2013-02-01 In a recent interview with the weekly newsmagazine, L’Express, Lt. General (Retired) Gaviard discussed France, Europe and the Mali crisis. Why are the European states reticent to engage with the French forces in the Serval operation? Historically, France always had a hard time convincing European countries to commit at…
2013-02-01 by Richard Weitz Although China’s foreign policy decision-making process remains highly centralized, over time the number of actors who influence these decisions has grown. The majority of China’s foreign policy decisions still lie in the hands of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee -- the most powerful decision-making body in…
2013-02-01 by Robbin Laird At Second Line of Defense, we have conducted a number of interviews with Commander’s with special roles in the Pacific. In this article, we want to bring together some of those insights into a more comprehensive look at the challenges as seen by the Commander’s who are…
2013-01-31 By Col. Bradley Weisz, Deputy Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO, United States Fleet Forces Command, Little Creek, Virginia “I believe that our nation needs fast, austere and lethal expeditionary naval forces that can execute missions across the spectrum of conflict. The Navy-Marine Corps team is that key.” In 2008, the…
2013-01-31 by Robbin Laird Prior to discussing ways in which the USN and USMC team might innovate in the decade ahead to achieve a successful strategic re-design, we need to start with where we are and current thinking about the way ahead. Both the extant forces and existing thinking form…
2013-01-30 By Richard Weitz In his inaugural address, Ma stated that there would be “no reunification, no independence, and no use of force.” During the campaign, Ma emphasized the need to revive the Taiwanese economy and advocated expanding social and economic ties with the Chinese mainland, including restoring direct communications, postal,…
2013-01-29 by Robbin Laird Given the size of the Pacific, and the significant reductions in the numbers of US air and sea platforms over the last decade, greater capacity to integrate air and sea platforms across the Pacific is a must. And integration is not simply about the USAF, USN,…
2013-01-29 The latest issue of Strategic Insights provides a comprehensive look at some of the key maritime security threats for 2013. The forecasts presented in the new issue look at two types of risks for – or threats to – maritime operations: direct and indirect threats Firstly, there are the direct…
