India Makes Progress With New Seabased Air Assets

05/25/2012
5/25/12 Second Line of Defense has provided in depth interviews and analyses of the evolution of the sea base.  With new aviation assets, these bases can be significant players in defense and security and help re-shape the concepts of operations for air, sea and land missions. [caption id="attachment_39372" align="alignleft" width="300"…

Assessing the Sino-Russian Naval Exercise “Maritime Cooperation 2012”

05/24/2012
by Richard Weitz Russia and China conducted their first official bilateral naval exercise (variously referred to as “Maritime Cooperation 2012” and “Sea Interaction 2012”) from April 22-27 in the Yellow Sea near Qingdao, China. The exercise was a genuinely mixed operation, in which both countries made major contributions to the…

The New European Defense and Security Map: The Case of Norway

05/23/2012
5/23/12 By Robbin Laird As the Euro zone is re-shaped, it will have a major effect on Europeans and defense.  Defense and national forces are a key part of sovereignty and expression of what a nation believes and seeks to defend. The Euro zone countries face a major question because…

F-35B lifts off for first flight at Eglin

05/23/2012
5/22/2012 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (Press Release) An F-35B Lightning II made its first flight at Eglin Air Force Base today, two months after 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing officially introduced the Marine Corps' fifth generation fighter to the world at the 33rd Fighter Wing. [caption id="attachment_39225" align="alignleft" width="240"…

The Territorial and Maritime Dispute between Japan and China in the East China Sea

05/20/2012
In late 2010 a collision between a Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) vessel and a Chinese fishing trawler in a disputed maritime area in the East China Sea saw Sino-Japanese relations enter into a deep freeze from which they are still recovering. The dispute itself, over not only a large maritime…

Getting on With It: Step Up F-35 Production

05/19/2012
5/19/12: by Retired Gen. John D.W. Corley and Retired Gen. William R. Looney III The Real consequences of delaying F-35 program; Slowing production will increase costs and keep pilots in obsolete fighters Although American warriors have returned from Iraq and many are returning from Afghanistan, our nation still faces serious and continuing…