While Taiwan tensions are often viewed through a U.S.-China lens, the gravest strategic consequences would fall on Japan and the Philippines. Chinese control of Taiwan would fundamentally alter the regional balance, potentially isolating both nations and forcing them into accommodation with Chinese regional dominance regardless of U.S. positions. Taiwan’s location…
By Robbin Laird In late 2020, Murielle Delaporte and I published our book entitled: The Return of Direct Defense in Europe: Meeting the Challenge of XXIst Century Authoritarian Powers. A major emphasis in that book was that the broad challenge was inclusive of European infrastructure and the clear need for…
Ambassador Kenneth Moorefield’s offers a first-person account of his experiences during the Vietnam War as both a soldier and a diplomat, culminating in his evacuation from the Saigon Embassy in 1975. The article then describes his post-war efforts to aid Vietnamese refugees and American veterans, followed by his return to…
The 2025 iteration of Exercise Iron Fist represents a significant milestone in U.S.-Japan military cooperation, with American Marines and Japanese forces conducting their largest bilateral amphibious training exercise in Japan’s strategically vital southwest islands region. Running from February 19 through March 7, 2025, this exercise showcased the evolving partnership between…
Operation Spider Web stands as the most sophisticated drone warfare operation in modern military history, representing the culmination of Ukraine’s remarkable transformation from drone technology importer to global innovator. On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service executed a coordinated strike using 117 drones across five Russian airbases spanning 4,300 kilometers,…
By Robbin Laird On June 5, 2025, I had a chance to talk with Air Vice-Marshal Nick Hogan, the Head of Air Force Capability within the RAAF about the challenges and opportunities of incorporating autonomous systems within the Australian Defence Force and the impact this will have on the force.…
By Robbin Laird I gave one of first public presentations certainly by an outsider in Israel on the F-35 at the annual airpower conference held by the Fischer Institute in Tel Aviv on May 25, 2011. I gave a presentation on fifth generation aircraft which highlighted how the coming of…
A recent Forbes analysis by retired Air Force General David Deptula examines how Ukraine’s innovative drone strikes are reshaping military doctrine — and exposing American weaknesses When Ukrainian forces launched coordinated drone attacks against four Russian airbases on June 1, 2025, they weren’t just destroying enemy aircraft — they were…
