Nordic Cooperation: A Stronger North?

05/23/2018
In a new report produced under the aegis of NORDEFCO, the Nordic cooperation effort is assessed and analyzed. The authors of the report, Tuomas Iso-Markku, Eeva Innola, and Teija Tiilikainen, focused on the history and the way ahead with regard to Nordic cooperation. https://www.fiia.fi/en/project/a-stronger-north-developing-nordic-cooperation-on-foreign-and-security-policy Eeva Innola is a research fellow…

Norway, NORDEFCO and Shaping a Way Ahead with the Nordics

05/22/2018
By Robbin Laird As Norway looks to its defense transformation and working out ways to work more effectively with its allies in extended defense and deterrence, it faces change in Europe associated with significant dynamics of change in Europe from Brexit to Catalonia. At the same time, the US is…

The Way Ahead for Norwegian Airpower: The Perspective of the Vice Chief of the Norwegian Air Force

05/20/2018
By Robbin Laird During my visit to Norway in April 2018, I had a chance to meet with and discuss the Norwegian way ahead on airpower with Brigadier General Aage Longva, Vice Chief of the Norwegian Air Force. We met at his office at Rygge Air Station south of Oslo.…

Japan Approves New Ocean Policy With a Core Focus on Maritime Secuirty

05/15/2018
With the dynamics of change underway in the Pacific, Japan has been changing its defense and security policies to provide for more focus and capability to deal with threats and challenges in the region. The latest element of the change is the new Japanese ocean policy. According to an article…

Assessing the Russian Military Challenge

05/12/2018
By Stephen Blank Recent Pentagon deployments display a growing realism about the Russian military threat. And the announced recreation of the II Fleet to be based at Norfolk to patrol the North Atlantic and counter the upsurge of Russian submarine and surface vessels probes there demonstrates this heightened awareness of…

The Strategic Shift and the Norwegian Approach

05/08/2018
By Robbin Laird Last year, I visited Norway and had a chance to discuss with senior officials their thinking about the way ahead for Norway and North Atlantic defense. The Norwegians are investing significantly in new systems, but just as importantly are re-focused on their total defense concept to ensure…