The UMSC’s Distributed Laydown in the Pacific: A Key Element in a Deterrence in Depth Strategy

03/29/2014
2014-03-29 By Robbin Laird Following my visit to Australia, I had a chance to talk with Lt. General. Robling, the Commanding Officer for the USMC in the Pacific.  Soon the Marines are coming for their first rotational force training with the Aussies for the next six months. Undoubtedly, there will be…

Global Uncertainties: Ukraine Intrudes on the 21st Century

03/28/2014
2014-03-28 by Kenneth Maxwell The international consequences of Russia's reincorporation of the Crimean peninsula are still unfolding. The leaders of the G-7 industrialized nations, meeting at the Hague, Netherlands, abandoned their participation in the G-8 summit, scheduled to take place in June, in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, where Russia hosted the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.…

South Africa and Brazil Strengthen Defense Relationships: An Impact of the Gripen Acqusition?

03/28/2014
2014-03-28 By Guy Martin The visit to South Africa last week by Brazilian defense minister Celso Amorim has resulted in defense ties between the two countries being strengthened, with cooperation in the fields of training and technology, particularly regarding air-to-air missiles. During his four-day visit to Africa between March 19…

An Interview with the CEO of Quickstep: An Australian F-35 Global Supplier

03/27/2014
2014-03-27 By Robbin Laird During my visit to Australia in early March, I had a chance to talk with some of the F-35 suppliers in Australia. When one frames this subject, the term “suppliers” to a nation’s F-35 program suggests a legacy approach, whereby one is assembling an aircraft in…