2017-03-12 There are many ways to burden share within NATO. An especially good one is to enhance operational support through joint investments and joint support commands. This is clearly the case with the European Air Transport Command. The European Air Transport Command (EATC) is the command centre that exercises the…
2017-03-03 By Amatzia Baram and Lazar Aleksandrov* The military operation to liberate Mosul is very slow and costly in blood and treasure but victory is certain. What next? Important political and religious circles in Baghdad and Najaf are aware that, even more than keeping Iran and Turkey out, resolving the domestic Sunni-Shi’i-Kurdish…
2017-03-06 HDMS PETER WILLEMOES is now part of GEORGE H.W. BUSH strike group in the Mediterranean. The video below (in Danish) shows the ship leaving Denmark and joining the Bush task force. http://www.forsvaret.tv/#!/video/30602767 HDMS Peter Willemoes is a Royal Danish warship built for 21st century combat, equipped with sophisticated detection systems…
2017-02-23 By Robbin Laird Prior to attending the Norwegian Airpower Conference in Trondheim, I was able to meet with Mr. Øystein BØ, the State Secretary and Deputy Defense Minister at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense to discuss his perspective on the way ahead for Norway and NATO in the Northern…
2017-02-16 By Robbin Laird Prior to attending the 2017 Norwegian airpower conference, I had a chance to talk with Keith Eikenes, Director, Department for Security Policy and Operations in the Ministry of Defence of Norway. He has spent many years in Washington and came back to Oslo three years ago.…
2017-02-16 By Robbin Laird In the Fall of 2015, then Major General Rune Jakobsen became Lt. General Jakobsen and the Commander of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters. According to the announcement at the time: The new commander started his military career in July 1980 and has filled several key positions in the…
2017-01-25 By Robbin Laird Europe ever since the end of World War II has seen significant change. And clearly, after an upsurge of growth in the 1950s and 1960s, growth and development have been tougher to come by. European collaboration on the Continent began with the European Coal and Steel…
2017-01-19 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird President-elect Trump has promised to destroy ISIS. President Obama is leaving office having had to confront ISIS, and whatever one thinks of his efforts, the results are clear: ISIS remains alive and well. But before the new regime takes office, some cautionary notes…