2016-12-17 The A400M is a new fleet asset for a number of Air Forces. Keeping the aircraft with a common baseline configuration will be crucial to providing for the kind of common sustainment options which can provide for global fleet operational capabilities. A step in this direction was reached by…
2016-12-11 By Richard Weitz President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as his future UN Ambassador underscores that the incoming administration, which begins on January 20, understands the importance of developing stronger Indian-U.S. ties. The bilateral national security relationship is critical for realizing both countries’ core…
12/16/2016: We have recently interviewed the CO of VMFA-121 in Yuma in early December 2016 and will shortly publish his interview. But this story from July 2016 discusses a milestone to the process of the squadron preparing for its deployment to Japan in 2017. Six F-35B Lightning IIs with Marine Fighter Attack…
12/16/2016: We have recently interviewed the CO of VMFA-121 in Yuma in early December 2016 and will shortly publish his interview. But this story from a year ago discusses a milestone to the process of the squadron preparing for its deployment to Japan in 2017. Marines and Sailors with the 3rd Marine…
2016-12-16 By Robbin Laird The last time I met with Admiral Zukunft was when he was working at the USCG headquarters in California and responsible for USCG Pacific operations. Later he would become Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area as well. We had a chance to discuss his perspective on the…
2016-12-06 By Todd Miller Statistics, Milestones, Capabilities, Flight characteristics, Test protocols, Cost, Software blocks. It is easy to get lost in the complexity of the F-35 program. The combined F-35 fleet now has over 75,000 flight hours, yet for many there remains a lack of understanding. Much of this can…
12/16/2016: From left to right, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Richard Fuerst, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, Kosei Nomura, director of Status of U.S. Forces Agreement Division Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Lt. Col. J. T. Bardo, commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Sqaudron (VMFA) 121,…
2016-12-15 By Ed Timperlake When reading a recent article on the Chinese illegal build out on islands in the Pacific, I was struck with what the images reminded me of from history. In an article on "China's New Spratly Island Defenses," published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, several digital…