06/01/2011: The Shifting Strategic Environment: A New Approach to Airlift and Tanking The United States has inherited and chosen to pursue the specialized aircraft route to airlift and tanking; Airbus Military has chosen a multi-mission path to providing for airlift and tanking capabilities for its customers. When the DOD chose the…
06/01/2011 by Richard Weitz With the appointments announced on Memorial Day, President Barack Obama has almost completed the transformation of his defense team from the senior leaders he initially inherited from President George W. Bush to a group of men that he selected. The new team looks well-prepared to deal…
05/29/2011 In a letter sent to Secretary of the USAF Michael Donely, Afghan Vet Congressman Allen West underscored that in his view, the terms of the downselect need to be respected. West calls for the competition to be determined on the non-developmental terms brokered and for the USAF to get…
The Weather Piece 05/27/2011 - First Lieutenant Adam Bennett led the discussion at the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) of how weather planning figures into both the planning and execution of the TACC missions. Working the Weather Issues in the TACC Command Center Credit: TACC SLD: What do the weather planners…
05/27/2011 By Richard Weitz The second day of the Russia site visit began with a tour of the DON-2N multifunctional radar station at Sofrino, about 90 minutes outside Moscow. The facility is one of Russia’s most important aerospace facilities. It is a major component of Moscow’s missile defense system, which…
The Aeromedical Evacuation Piece 06/26/2011 - In the roundtable at the Tanker Airlift Control Center (TACC) , Major Charles Marek led off the discussion of the aeromedical evacuation operations of the TACC. The command focuses upon inter-theater lift while the COCOMs focus on intra-theater support. A key strategic development has been…
05/26/2011 by Richard Weitz I have had the opportunity to participate in the first Defense and Security section meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Moscow from May 25-27. The discussions focus on the modernization of Russia’s Armed Forces and cooperation in international security. The meeting was co-organized by…
05/24/2011 Transitioning from the P3 to the P8: A Sea Change in Maritime Surveillance During the visit in San Diego in late March 2011 to the Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Second Line of Defense sat down with Commander Jake Johansson to discuss the evolution of maritime surveillance. Johansson…
