The RAF and the Weapons Revolution: Shaping an Integrated 21st Century Air Combat Force

05/21/2017
2017-05-13 By Robbin Laird The RAF is positioning itself for a triple transition. The first transition is from the Tornado to Typhoon. The second is the transition is to a fifth generation enabled air combat force. The third transition is the deployment of F-35s aboard the new Queen Elizabeth class carriers…

Australian Amphibious Ships Face Propulsion Challenge

05/21/2017
05/21/2017: According to several sources, Australia’s largest warships have experienced a propulsion system problem at sea and the Navy and its contractors are working to fix the problem. Australian naval engineers are investigating the problems in the propulsion systems of two Spanish-built warships. The Royal Australian Navy’s US$1.5 billion worth HMAS…

Naval Shipbuilding Plan

05/21/2017
05/20/2017:   According to a video and text released by the Australian Department of Defence: The Naval Shipbuilding Plan released on 16 May 2017 outlines the Government’s vision for the Australian naval shipbuilding enterprise and the significant investment required in coming decades. The Australian Government is laying the foundations for an…

The Role of Unmanned Aerial Systems in the Remaking of the Amphibious Task Force: The Perspective of Lt. General (Retired) Trautman

05/21/2017
2017-05-17 By Robbin Laird President Trump has come to power at a time when a very flexible force able to insert from the sea and rapidly return to the sea has emerged. This USN-USMC capability has migrated beyond the classic Amphibious Ready Group-Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG-MEU) into a very flexible…

Marines Participate in Helo Raid from Mistral

05/21/2017
05/21/2017: U.S. Marines and Sailors forward deployed to the 3rd Marine Division, as part of the forward Unit Deployment Program, participate in a vertical assault off a British MK3 Merlin helicopter on the Island of Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, British MK3 Merlin helicopter May 16, 2017. Marines and…

New Special Report: Designing and Building an Integrated Australian Defence Force

05/18/2017
2017-05-09  By Robbin Laird The Williams Foundation working closely with the Australian Defence Force has provided a public forum for rethinking how to reshape their defense force to deal with 21st century challenges. This is the sixth Special Report produced in cooperation with Second Line of Defense. The first report looked…

Cyber Hammering Requires Cyber Defense

05/18/2017
2017-05-15 The President has recently signed a new executive order on cyber security. According to an article by Brooke Singman published by Fox News on May 11, 2017: President Trump took aim at the federal government’s vulnerability to computer hacking Thursday, signing an executive order that mandates a top-down review…