A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter from 816 Squadron, Nowra, during a recoverable torpedo exercise with a Mark 54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo, off the coast of Jervis Bay, New South Wales. 816 Squadron is Navy's operational support squadron for the MH-60R 'Romeo' maritime combat helicopter. The squadron can deploy…
By Robbin Laird On Friday, October 9, 2020, I had a chance to visit the USS Ford and to get an update on the progress of this formidable warship. Earlier, Ed Timperlake and I have visited the USS Ford in 2015 and discussed the next generation large deck carrier with…
By Pierre Tran Paris - France recently published its 2021 draft defense budget, which set aside €5 billion ($5.9 billion) for the nuclear deterrent, taking a chunk out of a total budget of €39.2 billion. Hitting that nice round number showed the significance of nuclear weapons, on which France relies…
By Robbin Laird As the fleet re-works blue water maneuver warfare and expeditionary operations from the sea, a key element of the effort is shaping an effective weaponization approach and strategy. Doing so is a work in progress and a major challenge for the United States and its allies. During…
Throughout 2020, Joint Fires Teams (JFT) from the 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery have been utilising realistic simulators to train in the engagement of enemy targets by joint fire assets and calling for indirect fire support from artillery and mortars. This training culminated in Exercise Brolga Run 2020 with the JFT…
In an article published by the UK Ministry of Defence on September 28, 2020, the UK role in Exercise Joint Warrior was highlighted. Taking part will be the Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful warship HMS Queen Elizabeth, taking her place at the heart of a UK-led NATO Carrier Strike…
U.S. Marines with Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) participate in airfield damage repair practical application during Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course 1-21 at Cannon Air Defense Complex in Yuma, Arizona, Sept. 28, 2020. The WTI course is a seven-week training event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons…
By Kenneth Maxwell Calouste Gulbenkian set the rules for the division of the oil spoils in the Middle East in the aftermath of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He did so under the “red line” self-denying agreement of 1928 between the major oil companies (including the America companies of…
