2017-02-12 By Robbin Laird Last week, I attended an airpower conference sponsored by the Norwegian Air Force and held in Trondheim, Norway. The title of the conference was about the shaping of a fifth generation air force, but in reality the conference focused on multi-domain integration and defense transformation in the…
2017-02-12 By Richard Weitz The target of North Korea’s ballistic missile test this weekend, though aimed at the Sea of Japan, was President Donald Trump and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who called the launch “absolutely intolerable" and demanded that Pyongyang respect all UN Security Council Resolutions prohibiting such…
2017-01-28 The Norwegian Air Force is to have a new Chief of Staff. According to a story published on the Norwegian Ministry of Defence website on January 27, 2017, Brigadier General Tonje Skinnarland was appointed Major General and Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force today (CRNORAF). “Skinnarland is an…
2017-02-11 With a successful tour of the Pacific in the books for Secretary of Defense Mattis, and a clear deepening of the relationship of Japan with the United States under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Abe working with President Trump, what can be expected from Prime Mnister Trudeau's meeting…
2017-01-25 By Robbin Laird Europe ever since the end of World War II has seen significant change. And clearly, after an upsurge of growth in the 1950s and 1960s, growth and development have been tougher to come by. European collaboration on the Continent began with the European Coal and Steel…
2017-01-28 The fifth generation evolution of the USAF is being highlighted as F-35s from Hill and F-22s from Langley are key integrated elements for Red Flag 2017-1. Both are key parts of shaping new capabilities in the contested battlespace and are working with the RAF and the RAAF in incorporating cyber and…
2017-02-03 With all the global discussion about Trump and allies, a key development seems to have been missed -- the reinforcement of the US-Japanese relationship and the arrival of new capabilities for the extended defense of Japan and of U.S. Pacific allies. First, the F-35Bs arrived at Iwakuni earlier this…
2017-01-28 Red Flag 2017-1 is providing an opportunity to shape concepts of operations for integrated 4th-5th generation combat capabilities to prevail in a contested airspace. Significant ISR and cyber tools are being engaged in the exercise along with new USAF fifth generation capabilities -- both F-35 and F-22 -- along…
