Distributed Operations: The Evolution of the MAGTF and the CH-53K

06/28/2018
By Robbin Laird As the USMC works the transition from a primary focus on counter-insurgency operations to operations against peer competitors. A key focus of Marine Corps training is to enhance their ability to operate across the battlespace from discrete locations but to be able to concentrate fires through consolidated…

The Navy-Marine Corps Team Looks to Unmanned Surface Vehicles to Enhance ISR Capabilities

06/26/2018
By Captain George Galorisi and Dr. Scott Truver As the USN-USMC team shapes its way ahead with regard to the Expeditionary Strike Group, several new capabilities have come to that force.  First there was the Osprey; then their was the F-35; and next up will be the coming of the…

US Navy Works its Future Surface Combatant: The Unmanned Element

06/26/2018
According to an article published by USNI News written by Megan Eckstein and published on June 25, 2018, the USN plans to field unmanned vessels to supplement its future surface combatant. The Navy’s Future Surface Combatant will likely include both an unmanned and an optionally unmanned surface vessel as part…

The British Army Autonomous Warrior Experiment

06/26/2018
The British Army has launched its Autonomous Warrior (Land) experiment at the RUSI Land Warfare conference. According to an article published by the UK Ministry of Defence on June 20, 2018: Autonomous Warrior, the 2018 Army Warfighting Experiment, will push the boundaries of technology and military capability in the land…

The Coming of the F-35 to the UK: Working Through the Challenges

06/26/2018
By Robbin Laird During my visit to RAF Marham in May 2018, I had a chance to visit once again and to meet with senior RAF and Royal Navy personnel responsible for the standup of F-35 capability on UK soil. MoD is building new facilities to support the jet, and…

The Brits Work Sustainment for Their Combat Aircraft: Tornado as the Stepping Stone

06/25/2018
By Robbin Laird The UK MoD, the RAF and its industrial partners have been at the cutting edge in finding a path to enhanced combat aircraft availability through the evolution of its approach to performance based logistics. It has been and is a journey, one which started with parts support,…

Unmanned Air Systems at MAWTS-1: The Training and TPP Challenge

06/23/2018
By Robbin Laird There is probably no single air platform more affected by the transition from the strategic shift from counter-insurgency to the high-end fight than unmanned aerial systems. These systems have come to the fore during counter-insurgency operations and have provided significant persistent surveillance for the ground forces. They…

The European Political Crisis: The Impact of Germany

06/22/2018
By Harald Malmgren Next week the European Union will hold a key summit. But that summit is being defined by and overshadowed by the political changes throughout key European states. The crisis in Germany is especially central to the fate of the summit. In late May and in the early…