2012-10-22 By Robbin Laird The F-35 is a fifth generation aircraft, which has been characterized by one of its most notable pilots as a “situational awareness machine.” I referred to in a Defense News op ed in 2005 as a “flying combat system.” But too often in a platform centric acquisition…
2012-10-22 Second Line of Defense visited the Seville final assembly line (FAL) in late September for an update on the delivery schedule and process. And our guide to the effort was the senior Airbus Military engineer Jesús Portillo, in charge of the A400M Program Management Office. As with engineers, the approach…
2012-10-22 by Richard Weitz The government of China will play a key role, either positively or negatively, in whether the next U.S. administration will achieve its foreign and domestic objectives. The Obama administration’s increased focus on China and the Asia-Pacific region enjoys widespread bipartisan support in Washington and even a…
2012-10-19 By Robbin Laird I am attending the christening event for the new America class ship which will be held October 20, 2012. And have had the opportunity to discuss the ship with several key players in developing and defining the new ship. Discussions have been held with the prospective…
10/20/12 by Richard Weitz Although less well known than Kazakhstan, the government of Uzbekistan also has strong nuclear nonproliferation credentials. The country’s leaders have accepted the legally binding arms control obligations of the former USSR, acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state, worked with the U.S.…
2012-10-19 by Richard Weitz The current nuclear crises involving Iran and North Korea make it unlikely that either of these two countries, or Egypt and Israel, will soon join the CTBT. Current U.S. priorities are rightly on preventing further North Korean nuclear tests as well as keeping Iran from developing…
2012-10-19 by Richard Weitz Energy security represents a major force driving Beijing’s increased interest and involvement in Uzbekistan. A combination of a booming economy and declining domestic energy production has resulted in China’s importing an increasingly large percentage of its oil and natural gas. In particular, the PRC’s natural gas…
2012-10-18 by Richard Weitz The lingering impact of the Georgian war remains. NATO’s failure to intervene to prevent Russia’s occupation of Georgian territory in 2008 reminded all that the geography of the South Caucasus limits the possibilities for Western military support. This has shaped Azerbaijani defense policy and approach…
