General Walsh on the USMC Use of Airpower in Iraq: From Precision-Strike to Presence

11/30/2009
  [caption id="attachment_2582" align="alignleft" width="150"] General Walsh[/caption] On November 9th, Brigadier General Walsh discussed his recent experiences in Iraq (watch video abstract). In December 2008 he became the Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Forward and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom on November 3rd and 2nd MAW (Fwd) was…

The Maintainers at the Heart of the Osprey Enterprise

11/28/2009
[caption id="attachment_2584" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="The V22 Maintenance Team"][/caption] Crafting the Osprey Enterprise: The Role of the Maintenance Team New Plane, New Capability, New Support Concept The Osprey is a new plane, a new capability, and provides a new contribution to the MAGTF and to the joint forces. It is not…

Special Feature – Alabama Governor Riley on the Future of Aerospace and Defense in the South

11/26/2009
Given the centrality of Alabama to two national competitions, i.e. the well-known tanker competition, but also the LCS one, George Talbot, political editor of the Mobile Press-Register and Robbin Laird (Sldinfo.com) sat down with Governor Riley of Alabama on November 17, 2009 to discuss the role of Alabama in aerospace…

Meeting the Logistics and Sustainment Challenge: Towards a New Bargain Between Industry and Government

11/23/2009
Building a Stable and Effective Public-Private Partnership In a recent interview Sldinfo conducted with Lou Kratz, Vice President, Logistics and Sustainment, Lockheed Martin Corporation, the core significance of shaping an effective partnership between industry and the Department of Defense was underscored.  Indeed, Lou Kratz laid out an approach towards shaping a new…

The President’s Asian Journey

11/23/2009
By Harald Malmgren President Obama in China (credit: The White House, November 2009) As President Obama began his Asian journey, his White House aides said he viewed China as “America’s most vital partner in tackling the globe’s most intractable issues.”  The President himself said  “We meet at a time when…

European Air Transport Fleet: Fleet or Framework?

11/22/2009
By Dr. Hilmar Linnenkamp, Former Deputy Chief Executive, European Defense Agency   On November 17th 2009, the European Defence Agency’s Ministerial Steering Board noted a Letter of Intent (LOI) on the establishment of a European Air Transport Fleet (EATF). The LOI was signed by 14 Member States of the EDA. Among…

Vertical Lift Industry:Shaping a Way Ahead on R&D

11/16/2009
The Administration Proposes a New Model for the Vertical Lift Industry: Shaping a Way Ahead on Research and Development On October 27, 2009, a vertical lift aviation industry day was held by DOD to try to set in motion a new approach to the industry . The approach was legitimized…

Exclusive Feature – Going to Afghanistan:The Osprey Squadron Prepares

11/15/2009
[slidepress gallery='Osprey_Afghanistan'] These photos are of the VMM-263 arriving in Afghanistan. All of the squadron’s Ospreys landed at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. It is situated northwest of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province. "A Whole Different Animal" In an interview just prior to the deployment of the Osprey squadron from…