The Arctic Sea Competition: Strategic Competition (Part Two)

11/28/2010
By Caroline Mükusch German Correspondent, Second Line of Defense Credit image: www.crystalinks.com 11/28/2010 - When it comes to the North Pole and the question of who wins the race for the Arctic, two major interests are rising: energy and security.  Therefore Arctic neighbor states regularly assert their national interests in…

Osprey: The Challenges of Maintenance In Iraq and Afghanistan

11/28/2010
An Update on the Osprey from New River (VI) An Interview With Corporal Warshek And Sergeant Fante 11/28/2010 - Second Line of Defense in late August 2010 talked to Osprey maintainers at New River Air Station. One theme, which was discussed, was the challenge of maintaining the aircraft in the…

European Defense: Save, Cut And Sustain

11/28/2010
European Defense: Save Money, Cut Forces, Sustain Afghan Commitments (for now) [caption id="attachment_13394" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="(Credit: The Hudson Institute)"][/caption] By Dr. Richard Weitz 11/28/2010 - The 1998 St. Malo Declaration between Britain and France, which inaugurated the European Security and Defense Policy, declared that: “The Union must have the capacity…

Waging the Future Fight

11/23/2010
Budget Decisions and the Future of the Martial Enterprise By Vince Martinez Budget Freeze: the F-22 Raptor has been one of the first victims Credit photo: www.flightgear.org 11/23/2010 - Decisions, Dollars and the Future It is no surprise that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and the MV-22 Osprey are…

The Arctic Sea Competition and Key Strategic Challenges for Europe (Part One)

11/18/2010
By Caroline Mükusch German Correspondent, Second Line of Defense 11/18/2010 - The opening of the Arctic raises simultaneously energy security, environmental questions, and strategic competition.  There are five states which claims based on extensions of their rights under international law to parts of the Arctic region: Norway, Denmark (Greenland), Russia,…

Osprey: a heavier medium-lift capacity

11/18/2010
An Update from New River (V) [download PDF of full report] An Interview With Lieutenant-Colonel Garcia on the Osprey in Iraq and Afghanistan 11/18/2010 - Lieutenant-Colonel Garcia discussed his time in Iraq and Afghanistan involving both rotorcraft and the Osprey. The tiltrotor craft was used differently in the two countries…

An Update on the Eglin F-35 Training Facility

11/18/2010
An Interview With Colonel Arthur Tomassetti 11/18/2010 - In October 2010, Second Line of Defense visited the F-35 training facility located at Eglin AFB. This is a return visit with the first report emanating from a January 2010 visit.  This report provides an update on progress at the training facility,…