USS Freedom in the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal

01/03/2011
01/02/2011 - Sailors assigned to the littoral combat ship USS Freedom watch from the flight deck as a set of gates closes within the Gatun Locks of the Panama Canal. Freedom was conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations and theater security cooperation in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. [slidepress gallery='uss-freedom-in-the-gatun-locks-of-the-panama-canal']…

Crafting Energy Security in the 21st Century: A German View of the Challenge

01/03/2011
By Caroline Mükusch 01/02/2011 - Securing the availability of energy resources – namely oil and gas – in accordance with environmental sustainability is a key challenge of the 21st century. (See treatment of the issue by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs) Also, history shows that conflicts over resources are…

The Chinese Challenge

01/03/2011
01/04 /2011 - In a sidebar conversation to the presentation of Lt. General Deptula’s briefing on the PLA Air Force, Second Line of Defense’s Robbin Laird discussed with Lt. General Deptula ways to think about the evolving Chinese challenge. China’s Yilong UAV Credit: www.china-defense-mashup.com   R. Laird: Why don’t we…

RFID Technology: From Cattle Herds to Military Use

01/03/2011
By Kirsten Ashbaugh [email protected] 01/02/2011 - In September 2010, Second Line of Defense attended IDGA’s Military Logistics Summit 2010 in Vienna, VA.  At the conference, Dr. Robb Clarke of Michigan State University discussed RFID and other Auto-ID technologies and their role with supply chain optimization. RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification,…

The Future of NATO’s Tactical Nuclear Weapons

12/18/2010
By Dr. Richard Weitz Preparing for the NATO Summit (Credit: NATO) 12/21/2010 - One of the most important issues that NATO Heads of State addressed at their November 2010 Summit in Lisbon was what to do about the remaining U.S. tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) stationed in Europe under the alliance’s…

The Key To Survival

12/09/2010
A Perspective on the Role of Air Power in the Defense of Israel An Interview with (Retired) General Herzl Bodinger General Bodinger, SLD, November 2010   12/09/2010 - During a visit to Israel in November 2010, Second Line of Defense had the chance to sit down with the former chief…

The Mukawama Effect

12/09/2010
Israel: « No Second Chance » An Interview With Amos Harel   Amos Herel (Credit: www.haaretz.com)    12/09/2010 - During the Second Line of Defense Visit to Israel in November 2010, an article was published by Amos Harel of Haaretz, which caught our eye [1]. The article began with a…