What if it was called the CH-55? Transformation in the Vertical Heavy Lift Fleet

12/08/2020
By Robbin Laird To the casual observer, the Super Stallion and the King Stallion look like the same aircraft. One of the challenges in understanding how different the CH-53K is from the CH-53E is the numbering part. If it were called CH-55 perhaps one would get the point that these…

The Next Phase of Australian National Security Strategy: Noise Before Defeat 3

12/07/2020
By Robbin Laird I am in the throes of finishing up my book on the evolution of Australian defence strategy over the past several years, from 2014 until now. With the announcement of the new government defence strategy by Prime Minister Morrison on July 1, 2020, it seemed a good…

Australian Support for Japanese Space Efforts

12/05/2020
The Department of Defence and the Australian Space Agency are supporting the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Hayabusa2 mission to return the first ever sub-surface asteroid samples to Earth from the asteroid Ryugu. The Hayabusa2 sample return capsule landed in the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) on 6 December 2020. Hayabusa2…

Taiwan Trends and Scenarios: Challenge for the Next U.S. Administration

12/04/2020
By Richard Weitz One of the major issues confronting the next U.S. administration is to fortify Taiwan’s defense and deterrent capabilities against the growing threat from the People’s Republic of China. The last few years have seen increasing PRC pressure on Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China. There…

Flying the CH-53K: Visiting Marine Corps Air Station New River

12/03/2020
By Robbin Laird Marine Corps Air Station, New River. Yesterday, during my visit to New River, I experienced flying in the cockpit of the Marine Corps's latest key air capability, the CH-53K.  I was in the cockpit with LtCol Luke "Amber" Frank, the VMX-1 Detachment OIC. He is a very…

Moving About During COVID-19: Observations of a Traveler

12/01/2020
By Robbin Laird During 2020, with the pandemic descending upon the world, my usual year of global travel obviously was not to be. But except for April and May 2020, I travelled at least once a month within the United States from June to December and globally from January to…

Thales Maritime Mine Counter System: UK-French Defense Cooperation

12/01/2020
By Pierre Tran Paris. The European arms procurement agency signed Nov. 16 a contract worth some €300 million ($358 million) with Thales to build an unmanned surface and underwater minehunter system for the British and French navies, a source close to the deal said Nov. 27. A production deal for…

The Next Phase of Australian National Security Strategy: Noise Before Defeat 2

11/29/2020
By Robbin Laird I am in the throes of finishing up my book on the evolution of Australian defence strategy over the past several years, from 2014 until now. With the announcement of the new government defence strategy by Prime Minister Morrison on July 1, 2020, it seemed a good…