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The Return of Direct Defense and Danish Airpower Modernization

11/26/2018
In effect, the Danes like the other Nordics, are having to focus on direct defense as their core national mission, within an alliance context. This will mean as well a shift common to other alliance members from a focus on out of area operations, such as in Afghanistan, back to…

MQ-9 Touch and Go

11/26/2018
An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft from the 163d Attack Wing performs a touch and go April 5, 2017, at March Air Reserve Base, California. CA, UNITED STATES 04.05.2017 Video by Tech. Sgt. Neil Ballecer  163d Attack Wing 

China and the Liberal Democracies: Managing Blowback

11/25/2018
The Chinese Communist regime has made significant inroads within the policy systems of the liberal democracies. But several of the liberal democracies are in the process of trying to rollback the negative effects of Chinese intrusion within our societies. The Trump assault on the trade system and more specifically on…

The French Air Force and FCAS: Perspectives from the International Fighter Conference 2018

11/25/2018
By Robbin Laird The French Air Force (FAF) is one of the most active Air Forces in the Western World. They have had significant demand on the force and have been stressed through a continual flow of operations. They are a nuclear-armed Air Force and their focus on Quick Reaction…

Russia, INF and START: Putin is Focused on Enhancing The Impact of his Nuclear Force

11/25/2018
By Stephen Blank When the U.S. government announced it was withdrawing from the INF treaty due to Russian violations of the treaty that are now universally acknowledged, a flood of critical article immediately ensued. However, virtually none of those articles mentioned Russian nuclear strategy or policy, reflecting these commentators’ ongoing…

Germany, Fighters and the Future of Air Combat: Perspectives from the International Fighter Conference, 2018

11/24/2018
By Robbin Laird This year’s International Fighter Conference held in Berlin provided a chance for the participants and the attendees to focus on the role of fighters in what we have been calling the strategic shift, namely, the shift from the land wars to operating in higher intensity operations against…

Crafting a Fifth Generation Combat Force: The Perspective of Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown

11/24/2018
By Robbin Laird At the International Fighter Conference 2018, Air Marshal (Retired) Geoff Brown provided an overview of how the RAAF has shaped a way ahead along with the Australian Defence Force to craft what they refer to as a fifth-generation combat force. In the case of the Royal Australian…

Exercise Singaroo

11/23/2018
HMA Ships Stuart and Sirius have joined the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) corvettes RSS Valiant and Vigour for Exercise Singaroo, a two day maritime exercise in waters off Singapore. The biennial exercise aims to develop a better understanding and working relationship between the Royal Australian Navy and the RSN…