Syria, Chemical Weapons and the Russian Engagement

08/06/2012
2012-08-06 by Ed Timperlake And so it begins, yet again: “President Barack Obama has signed a secret order authorizing U.S. support for rebels seeking to depose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, U.S. sources familiar with the matter said. Obama's order, approved earlier this year and known as an…

Turkey’s Goals in Iraq

08/05/2012
2012-08-05 By Richard Weitz Turkey views Iraq as a key area of interest and influence. Turkey has several core interests in Iraq: Cultivating ties with the various Iraqi factions, Preventing terrorists from using northern Iraq as a base of operations; Balancing the influence of Iran; Securing access to Iraqi oil…

Survitec is key British supplier to the first F-35 delivery to the UK Ministry of Defence

08/04/2012
The United Kingdom recently accepted the first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II in a ceremony with senior representatives of the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense. Survitec Group is one of a number of select British suppliers and partners and was chosen to provide the…

Arizona leaders react to F-35 coming to Luke AFB

08/04/2012
August 1, 2012 From Az.Com Arizona leaders hailed the Department of Defense's decision selecting Luke Air Force Base to train pilots on the F-35. Numerous local leaders took part in the Luke Forward campaign to advocate for the mission. Governor Jan Brewer: "Today's announcement not only ensures Arizona will continue…

F-35 Training Center Announced for Luke AFB

08/04/2012
Aug. 3, 2012 by Sonu Munshi http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2012/08/02/20120802glendale-luke-air-force-base-f-35-jets-fall-2013.html (Excerpts) U.S. Air Force announced this week that Luke Air Force Base has landed the F-35 pilot-training mission, with jets likely arriving sometime next year….. Luke has long trained pilots and remains the world's largest F-16 training base. The jets are a common sight…

The UK, the F-35 and Strategic Considerations

08/03/2012
2012-08-03 by Robbin Laird We have posted a number of articles during the UK government's deliberation with regard to the F-35C versus the F-35B.  In a PDF special report included in this article, we have brought those articles together into one report.  A key element not so obvious within the…

Meeting the Korean Defense Challenge: The View from 7th Air Force

08/03/2012
2012-08-03 In an interview this month with Lt. General Jan-Marc Jouas, Second Line of Defense had a chance to discuss the challenges of defense in the Korean Peninsula.  This area remains a key driver for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and any consideration of how to strengthen alliances in the…

Iran’s Widening Tool Box in Iraq

08/03/2012
2012-08-03 By Richard Weitz Iran had several motives for assisting the Iraqi insurgents during the 2005-2008 period. A first goal was to create a security buffer zone. Many Iranians saw Iraq as their first line of defense against a foreign invasion, considering that many past attacks had come from the west.…