2013-05-24 by Robbin Laird The 21st century is not the 20th. The late 20th century was characterized by global growth, globalization, American and European dominance, Russian decline, and the rise of Asia. The 21st century is really none of these. The struggle for growth is moving beyond the stock…
2013-05-22 Australia is re-shaping its forces as it deals with the dynamics of change in the Pacific and its roles and tasks post-Afghanistan. Part of the future approach will be provided by the delivery of a new capability in the Aussie force structure, namely a large LHD or Amphibious Assault…
2013-05-22 A key element of shaping a 21st century approach to military operations is the reconfiguration of the force to incorporate expeditionary logistics. Rather than putting a WALMART in place, designing a Kracken defense force for the WALMART, and then moving against the objective area, there is a key trend afoot…
2013-05-22 By Robbin Laird The USN-USMC team learns in the context of a joint and combined exercise Bold Alligator – the largest annual, amphibious exercise conducted. It is also a great opportunity for an outsider to learn many things, and probably none more interesting than to learn from the young warfighters…
2013-05-21 The US Air Force (USAF) has successfully completed high angle of attack (AoA) testing of the F-35A Lightning II conventional take off and landing (CTOL) fighter aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, US. Carried out by the F-35 Integrated Test Force (ITF) team, the edge-of-the-envelope testing accomplished…
2013-05-15 By Brett Davis The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) made its debut aircraft carrier launch from USS George H.W. Bush on 14 May, bringing unmanned carrier aviation a big step closer to reality. The carrier, CVN 77, was off the coast of Virginia for the long-awaited launch. “Today…
2013-05-15 By Robbin Laird A French White paper is a combination campaign document, Presidential statement, prologue to shaping budgets, and a stab at a tour de horizon view of the strategic environment a la française. It is decidedly not a detailed look at the future and the way ahead. It…
In an April 30, 2013 interview with Rear Admiral Bill Moran, Director of Air Warfare (OPNAV N98), the approach of the US Navy in combining several naval air transitions with the introduction of the USS Ford was the focus of conversation. In a recent co-authored article, the Admiral had looked…
