We have focused for some time on the question of the return of the nuclear issue for US and allied defense. Our colleague, Paul Bracken, has forcefully focused on this issue in his work on the second nuclear age, and his work has certainly underscored the forceful return of the…
By Robbin Laird We have argued for more than a decade that leveraging fifth generation aircraft allowed for the re-norming of airpower. With the evolution of the F-35 and with the buy of the aircraft by several key allies, those allies are starting to introduce the aircraft into their forces,…
By Todd Miller The 22ndMarine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) VMM-264 Reinforced takes us on board the USS Kearsarge during deployment work-ups For many, the Marines will always be defined by the tenacious and bloody battles in the South Pacific during WWII. Rightly so. Today, these specialists in amphibious warfare and mobility…
By Richard Weitz The inaugural meeting of the U.S.-India ‘two-plus-two’format that met on September 6, 2018 in New Delhi made substantial progress in deepening and broadening the bilateral defense relationship. Now the challenge is to seize the opportunities generated by the new format. The September 6 meeting brought together Indian…
Karelia Air Command conducts Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) training for F/A-18 pilots in cooperation with the 100th Air Refueling Wing, United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), from 11 to 13 September. In total 8-14 F/A-18 Hornet multi-role fighters from Karelia, Lapland and Satakunta Air Commands will participate in the training.…
By Robbin Laird It would be hard to find a key combat asset for the Australian Defence Force, which has received more criticism over the years than the Collins class submarine. Yet while the past is behind us, the narrative has clearly changed. The Royal Australian Navy working with its…
By Robbin Laird When one thinks of defense infrastructure, a key element is the people in the force and the infrastructure, manufacturing, science, technology, and engineering that support it. But clearly, having a dedicated committed and capable pool of recruits both into the support structure and the force is absolute…
By Richard Weitz In late August, 2018 the Chinese Foreign Ministry published its position paper regarding the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, which will run from September 18 and October 5 in New York. In this document, Beijing has again professed concern about the militarization of space—somewhat awkwardly…
