Combating 21st Century Authoritarian States: The Perspective of Ross Babbage

08/20/2018
By Robbin Laird During my current visit to Australia, I had a chance to continue my discussions with Ross Babbage about the challenges of dealing with 21st advanced authoritarian states. Recently, he co-authored a study entitled “ Countering Comprehensive Coercion: Competitive Strategies Against Authoritarian Political Warfare,” and with that as…

The Next Phase of Missile Defense: C2 and Multi-Domain Sensor and Strike Capabilities

08/18/2018
By Robbin Laird Missile defense capabilities have grown over the years, and have become important elements of the joint force. But they have operated largely as organic assets supporting either tactical or strategic operations, but not as an element of C2 integrated force. As the US forces shift from a…

NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One Works in Norwegian Waters: August 2018

08/18/2018
One of NATO’s naval groups visited Trondheim on Friday (10 August 2018), and from there it will go on to search for sea mines dating back to World War II. The operation will make the waters safer for fishermen and shipping in the area. Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group…

Chinese Military Power 2018: Building a Strategy to Counter a Modern Authoritarian State With a Clear Vision if Not a Clear Future

08/17/2018
By Robbin Laird The PRC is combing military with economic with political warfare means to expand its global reach. In the words of Ross Babbage, the PRC and Russia are focused on making the world safe for authoritarian states. https://sldinfo.com/2018/08/information-warfare-and-the-authoritarian-states-how-best-to-respond/ As the context within the Pacific changes, Australia, Japan and…

The Role of the Australian Army in Australia’ Indo-Pacific Strategy: A Work in Progress

08/16/2018
By Robbin Laird Australia is building an integrated force and working to extend the reach and range of that force. This is a core effort for the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force and clearly focused on dealing with challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. But what is…

The Perspective of the Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force: Shaping a Way Ahead

08/15/2018
By Air Marshal VK Jimmy Bhatia (Retd) Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, has confirmed that IAF has received bids from six global vendors in response to IAF’s Request for Information (RFI) for 110 modern combat jets, and that the induction of 36 Rafale jets already…

US Working with India and Australia on P-8 Operations

08/13/2018
By the end of RIMPAC, the U.S. and Indian planes were sharing high-end missions, an Australian P-8A squadron joined in as a major step towards the Royal Australian Navy declaring final operational capability on their new planes, and the U.S. and Australian P-8s not only prosecuted submarines but also dropped Harpoon missiles on a decommissioned…