2016-09-01 By Robbin Laird A key speaker at the Williams Foundation seminar on air-land integration was the Chief of the Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett. Barrett’s speech focused on the opportunities and challenges of the largest recapitalisation of the Australian Navy since World War II. New submarines, destroyers and…
2016-09-05 By Richard Weitz With the death of Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov, the country’s political leaders are in the process of deciding who will be Kasimov’s successor. Predicting the country’s future leadership is difficult given that Karimov has been the country’s only president since Uzbekistan gained independence on August 31,…
2016-08-31 By Vitaliy Katsenelson The Great Recession may be over, but seven years later we can still see the deep scars and unhealed wounds it left on the global economy. In an attempt to prevent an unpleasant revisit to the Stone Age, global governments have bailed out banks and the…
2016-08-29 By Robbin Laird The lead off speaker at the Williams Foundation seminar on air-land integration was Rear Admiral Manazir. Rear Admiral Manazir currently serves as the deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems (OPNAV N9) on the staff of the chief of naval operations. In this capacity, he…
2016-08-25 By Robbin Laird I first met Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown, when he was the head of the Royal Australian Air Force. At that time, he was focused on ensuring that the F-35 became a key element of the modernizing RAAF. Since his retirement, he joined the Williams Foundation and…
2016-08-20 By Robbin Laird The Aussies are shaping a transformed military force. It is one which is built around new platforms but working together across services to achieve a joint effect and able to operate in a joint manner in an extended battlespace. It is about extending the defense perimeter…
2016-08-28 By Garth McLennan The United States Congress is contemplating changes to the standards it uses to define its defense architecture against ballistic missile threats. Any such changes are likely to be more symbolic than substantive in the short term, but over time will create more political space for the development…
2016-08-22 By Kenneth Maxwell The most negative expectations for the Rio Olympic Games did not materialize. Zika did not impact tourists or athletes as expected (at least not so far). The number of foreign visitors was less than anticipated, though those that came to Rio enjoyed the competitions. Many stadiums were often…
