Denmark Receives Its First F-35s: Looking Back and Looking Forward

09/26/2023
By Robbin Laird Recently, I published my book My Fifth Generation Journey: 2004-2018 in which I highlighted how a program not supported by three presidents nor actively by any Secretary of Defense became the dominant air combat system being flown in the era of “great power competition.” I intend to…

Countering Chinese Espionage Requires More Than a Government Response

09/21/2023
By Richard Weitz Recent incidents make clear that Chinese hacking and espionage remain a core U.S. national security concern. The scope and scale of these activities are breathtaking. Defeating this threat requires an optimized public-private partnership since the magnitude of the challenge far exceeds what the federal government can combat…

Indonesia Changes Course: Dual Buy of Western Combat Aircraft

09/14/2023
By Pierre Tran Paris - Indonesia’s drive to become an Asian regional superpower can be seen in last month’s multi-billion dollar announcement of an order for more French Rafale fighters and a pledge to buy the export version of the U.S. F-15EX Eagle fighter. That procurement of two Western advanced…

Re-Working American Defense: Critical Prior to Any Ramp Up of Defense Spending

09/03/2023
By James Durso Will the Pentagon soon have all the money it desires, but not enough troops to realize its ambitions? After appropriating about $2.26 trillion for the Afghanistan misadventure that put the Taliban back in charge in Kabul, and another $2.21 trillion to destabilize Iraq and deliver it into…

Taiwan, U.S. Defense Industry, and the Evolving Strategy for Indo-Pac Defense

07/09/2023
By Robbin Laird Too often, the focus is upon Taiwan as a U.S.-Chinese problem or confrontation. Leaving aside the question of why the Communist Party ruling the mainland has any right to seize a free democracy, such a focus misses the question of who lives in the first island chain.…

Germany and the European Sky Shield Initiative: A July 2023 Update

07/05/2023
By Pierre Tran Paris - Germany has kept the door open to France and Italy joining Berlin’s project for an extended European missile defense system in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a senior German government official said June 30. “The European Sky Shield Initiative is open to all…

Australia in the New Strategic Environment: The Australian-Japanese Relationship Within in an Evolving Deterrent Context

05/08/2023
By Robbin Laird The most recent seminar of The Sir Richard Williams Foundation focused on shaping a way ahead for Australia in the new strategic situation. At the heart of consideration was Australia facing the core challenges of deterrence. But as a non-nuclear power and as a junior partner in…

France Addresses Its Military Modernization Priorities

04/21/2023
In a 6 April 2023 piece, Murielle Delaporte focused on the French Military Program Law for 2024-2030. The piece was published on the website of Eurosatory which highlights key developments shaping the 2024 Eurosatory exposition in Paris. In this excerpt from the article, the French Defence Minister’s focus on nuclear…