2012-11-04 Australia is a major buyer of the Airbus Military 330 tanker. It has benefited significantly from the development of the tanker for the USAF, and unlike the USAF, will benefit from the result. [caption id="attachment_46972" align="alignnone" width="300"] RAAF A330 MRTT (KC-30A) refueling an F-16 through ARBS. Credit Photo: Airbus…
2012-11-03 by Richard Weitz All U.S. administrations have refused to accept North Korea as a legitimate nuclear weapons state. In addition to wanting to avert a dangerous threat to the U.S. military forces and civilians located in East Asia as well as Washington’s regional allies, U.S. policy makers worry that…
2012-11-03 In a four-part follow up set of interviews, Second Line of Defense is looking at the role and impact of the USS America. Interviews have been conducted with the prospective commander of the ship, the head of amphibious ship building in the USN, a senior USMC general on its…
2012-11-03 by Richard Weitz Uzbekistan has sought to balance Russia’s military preeminence and China’s emerging economic dominance of Central Asia by cultivating ties with Western countries and institutions such as NATO. The Alliance had developed some contacts with Uzbekistan and the other Central Asian republics before sending troops to Afghanistan…
2012-11-02 by Richard Weitz American policy toward Uzbekistan are driven by support for Afghan operations as well as energy policy. The main U.S. objectives in Uzbekistan and Central Asia are the following: Promoting these countries’ security against terrorist threats, Supporting the war in Afghanistan, Ensuring their sovereignty and autonomy from the…
2012-11-01 by Richard Weitz According to a new study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), by the end of 2012 Asian defense spending will exceed that of all European countries for the first time in decades, perhaps centuries. Due to a combination of the rise of China,…
2012-11-01 by Richard Weitz The focus of the recent 44th annual U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Security Consultative meeting between ROK National Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was managing the threat from North Korea. “North Korea remains a serious threat to both of our nations and…
2012-10-31 Singapore is at the vortex of what we are calling the Strategic Quadrangle in the Pacific. The intersection of the defense of Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore forms a quadrangle of defense interests in providing for the security of key US allies in the region. The US is…
