2012-11-30 by Robbin Laird Ed Timperlake has pioneered work on how to understand the entire approach to re-thinking what the new generation of combat air is really all about. To capture the difference between his generation of aircraft and the F-35, Timperlake has focused on what he calls the Z-axis and…
2012-11-30 Earlier Second Line of Defense had a wide-ranging discussion with Don Kinard of Lockheed Martin, one of the best production specialists in the aviation business today. In that conversation we focused on the approach to building wings for the F-35. https://www.sldinfo.com/the-f-35a-lands-at-eglin-what-does-that-say-about-the-current-state-of-production/ https://www.sldinfo.com/an-update-on-f-35-manufacturing-the-case-of-wing-assembly/ In our most recent visit to the F-35…
2012-11-30 by Robbin Laird The 1982 Lebanese War was a significant event on many levels. But one of those levels was the testing of military equipment and operational approaches. The Israelis used new unmanned aerial vehicles, new weapons against tanks, and new approaches to air-ground operations to defeat its enemies in…
2012-11-30 by Richard Weitz During his years as Russia’s first civilian defense minister, Anatoly Serdyukov and the Russian government made the unprecedented decision to purchase expensive Western defense equipment. The decision was designed partly to fill gaps in Russian military capabilities, and partly to use the threat of foreign competition to…
2012-11-30 by Richard Weitz China’s growing energy needs represent another force driving its increased interest and involvement in Central Asia. A combination of a booming economy and declining domestic energy production has resulted in China importing an increasingly large percentage of its oil and natural gas. Although China still acquires the…
2012-11-29 Second Line of Defense visited MAWTS during the second week of November 2012. We did so knowing that the Marine Corps is focusing on the concurrent development of tactics and training with operations. In part, that is why the F-35 Bravo is being stood up at MCAS Yuma, the home…
The Marines have stood up their first squadron of F-35 Bs at MCAS Yuma. But the Marine Corps approach to the aircraft is built on recognition that it is a C2 and Information Warfare aircraft, which will be a central piece to the ACE or Aviation Combat Element of the…
2012-11-28 by Richard Weitz A drive for energy security is a central reality of Chinese foreign and security policies. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) can no longer sustain its rapidly growing economy without importing massive quantities of energy. China’s rapid economic growth has fueled a demand for energy that…
