2015 SACT Change of Command: The Transformation Command Faces a Transformed Strategic Environment

10/08/2015
2015-10-08 by Murielle Delaporte On September 30th, 2015, a change of command ceremony took place in Norfolk, Virginia, during which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presided over the official handover of the post of Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) from General Jean-Paul Paloméros to General Denis Mercier and awarded the…

The Australians Participate in Norwegian F-35 Missile Program

10/07/2015
2015-10-07 An element of the F-35 global enterprise is the possibility for allies to collaborate among themselves on building new missiles for the platform. Meteor is clearly one example and the Norwegian maritime strike missile is another. According to a story in Australian Aviation published on September 22, 2015: The…

An Update on the Indian Rafale Contract By India Strategic

10/07/2015
2015-10-07 By Gulshan Luthra http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories4097_Rafale_Contract_by_end_2015_says_Air_Chief_Arup_Raha.htm Dateline New Delhi and Paris In an interview with India Strategic and at remarks at his annual pre-Air Force Day briefing here October 3, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha observed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was “terribly short” of…

Shaping a New Combat Capability for 21st Century Operations: The Coming of the F-35B to the New British Carrier

10/06/2015
2015-09-27 By Robbin Laird Earlier I have visited the Queen Elizabeth and discussed the initial approach to shaping a cross-modernization strategy for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. The SLD team has visited the RAF based at Beaufort USMC Air Station and talked with the team there about…

The F-35 Global Enterprise: The Significance of the First Flight of the Italian Built F-35

10/06/2015
2015-10-06 By Robbin Laird The F-35 is not only not simply a replacement aircraft, but it is a global aircraft. And with the allies buying around 50% of the aircraft over the next few years, while Washington sorts out its strategy, the innovation driven by the allies will be significant…

The Importance of Innovation by Design for Combat Success: Building on the Legacy of Air Marshal Dowding

10/05/2015
2015-09-23 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Recently, General “Hawk” Carlisle underscored that the USAF is already engaged in reshaping the force to execute fifth generation warfare. It is important to look at the impact of the F-22 operations on the total force. We do not wish, nor do the…