The Ch-53K at the Paris Air Show: Preparing for Its Global Role

06/20/2019
By Robbin Laird On June 18, 2019, the President of Sikorsky, Dan Schultz, himself a former CH-53-E pilot, provided an overview brief on the CH-53K and their offering for both Germany and Israel. He was joined by John Rucci, Senior Experimental Test Pilot, who was in the Lockheed chalet, working…

Leonardo Unveils Falco Xplorer UAS at Paris Air Show 2019

06/20/2019
By Andrew McLaughlin Italy’s Leonardo has unveiled the Falco Xplorer UAS, the largest remotely piloted system it has ever designed, at the 2019 Paris Airshow. The Xplorer is the latest addition to the company’s Falco line of UASs, and features a 350kg payload and an endurance of more then 24…

MBDA and FCAS: Building Weapons for the “Combat Cloud”

06/19/2019
By Pierre Tran Paris Air Show 2019 MBDA, a missile builder, displayed at the Paris air show life-size models of concepts for cruise missiles and tactical smart weapons as options for the Future Combat Air System, a European plan for a new fighter jet and other weapons. A Spear missile…

Bolsonaro and Sons: A Brazilian Update, June 2019

06/19/2019
By Kenneth Maxwell The government of Brazil continues to face major challenges. Many are generic and long standing and not all of them are the result of President Bolsonaro’s “method” of governing. But many are. And they are assisted mightily by the antics of Bolsonaro's three sons, Flávio, Carlos and…

SAMI at the Paris Air Show 2019: Highlighting an L3 Partnership

06/19/2019
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has come to its first major air show by having a chalet at the 2019 Paris Air Show. According to Arab News in an article published June 12, 2019: Saudi Arabia Military Industries (SAMI) will participate in the 53rd edition of the International Paris Air…

The US Logistics Systems: Are We Ready for Full-Spectrum Crisis Operations?

06/19/2019
By Robbin Laird Recently, the Williams Foundation held a seminar, which addressed the core question: how sustainable was the Australian Defence Force if it faced a major regional crisis? The challenge is rooted in part that the forces of the liberal democracies, which have participated in the Middle Eastern land…

The Return of Geography: The Central Role of Air-Seapower Integration for Post-Brexit Britain

06/17/2019
By Robbin Laird During my most recent visit to London, a senior defense official flat out stated: “With the return of geography, the focus needs to be clearly on our Northern and Southern Flanks, and this means the emphasis needs to be placed upon air-naval integration. "The Royal Navy and…