By Robbin Laird During my five years of visits to Australia, I have had the opportunity to meet with and to talk with Air Commodore Heap several times. As the Commander of the Air Force’s Surveillance Response Group, Air Commodore Heap has had the challenge of leading one of the…
Video of Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331) being resupplied at sea from Royal Canadian Navy supply ship MV Asterix during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 14. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, and about 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June…
By Robbin Laird The Williams Foundation has held a series of seminars over the past few years, which have progressively looked at the transformation of the Royal Australian Air Force and to the shaping of cross-modernizing Australian Defence Force. Referred to overall as building a fifth generation force, the focus…
U.S. Marines from 1st Reconnaissance Battalion attached to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Australian Clearance Diving Team Four jump from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during helocast training as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, July 24, 2108. RIMPAC provides…
A U.S. Marine Corps C-130J Super Hercules cargo plane with the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152 from Okinawa, Japan, conducts an aerial-refueling with a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 463 during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, July 27. Twenty-five nations, 45…
By Robbin Laird Sydney, Australia During my August 2018 visit to Australia, I had a chance to meet with and discuss the question of the evolving approach to the defense of Australia with a member of the Australian National University, Andrew Carr. Dr. Carr is working towards the conclusion of…
By Robbin Laird Russia under Putin has been working hard his strategic agenda with regard to the West. At the heart of this strategy has been to reduce the direct threat to Russia posed by NATO and to stop NATO expansion in its tracks. He has been more successful with…
By Robbin Laird Sydney, Australia During my visit to Fleet Base East in Sydney, I had a chance to talk with Captain Leif Maxfield, Deputy Commodore Warfare in the Royal Australian Navy. At Garden Island, two of the latest additions for the RAN can be seen, namely the new amphibious…
