Maritime Autonomous Systems and Force Development: Shaping a Way Ahead

04/17/2025
By Robbin Laird I had a chance to talk with Chris Morton during the 2025 Navy League meetings held the first week of April 2025. Morton is the Aerospace and Defence Global Industry Director at IFS which is an enterprise software company. We discussed the arrival of maritime autonomous systems…

The U.S. Approach to Defense and Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific: Deconstructing Admiral Paparo’s Recent Testimony

04/16/2025
By Robbin Laird Recently the Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command presented testimony before the Congress. In this piece, I will deconstruct that testimony to highlight key elements for shaping a way ahead in the near to mid-term. Not only is this necessary to focus on what the force needs…

The Return of the Nuclear Deterrence Challenge in Europe

04/14/2025
By Robbin Laird The war in Ukraine has brought the nuclear question back again as a central topic in European security. And now the Trump Administration with its focus on European defense by Europeans, coupled with the unfinished business of the Ukraine war, have intensified considerations of what is the…

Leadership is More than a Title — It is a Calling

04/09/2025
By Lt. General (Retired) David Deptula Leadership is more than a title — it is a calling. Few have answered that call with the depth of dedication, intellect, and vision that Michael Wynne demonstrated as the 21st Secretary of the United States Air Force. Wynne led with an unwavering commitment…

CMV-22B and Distributed Maritime Operations: A Key Enabler

04/03/2025
By CAPT (Ret) Christoper C. Misner, Senior Manager, Bell Strategic Pursuits The U.S. National Defense Strategy prioritizes the Indo-Pacific as a critical theater for national security. Yet, the current U.S. Navy fleet would likely struggle to meet the logistical demands of the Joint Force across the vast maritime distances involved in…

European Defence Uptick: The View from the Defense Industries

04/01/2025
By Pierre Tran Paris - Two European arms companies, KNDS France and MBDA, recently pointed up their hefty investment to boost production of cannon shells, artillery, and missiles, indicating a willingness to anticipate orders, and their access to extensive funds. The willingness of those two privately held companies to invest…

Restoring Grounded Discourse in an Anxious America: The Focus of the Invisible Threads Lab

03/29/2025
By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Journalist Kate Woodsome has been laser-focused on a key challenge facing democracy in the United States and, frankly, within liberal democracies more generally: the growing inability of social and political tribes to talk with one another. In fact, the impacts of the pandemic on…

The U.S. Navy and the “Hybrid Fleet”

03/26/2025
By George Galdorisi The U. S. Navy stands at the precipice of a new era of technology advancement. In an address at a military-industry conference, then-U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, revealed the Navy’s goal to grow to 500 ships, to include 350 crewed ships and 150 uncrewed…