by Robbin Laird Recently, the RAF celebrated its 100th year. And with the passing of Mary Ellis air pioneer there is another aspect to remembering the RAF. Mary Ellis, one of the first women to fly Spitfire, heavy bombers and jet aircraft for the RAF has just died at 101.…
Although most of the press attention to the Future Combat Air System has focused on the possibility of a new European fighter, if the FCAS is looked at as a template rather than a platform program, it is clear that Airbus Defence and Space is forging ahead. The focus is…
By Robbin Laird The RAAF was the launch customer for the A330MRTT. And the Aussies have been from the beginning key drivers of innovation working with Airbus Defence and Space in evolving the capabilities of the global tanker. Part of Tanker 2.0 is providing new capabilities for the combat fleet…
Recently, the Aussies downselected a UK design for its new frigate class. This is a key element for the rebuild of the Australian Navy. Soon we will be visiting Adelaide, Australia and seeing some of the new shipyard construction associated with the new build submarine. On July 19, 2018, the…
The Norwegian Ministry of Defence website recently highlighted the visit of the US Secretary of Defense to Norway after the NATO Summit. US Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis visited Norway on Saturday July 14th. The United States is our closest and most important ally, and it is an honor…
By Robbin Laird With the anticipated announcement paralleling efforts in France and Germany, the UK government has announced its intention to build a Typhoon successor. The initial investment was announced as two billion pounds and was launched as a UK national project. But how realistic is this project as announced…
As expected, the UK Ministry of Defence has released a new Air Combat Strategy at the Farnbourgh Air Show. In an article published on July 16, 2018, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the new strategy. Announcing the publication of the new Combat Air Strategy at the Farnborough International Airshow, the Defence…
With the uncertainties of Brexit, the UK government is looking for ways to enhance its global industrial relationships. One example is the recent agreement with Australia to build new frigates. Those frigates will be built on a new UK design, a global ship in the eyes of UK defense and…
