George Galdorisi Talks Maritime Remotes: The Past and the Way Ahead

09/08/2020
By Robbin Laird I first became aware of George Galdorisi when were both working for Dr. Scott Truver at Anteon Corporation in support of the US Navy in the early 1990s. And even though we have interacted through the years, and most recently, with regard to publishing some of his…

The Australian Defence and Security Strategy 2020 Reset: The Perspective of Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown

09/07/2020
By Robbin Laird On 1 July 2020.The Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Scott Morrison, and the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Linda Reynolds, launched the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and the 2020 Force Structure Plan at the Australian Defence Force Academy The Defence Strategic Update sets out the…

German Platform Decisions: Selecting the Tornado Replacement and the Nuclear Mission

09/04/2020
By Robbin Laird Nuclear deterrence is back on the agenda for NATO and the United States. The buildup of the Russian missile arsenal, short, medium and long range, with clear violations of INF limitations are designed less to create a so-called anti-access and area denial capability than an arsenal designed…

The Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) Foundation for the CH-53K Sustainment Approach: Shaping a New Way Ahead for Next Generation Digital Aircraft

09/03/2020
By Robbin Laird In my last article focused on CH-53K sustainment, I highlighted how the next generation digital aircraft reshape how sustainment is managed and executed. I concluded that “the CH-53K is a smart aircraft birthed in a digital age that is doing support and manufacturing differently. In other words,…

FCAS, Networks and Platform Choices: Implications for Airborne SIGINT

09/02/2020
By Robbin Laird The Germans had a clear opportunity to acquire F-35s as their Tornado replacement aircraft and chose not to do so. Unlike other Tornado users, namely, Britain and Italy, the F-35 was put aside in favor of a new Eurofighter replacement option known as the Future Combat Air…

Australian Industry Supports Virtual Pitch Black 2020 Exercise

09/01/2020
By Australian Defence Business Review Following the cancellation of its largest biennial air defence exercise – Exercise Pitch Black 2020 – because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RAAF recently conducted a Virtual Pitch Black 2020 (VPB20) in order to at least partly meet its training objectives for the year. The…

An Update on the Japanese Defense Budget, 2020

08/31/2020
The Japanese are reworking their defense capabilities to provide for enhanced perimeter defense. We projected this trajectory for Japanese defense policy in our book on Pacific defense published in 2013. According to the preface to the Japanese Ministry of Defence's overview of the way ahead for its defense programs: Japan…

NATO and AGS: Its Impact on the German Airborne SIGINT Decision

08/30/2020
By Robbin Laird The remotely piloted solution (Pegasus) versus a manned aircraft solution (Global 6000) for airborne SIGINT should take into account the coming of AGS to NATO. The NATO Air Ground Surveillance approach is built around a remotely piloted solution which dovetails nicely with such a solution for airborne…