By Pierre Tran Paris - The key point on a planned European fighter jet lay in opting for clear program leadership with a prime contractor rather than assigning subcontractor work based on national funding, Dassault Aviation executive chairman Eric Trappier said July 22. French officers had conducted “an audit on…
By Robbin Laird The 2019 International Fighter Conference in Berlin brought together military leaders and industry representatives from nations living in the shadow of authoritarian powers. Their presentations, focused on airpower strategies for self-defense against existential threats from Russia and China, now read like a prophetic warning of conflicts to…
A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion helicopter assigned to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, departs for an air assault during Marine Air-Ground Task Force Distributed Maneuver Exercise 1-25 at Camp Willson, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, Feb.…
On July 28th, Textron Aviation Defense announced that it's proposing the Beechcraft M-346N jet trainer as a solution for the U.S. Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) program. The company has partnered with Leonardo in a teaming agreement to meet the Navy's requirements for this new aircraft procurement. The M-346N…
By Robbin Laird The comfortable world of middle power diplomacy is disappearing. For decades, countries like Brazil and Australia have thrived by maintaining strategic flexibility. They are trading with multiple partners, participating in diverse institutional frameworks, and avoiding definitive alignment with any single major power. This hedging strategy worked well…
Sailors aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) display chocks and chains to the pilots of an MV-22B Osprey, assigned to the “Nighthawks” of Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) 1, during flight operations. HMX-1 tests tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment to support high-level military principals and other…
In July 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unveiled a new Pentagon drone policy, formally entitled "Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance." The idea is to have a sweeping overhaul designed to accelerate the acquisition, deployment, and use of small drones across the entire U.S. military. The policy shift comes at a…
Artisans on the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) H-53 aircraft line work on a CH-53K King Stallion, the first inducted for maintenance at the depot. FRCE inducted the aircraft April 17 as the first of 14 planned for induction as part of the Age Exploration Program, Depot (AEPD); it is…
