By Richard Weitz Russia’s national security elite do not perceive U.S. missile defenses as the most serious obstacle to strategic arms control. Their concerns mostly focus on U.S. long-range conventional strike weapons, U.S. space-based systems, NATO nuclear weapons sharing, U.S. military activities around Russia, non-ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban…
By Robbin Laird As Norway looks to its defense transformation and working out ways to work more effectively with its allies in extended defense and deterrence, it faces change in Europe associated with significant dynamics of change in Europe from Brexit to Catalonia. At the same time, the US is…
This past March, the Dutch government released a new defence white paper. According to the MoD statement published on March 26, 2018: The Netherlands Ministry of Defence can once again have confidence in the future. After years of budget cuts, the Defence organisation is investing in its people, capabilities and…
By Robbin Laird I have had the opportunity to visit F-35 bases since the standup of the first one at Eglin Air Force base. And this year, I have visited Williamtown, RAF Marham, Ørland, and MCAS Yuma. In each case, changes have been made to accommodate the coming of the…
A key element of building 21st century air systems is building in sustainability as part of the design. 21st century air systems are digital systems, built around software upgradeability. The digital capabilities of the aircraft are a key part of building out a more sustainable combat system. The CH-53K was…
By Richard Weitz Last month, defense.info attended the seventh annual Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS-2018), which the Russian government has strived to establish as the Moscow equivalent of the Munich, Shangri-La, and other regional security conferences. Although the conference has yet to reach that level of influence, it does…
On April 18, the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-147 ‘Argonauts,’ completed its first F-35C flight at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Calif. The inaugural flight supports the squadron’s transition from the F/A-18E Super Hornet to the F-35C, marking a significant step forward in the integration of the F-35C weapons…
Brexit is a process which have a major impact on the UK and Europe for sure. And no matter what the Brexit negotiated outcome that will be sorted out between the EU and the UK, both continental Europe and the UK will have to find a way to work together…
