The Finnish Air Force will participate for the first time in a Red Flag exercise held by the United States Air Force in Alaska from 4 to 19 October 2018. Finland will deploy six F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters to the exercise. The Finnish detachment consisting of around 70 personnel at…
Trident Juncture 2018 is both a major NATO exercise to be operating from Norway and a major test of how the Norwegian Total Defense Concept can support Norwegian-Allied joint efforts in the defense of both Norway and the key countries in the Northern Flank of NATO. According to an article…
In a story by USNI News’s Megan Eckstein published on August 27, 2018, the operation of F-35s onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln was highlighted. ABOARD USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, IN THE ATLANTIC The Navy’s F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter has been incorporated into a carrier air wing’s cyclic flight operations…
By Robbin Laird The heavy lift transition from CH-53E to CH-53K is one of the last modernization efforts of Marine Corps Aviation set in motion when Lt. General Trautman was Deputy Commandant of Aviation. Although this essential capability is last replacing the readiness challenged 30-year-old CH-53E, it is leveraging lessons…
By Robbin Laird During my visit to Australia in August 2018, I was in country as the Pitch Black 2018 exercise was wrapping up and will have more on this exercise later. Very good coverage of Pitch Black 2018 was provided by Jaryd Stock on the website Aviation Photography Digest…
It is obvious that the Australian Army needs to play a key role in providing longer range fires and active defense both on Australian territory as well as in operations not on Australian soil. This subject was discussed at the recent Williams Foundation Seminar held in Canberra on August 23,…
By Robbin Laird During my five years of visits to Australia, I have had the opportunity to meet with and to talk with Air Commodore Heap several times. As the Commander of the Air Force’s Surveillance Response Group, Air Commodore Heap has had the challenge of leading one of the…
By Robbin Laird The Williams Foundation has held a series of seminars over the past few years, which have progressively looked at the transformation of the Royal Australian Air Force and to the shaping of cross-modernizing Australian Defence Force. Referred to overall as building a fifth generation force, the focus…
