U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), and 2nd Distribution Support Battalion (DSB), Combat Logistics Group 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, perform an external lift with a CH-53K King Stallion at U.S. Coast Guard Base Sector Key West, Florida,…
By Robbin Laird Australia stands at a strategic crossroads. The Pentagon's last-minute withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue in Canberra, coupled with the Trump administration's review of AUKUS and escalating trade tensions, has crystallized a fundamental challenge for Australian strategists: how to maintain essential alliance relationships while building the strategic…
The first F-35A Lightning II aircraft permanently assigned to the Florida Air National Guard's 125th Fighter Wing taxi on the flight line after landing at Jacksonville Air National Guard Base, Florida, July 9, 2025. The delivery marks a key milestone in the wing’s continued transition to the F-35, initiating the…
Australia faces one of the world's most daunting maritime surveillance challenges. With responsibility for approximately 10 percent of the world's ocean surface and 59,700 kilometers of coastline, the Australian Maritime Border Command (MBC) has long struggled with the fundamental problem of insufficient assets and manpower personnel to effectively monitor such…
Armenia is executing a careful but decisive pivot away from Russia toward closer integration with the European Union and United States, driven by Moscow's failure to protect Armenian interests during the Azerbaijan conflict and Russia's broader decline as a reliable security guarantor. The EU's nuanced approach, offering partnership without demanding…
By Pasquale Preziosa South Asia, long considered the epicenter of geopolitical rivalry — particularly between India and Pakistan — is now entering a new era of heightened complexity. The region’s established fault lines are being reshaped not only by traditional animosities but also by global shifts: the redefinition of United…
U.S. Marines with Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico conduct a helicopter medical evacuation exercise at MCAF Quantico on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 4, 2025. Marines conducts training consisting of loading and unloading ordnance and helicopter medical evacuations to increase mission readiness in the event of an emergency. QUANTICO,…
By Robbin Laird The Philippines is pioneering a revolutionary "porcupine defense" strategy that uses distributed maritime autonomous systems to create defensive geometries that complicate adversary attack profiles while providing multiple axis points for disruption — proving that innovative, cost-effective platforms can effectively challenge traditional maritime power projection. A New Paradigm…
