Recently, the Williams Foundation held its latest bi-annual seminar, this one focused on the way ahead for the Australian space enterprise.  Since 2014, the Williams Foundation has held bi-annual seminars on the transformation of the ADF as it embraced fifth generation warfare and working joint force integration. Since 2018, the…

By Robbin Laird In this report, I have brought together my pieces (with one exception) on the CH-53K published since mid-2020. The one exception? II start the report with a NAVAIR press release about the event highlighted on the cover page photo. All of these articles show steady progress towards…

The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is a core initiative of the Macron Administration for both defense modernization and building out defense cooperation with its core Airbus allies, Germany and Spain. The Administration is committed to the modernization of their core combat fighter aircraft, the Rafale, for the next thirty…

In this report, the key themes and presentations at the April 8, 2021, Williams Foundation seminar on Next Generation Autonomous Systems are highlighted. A number of interviews with participants are included as well as insights from earlier interviews from pre-COVID visits to Australia. In addition, selected articles are included in…

As the Commander of 2nd Fleet and of JFC Norfolk put it in a recent article in The Proceedings: “In response to Russia’s military resurgence, the U.S. Navy reestablished Second Fleet (C2F) in 2018, and NATO’s North Atlantic Council announced the formal activation of Joint Force Command Norfolk (JFCNF) in…

With the launch of our defense information website (defense.info) , we introduced a micro-site on defense decisions. We wrote: “In this new section of the defense.info website, we will address U.S. and allied upcoming procurement choices and decisions. “We are focused on how platform and system choices affect the evolution…

In this special report, the findings from a recent visit to Jax Navy and to Mayport, with regard to the maritime patrol enterprise are highlighted. Interviews were conducted with the P-8, Triton, and Romeo communities. The US Navy is in the throes of a significant transition, one which is very…

Australia and the UK are located in very different parts of the world. But both face significant challenges from a regional power with global reach. And both are reshaping their militaries to face the strategic shift from the land wars to full spectrum crisis management. Each has a different trajectory…