Germany’s Embargo on Saudi Arabia and the Limits of European Arms Cooperation (Updated)

04/05/2019
By Pierre Tran Paris - Germany’s renewal of an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia effectively casts doubt as the lead partner for France to build a future fighter jet, drone, and tank, key projects to boost consolidation in the European defense industry. Berlin on March 28 extended by a further…

From Legacy Training to Training a Crisis Management Force: 5th Gen and the Kill Web

04/04/2019
By Robbin Laird An ability to actually have a kill web force requires the training to actually do it. Training will need to occur on two levels. First, in the live environment, working the physical pieces of operating ADA with Naval Systems with Air Systems and working the C2 architecture…

Luke’s F-35 5-year Anniversary

04/04/2019
Luke AFB is where the F-35 global enterprise has been launched. Pilots AND maintainers have been trained for the USAF and all the partner nations which have purchased the F-35A. They fly together — including flying each other's airplanes — and maintain together. When we use the term F-35 global…

Reshaping the Fleet in the Pacific: F-35Bs, Distributed Lethality and Unmanned Systems, and Allied Capabilities

04/03/2019
By Robbin Laird The kill web appraoch at sea is tapping into a number of key real world operational developments as well as new technologies which will enhance distributed operations and lethality. Three sets of new stories recently published although not linked in the press, clearly are linked in terms…

Poles Enhance Integrated Defense: Laying Foundation for Enhanced Allied Crisis Support

04/03/2019
As the Western Alliance looks to deal with the evolving Russian challenge, the question of how fragmentation in the EU or NATO can be overcome in a crisis. With the Russians playing Europe a la carte, it will be about being able to enhance capabilities at the point of stress…

The Re-Set of the Royal Australian Navy: The Perspective of Vice Admiral (Retired) Tim Barrett

04/02/2019
By Robbin Laird During my current visit to Australia working with the Williams Foundation, I had a chance to meet with the former head of the Aussie Navy, Vice Admiral (Retired) Tim Barrett, and to discuss the Australian approach going forward with maritime power. I have had the privilege of…

Full-Spectrum Crisis Management for the Liberal Democracies: Crafting a Kill Web Force

04/02/2019
As the strategic shift from the land wars gains momentum the investments and training in an appropriate 21stcentury crisis management and high intensity combat force will not be modelled on the Cold War European based force. It is not about a German-US Army brotherhood with significant presence.  It is not…