Why did India choose the Rafale?

05/29/2012
5/29/12: By Robbin Laird During the Airbus Military Trade Media event, I had a chance to talk with Vikramjit S. Chopra, Managing Editor of Vayu Aerospace and Defense Review about the Indian fighter competition. http://www.vayuaerospace.in/ http://www.vayuaerospace.in/images1/IAF_Strike_Mirage_2000s.pdf I asked my colleague: why did India pick the Rafale over the other Europeans…

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…

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…

The Truth Commission, the Brazilian Military and Strengthening Defense

05/18/2012
By Kenneth Maxwell Igor Gielow, reported in Folha de Sao Paulo on Saturday 12 March, that now President Dilma Rousseff has established a Truth Commission to look into cases of deaths and disappearances during the military regime (1964-1985). The Brazilian government was intending to strengthen the position of the Minister…