According to a news release on the Finnish Ministry of Defence website, the Finnish government has released its latest defence white paper. At its meeting on 9 September 2021, the Government approved the Defence Report to be submitted to Parliament. The Report and its implementation ensure that Finland's defence capability…
U.S. Marines assigned to 2d Battalion, 3d Marines, 3d Marine Division, and Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, 1st Marine Air Wing conduct forward arming and refueling point operations during Indo-Pacific Warfighting Exercise in the Northern Training Area on Okinawa, Japan, August 31, 2021. This force-on-force exercise demonstrated the ability to…
By Robbin Laird My colleague John Blackburn has focused for some time on the importance of the Australian defence forces becoming more sustainable from Australian sources. He then broadened his look at resilience to the energy and then maritime sectors. This was PRIOR to the pandemic. With our societies facing…
By Robbin Laird Warsaw I am in Warsaw and have just attended the two-day conference held by Defence 24. According to the organization: “Defence24 Group, the publisher of Defence24.pl portal, is organizing a third edition of Defence24 DAY & SOFEAST conference, focused on the major issues in the areas of…
Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Brisbane and the United States Navy replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock rendezvoused in the Coral Sea to conduct a core navy-to-navy evolution - a Replenishment at Sea (RAS) during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21). Commissioned into service in 2018, it was the first time the Australian…
By Robbin Laird Another change since my last visit to MARFORPAC in 2014-2015 was how the distributed laydown begun in that period was being reworked in terms of expanding basing flexibility and force distribution associated with the current Commandant’s Force Design 2030 effort. I have had a chance both with…
United States Army troops from the 3rd Batallion, 509th Infantry Airbourne conducted an airborne assault dropping into 'Kangaroo Dropzone' near Charters Towers, Queensland for Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21). The paratroopers, based in Alaska, jumped from RAAF C-17A Globemaster aircraft, testing interoperability between Australia and the U.S. Held every two…
By Pierre Tran Paris - France and Greece signed Sept. 28 a memorandum of understanding for the sale of three French frigates for defense and intervention (FDI), with an option for a fourth unit, in a deal worth some €3 billion ($3.5 billion), the armed forces ministry said. “This Tuesday…
