By Robbin Laird I spent a good deal of the 1980s traveling within and dealing with German security issues. A key challenge in the early part of the decade was the Euromissile challenge and working common positions among European partners and with the United States to deal with Soviet intrusions…
It is clear that for President Macron and for Chancellor Merkel that a new impulse needs to be generated for European construction. And they clearly are working together to do this. Whether this an engine driving effective change for the entire European Union is a different matter; for different initiatives…
By Dr. Gary Schaub, Jr. Acquiring new combat aircraft is a big deal. The combat aircraft fleets of most Western countries are nearing the end of their useful service life and therefore must be replaced. Such acquisition programs have been among the most expensive ever pursued and have therefore been…
By Robbin Laird For many years, Airbus Defence and Space hosted an annual media event. These were well run events where Airbus provided overviews on their various programs in front of an invited audience of journalists from many parts of the world. There was a clear opportunity to meet new…
By Robbin Laird Because the F-35 has been built from the outset on a digital thread production approach and foundation, the program can incorporate, and contribute to a broader set of industrial transformations, known as Industry 4.0. In other words, the F-35 can produce an innovative combat aircraft but it…
By Stephen Blank Recently John Bolton, Director of the National Security Council, gave a speech attacking what he called the Troika of Tyranny: Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and announcing new sanctions on these states. Perhaps it is not coincidental that Bolton’s speech, announcing a new tough-minded U.S. policy towards Latin America,…
by defenceWeb Pakistan has provided an $184 million government guarantee to cover production of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets for the Nigerian Air Force as the Nigerian government continues to fund the type. Pakistan’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved the $184.3 million sovereign guarantee for the production of three Pakistan Aeronautical…
By Kabelo Tsogang A delegation from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Central Military Commission Logistics Support division, steered by its Deputy Chief of Administrative Office, Senior Colonel Huang Dongping, have visited the South African Department of Defence Logistics Division in Pretoria and Cape Town to finalise hosting the first military…
