2017-11-20 By Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird The Middle East is certainly in turmoil and transition. The Turkish government under its current government is looking to expand Turkish influence in the region, certainly, in part, to bolster its own power position and to deal with Syrian instability. The Iranians are working…
2017-11-24 The Baltic republics are the flash point for European defense. If there is a wider war in Europe, it is very likely that the Baltic republics are the flash point. This perception has certainly driven changes in Nordic and North Atlantic defense. In a recent interview, Rear Admiral Nils…
2017-12-04 The C-130J is clearly a very flexible combat asset. The Marines have expanded the envelope of their KC-130J as they have added Harvest Hawk several years ago and are adding communication and ISR integration capabilities which allow the aircraft to be a key element in the evolving digital interoperability…
2017-11-20 The new Queen Elizabeth class carrier is the largest warship ever built in the United Kingdom. While most of the focus of the press coverage has been on the process of building the carrier and now its sea trials, the carrier is coming at a very interesting point in…
2017-11-28 An end of course video featuring the highlights of Weapons and Tactics Instructor course (WTI) 1-18 in Yuma, Ariz., Oct 23, 2017. WTI is a seven week training event, hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre, which emphasizes operational integration of the six functions of Marine…
2017-11-17 By Robbin Laird and Ed Timperlake Denmark is a small country, but an important player in the NATO Alliance and part of the reworking of Nordic defense with Norway, Sweden and Finland to deal with resurgent Russia. Notably, in mid-October 2017, the Danish government released its proposed new six-year…
2017-11-15 By Robbin Laird I have dealt with the F-22 for many years and first visited the First Fighter Wing in 2007 as the plane was being stood up and introduced to the force. What was anticipated and hoped for with the introduction of the first fifth generation aircraft is…
11/21/17: U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121 lands at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Nov. 15, 2017. The remaining aircraft represent the last installment of F-35B Lightning IIs assigned to VMFA-121. The F-35B Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter, which…
