balance economic opportunity against strategic independence. Two nations, Australia and Brazil, offer a fascinating case study in how different countries are responding to China's rise while pursuing…
By Pierre Tran Paris - There have been few national orders for French military aircraft and space systems since the start of the year, following a drop of a third in domestic defense aerospace orders last year from 2023, Guillaume Faury, chair of Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales…
By Robbin Laird During my latest visit to 2nd Marine Wing, I had a chance to talk with Major General Swan, Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW), on 29 April 2025. He offered insights into how the wing is navigating modernization while maintaining readiness for global…
By Robbin Laird V-22 modernization efforts are essential to enable the Osprey to remain in service for the next thirty years. One important ongoing effort is the Nacelle Improvement Program. In an earlier interview with David Albin, the Nacelle Readiness Program Manager at Bell, we discussed the key aspects of…
