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…
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.…
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…
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…
During the visit of the Second Line of Defense team to New River on February 10, 2014, we had a chance to sit down with Lt. Col. Ennis to discuss his experience with the Osprey, and preparing for operational innovations, such as CASEVAC. We also discussed his preparation for working…
2014-03-25 by Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird The image of the Marines fighting in Guadalcanal or the US carriers fighting their way through the Japanese fleet in the Pacific are core images for war in the Pacific burnt deeply in the memory of Americans. The challenges are different this time…
2014-03-25 The global interdependence of the 21st century poses significant challenges when states are forced to handle disruptions, and when competitors to shape outcomes to their advantage use disruptions. Energy security is clearly a key part of global interdependence, and managing energy security is a key challenge facing 21st century…
2014-03-25 By Robbin Laird Earlier I wrote about the role of European firms in the augmentation of allied Pacific defense capabilities. In American discussions of the re-shaping of Pacific defense, naturally the primary focus is upon the American role and contribution. Lost in such a focus often is how the Asian…
