Shaping a Way Ahead for the Australian Submarine Capability: The Perspective of Vice Admiral (Retired) Barrett

10/19/2021
By Robbin Laird During my visit to Europe earlier this Fall, the surprise announcement of the Morrison Administration’s decision to shift from their French alliance to deliver a long-range diesel submarine to acquiring nuclear submarine capability through an alliance with the United States and Britain was made. I talked with…

Shaping Resilience: A Key Element for the Defense of Liberal Democracies

10/18/2021
By Robbin Laird Recently, I had a chance to discuss with Air Vice-Marshal (Retired) John Blackburn the work he been engaged in since last I was in Australia in March 2020. The team has recently released a final report on the challenges facing Australia to become a more resilient society…

The Three Ts: Training, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures Driving Combat Innovation

10/13/2021
By Robbin Laird Training is becoming an advanced weapon system. So much so that the classic formulation of Tactics, Techniques and Procedures upon which training has been built is expanding to now be informed by advanced training that reshapes tactics, techniques, and procedures for the future fight. Multi-domain training encompassing…

Poland in Europe and Facing the Russian Challenge: The Perspective of Igor Szczęsnowicz

10/08/2021
By Robbin Laird The opportunity to attend the Defence 24 conference on Polish defense provided a significant opportunity to learn about Polish assessments of the current strategic situation and ways Poland should shape a way ahead. In addition to attending the conference, I had a chance to talk to Polish…

Shaping a Way Ahead for Polish Defense and Security: The Perspective of Dr. Jacek M. Raubo

10/07/2021
By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to Warsaw to attend the Defence 24 conference on Polish defense, I had a chance to talk with Dr. Jacek M. Raubo, an Assistant Professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and noted journalist as well. We discussed a number of issues regarding…

Shaping a Way Ahead for Polish Defense: The Perspective of Robert Czulda

10/06/2021
By Robbin Laird During my recent visit to Warsaw to attend the Defence 24 conference on Polish defense, I had a chance to talk with Dr. Robert Czulda (whose bio can be read at the end of the article). I had a chance to talk with him after the two-day…

Finland Issues New Defence White Paper, September 2021

10/05/2021
According to a news release on the Finnish Ministry of Defence website, the Finnish government has released its latest defence white paper. At its meeting on 9 September 2021, the Government approved the Defence Report to be submitted to Parliament. The Report and its implementation ensure that Finland's defence capability…