Putin Works to Shape Escalation Dominance: Challenging the US Navy and the US Kill Web

03/03/2019
By Edward Timperlake President Putin has recently threatened a direct attack against the United States with nuclear weapons if we do not comply with his strategic approach to Europe and the West. The Russian PR machine has kicked in and we have a recent you tube visit from a St.…

Australia and the F-35 Global Enterprise: Avalon Airshow 2019 Update

03/03/2019
Defence has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin Australia and Lockheed Martin Corporation to ensure the effective long-term sustainment of the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter capability in Australia. The agreement includes intellectual property, technical data and software arrangements for Australia’s direct sovereign sustainment contracts with Lockheed Martin entities. The Minister for…

The Royal Canadian Air Force and Australian F-18s

03/02/2019
The first two Australian fighters arrived at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake in Alberta last week, and are expected to be ready for operations following some conversion work in the coming months. That work will include taking out the engines, ejection seats and targeting pods, which are being swapped with…

Exercise Red Flag 19-1

03/01/2019
The Royal Australian Air Force has deployed a contingent of approximately 370 personnel to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for Exercise Red Flag 19-1, which took place from 22 January to 15 February 2019.  Up to 6 F/A-18A Hornet aircraft from Number 77 Squadron, an E-7A Wedgetail from Number…

Avalon Air Show 2019: The Perspective of Air Marshal Davies

03/01/2019
We will have a chance to interview Air Marshal Davies next month when in Canberra for the latest Williams Foundation Seminar. Air Marshal Davies opened the airshow, an airshow which featured the announcement of the loyal wingman program, with his perspective on the key role of industry and partnering with…

Germany and the Return of European Direct Defense: A New Special Report

03/01/2019
“Germany's challenge is to recognize that history and geography have not disappeared as key factors shaping Germany’s prosperity and security; and that Germany needs as well to focus upon re-energizing the European project as well. If Germany became a nation isolated in a disaggregating Europe, Germany itself might disintegrate as a…

Creating a 21st Century NATO Deterrent Approach: The Role of Nuclear Weapons

02/28/2019
By Robbin Laird The build up 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 to make the recovery of classic conventional deterrence seem beyond reach in…

The Materialization of Plan Jericho: Building a Wingman for a 5th Generation Air Force

02/28/2019
By Robbin Laird I have been travelling to Australia and working with the Williams Foundation in Canberra for five years. I am now a research Fellow at the Foundation.  What I have found most fascinating about my time there and the journey of discovery of the RAAF is how they have…