Software Upgradeability and the F-35 Global Enterprise: The Australian Case

05/08/2019
In article published by Australian Defence and Business Review on their January-February 2019 issue, Andrew McLaughlin provided a look at how to think about the F-35 and its modernization process. The original title: "Building Data: Inside the RAAF's F-35 Mission Data Programming Capability" So, the first F-35s are here, the…

Standup of New QRA Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth

05/07/2019
During a visit to RAF Lossiemouth in June 2016, Second Line of Defense visits the Quick Reaction Alert team based there. We focused on the question of the nature of the pyramid necessary to launch QRA ready aircraft. https://sldinfo.com/royal-air-force-operations-and-evolving-concepts-of-operations-shaping-a-triple-transition/ When I visited RAF Lossiemouth in June 2016, I had a…

Fighting Hyper Sonic Cruise Missiles at the Speed of Light: The Role of 21st Century Dambusters

05/07/2019
By Ed Timperlake Operation Chastise was the brilliant merging of weapon research and engineering with the undaunted courage of Royal Air Force Number 617 Squadron, forevermore known as the Dambusters. In order to attack the industrial might of Germany the RAF and a brilliant scientist worked together to develop a…

French-Australian Cultural Challenges and the Submarine Program

05/02/2019
In an article by Andrew Greene, defense correspondent for Australia's ABC news, the author leveraged Pierre Tran's article published on Second Line of Defense to discuss the French-Australian working relationship around which a new submarine is to be designed, built and launched. The story was published on April 26, 2019,…

MCAS Beaufort Air Show, 2019: A Photo Overview

04/30/2019
In these photos credited to the USMC, the variety of aerial displays is highlighted. [maxgallery id="124968"] According to a story published on Military.Com on April 30, 2019 and written by Oriana Pawlyk, the F-35B performance was highlighted: The Marine Corps' F-35B stealth fighter performed 12 different maneuvers over the weekend during the Beaufort Air…

Visiting the Warlords: An April 2019 Update from the CO of VMFAT-501

04/29/2019
By Robbin Laird During my most recent visit to 2ndMarine Air Wing, I had a chance to visit MCAS Beaufort and meet with Lt. Col. Adam Levine, the CO of VMFAT-501, otherwise known as the Warlords. As the base was busy for the airshow being held the weekend of the…