The CMV-22B Comes to the Carrier: From COD to Fleet Con-Ops

01/22/2023
By Robbin Laird The CMV-22B has been bought by the U.S. Navy as a replacement for the C-2A Greyhound aircraft to provide for the carrier on-board delivery mission for the large deck carrier fleet. The numbers of the aircraft ordered for this mission are 48 and are sized to provide…

Shaping a Way Ahead for Airpower for Integrated Fleet Operations: The Perspective of the Navy Air Boss

01/18/2023
By Robbin Laird Recently I visited San Diego and had chance to discuss with Vice Admiral Whitesell the work the Navy is doing in terms of introducing new capabilities and training for high-end operations. The Navy is introducing new capabilities onboard the large deck carriers, focusing on new concepts of…

Japan’s Defence Modernization Accelerates

01/16/2023
In our 2013 book on Pacific defense., we argued that Japan would expand its defense perimeter in response to Chinese and Russian evolving defense and foreign policies. We argued that they would take advantage of U.S. defense modernization programs, notably the Osprey and the F-35 programs, to do so. We…

Ensuring European Sovereignty in Producing High-Performance IR Sensors

01/13/2023
By Pierre Tran Paris - A 10-strong European consortium is launching a four-year, €18 million ($19.8 million) project to select a common chip foundry to build next generation infrared sensors for military applications, said David Billon-Lanfrey, chief strategy officer of Lynred, which leads the group. The European Defence Fund is…

The Russo-Ukrainian War After One Year: A Central and Eastern European Perspective

01/04/2023
By Robert Czulda Looking back before the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, few had assumed that the Kremlin would make such a lunatic move. Then when Russian tanks and aircraft openly violated Ukraine's sovereignty, few believed that the Ukrainians would be able to repel the attack. But they did and…

The Next Phase for the CH-53K: Ramping Up Production

01/02/2023
By Robbin Laird In my assessment of USMC transformation over the past twenty years, I highlighted the coming of the CH-53K as part of the next phase. “As the Marines work enhanced naval integration and expanded force mobility in dealing with the evolving strategic environment, the capabilities which the CH-53K…