Raising the Bar on Maintainability: MAWTS-1 Focuses on the Challenge

07/02/2018
By Robbin Laird Maintainability is a key aspect to ensure aircraft availability to support combat operations. The readiness crisis of the past few years has also included the challenge of upgrading maintenance support efforts as well. The strategic shift from counter-insurgency to preparing for force-on-force conflict and a more rapid…

UK Mobilizes Reserves for Cyber Conflict

07/02/2018
The Ministry of Defence’s hunt for gamers and amateur coders to become cyber Reserves has led to a massive increase in applications, creating an elite force of specialists ready to support operations using their unique cyber skills. According to the UK Ministry of Defence in an article published on June…

The Building of the New Australian Frigate

06/30/2018
Australia's just selected a new build BAE Systems frigate to provide a new capability for the Royal Australian Navy. The projected cost is $35 billion to build nine high-tech, anti-submarine frigates. According to ABC Australia: The contract is a key building block in the Federal Government's defence industry plan, which…

Italian Naval Participation in Counter-Piracy Exercise in Gulf of Aden

06/30/2018
According to an article published by the Italian Ministry of Defence on June 12, 2018, the role of the Italian Navy recently participated in a recent counter-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean. The first counter-piracy exercise conducted in the Indian Ocean - which saw the participation of Italian Navy Frigate…

The UK Defense Spending Debate: Will the Brits Fund Their Defense Modernization Strategy?

06/29/2018
By Robbin Laird The UK is in the throes of a major defense modernization. And like the United States, beginning a process of change is one thing, but funding the modernization process through to getting maximum effect is another. The UK faces financial challenges associated with Brexit and an uncertain…

UK Defense, European Defense and Brexit: Note 4

06/29/2018
With Britain sorting out Brexit and the European states facing an uncertain future over the way ahead with regard to the structure of Europe itself, defense becomes a vortex for both continuity and change. On the one hand, President Macron has been reaching out to include Britain in the future…

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…