Training Combat Pilots for the Kill Web Era: A Strategic Evolution

10/21/2025
The shift from counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East to major power competition has fundamentally transformed how Western militaries must prepare for combat. This strategic pivot, which I explored in my 2021 book Training for the High-End Fight: The Strategic Shift of the 2020s, demands nothing less than a complete…

The LVC Dynamic: A Key Force for Change in Combat Pilot Training

09/29/2025
The landscape of military aviation training stands at a critical juncture. As combat aircraft have evolved into increasingly sophisticated platforms bristling with advanced sensors, networked communications, and complex mission systems, the challenge of preparing pilots to operate these systems effectively has grown exponentially. The emergence of fifth-generation fighters has fundamentally…

External Lift with CH-53K King Stallions

09/01/2025
U.S. Marines with 2nd Distribution Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, execute external lifts at Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, July 21, 2025. Marines with 2nd MAW and 2nd DSB trained alongside elements of the U.S. Army, U.S.…

Hypersonic Weapons and Strategic Competition: From Science Project to Operational Reality

08/27/2025
This report examines the evolution of U.S. hypersonic weapons development from the Bush administration through 2025, tracing how technological promise repeatedly encountered bureaucratic obstacles and shifting strategic priorities. The report argues that after decades of delays caused by focus on counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, American hypersonic programs have…

The King Stallion in Inter-Agency Duty

08/08/2025
U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), and 2nd Distribution Support Battalion (DSB), Combat Logistics Group 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, perform an external lift with a CH-53K King Stallion at U.S. Coast Guard Base Sector Key West, Florida,…

Shaping a Porcupine Defense Strategy for the Philippines: The Role of Maritime Autonomous Systems

08/04/2025
This report analyzes the Philippines' "porcupine defense strategy," emphasizing its reliance on maritime autonomous systems (MAS) and distributed lethality to deter aggression in the South China Sea. It highlights the Taiwan-Philippines-Japan strategic triangle and the critical importance of the First Island Chain and Luzon Strait for regional security and global trade. The report details how U.S.-Philippines military cooperation, including fast boat bases and the deployment…

VMM-162 in Anti-submarine Warfare Exercise

07/13/2025
U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162 transport Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion 25th Marines, 4th Marine Division, during Atlantic Alliance 2025 at Pickerel Pond, Maine, July 10, 2025 In a groundbreaking demonstration of evolving naval warfare doctrine, U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162…