2013-01-27 by Richard Weitz The Taiwan situation will remain an insuperable obstacle to better Sino-American ties if the past is prologue. What are those conflicting objectives? Beijing insists on exercising control over Taiwan. The Taiwanese people insist on their right to exercise their political autonomy. And Washington insists on providing…
2013-01-24 Second Line of Defense and AOL Defense Board of Contributor Members Dr. Robbin Laird and Lt. General Dave Deptula USAF (Retired) sat down in mid December 2012 with General Mike Hostage, the Commander, Air Combat Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va. As the commander, he is…
2013-01-23 When we visited Eglin to talk with pilots and maintainers of the F-35 at the Training Facility last August, we passed by the area where the USN is getting ready for its variant of the F-35. https://www.sldinfo.com/an-update-on-the-f-35-integrated-training-center-at-eglin-afb/ It is expected to come to the facility later this year, and…
2013-01-23 According to a Lockheed Martin press release: AF-1, joined the 500 flight hour club recently during its 272nd flight. It joins AF-2 which passed the milestone June 26, 2012. The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) fighter begin flight operations when it made its inaugural flight Nov. 14, 2009. The…
2013-01-24 Mass and Supremacy presents a series of arguments for increased and sustained funding for the F-35 “Lightning II” Joint Strike Fighter. The American Enterprise Institute authors argue that the program is the key index of weapons modernization for US forces for the coming decade, and that because of this,…
2013-01-24 by Robbin Laird Often, the acquisition of a new defense platform is discussed in terms of itself and the entire operational impact or strategic context is lost. This is the usual case with the most innovative air tanker solution to date, namely the A330MRTT. The A330MRTT deployed as a…
2013-01-24 The Vietnamese are increasingly vigilant about their air and sea borders. Their concern with the Chinese in the South China sea is evident. The Vietnamese are buying submarines and Maritime Patrol Aircraft among other things to ensure their security. In a visit to the final assembly line in September,…
2013-01-20 Second Line of Defense had a chance to talk with Major General Christopher Owens, Commanding General, 1st MAW in mid-December towards the end of a major USMC exercise in the Pacific. http://www.1stmaw.marines.mil/ https://slsp.manpower.usmc.mil/gosa/biographies/rptBiography.asp?PERSON_ID=2072&PERSON_TYPE=General Second Line of Defense had a chance to talk with Major General Christopher Owens, Commanding General, 1st…
