While Taiwan tensions are often viewed through a U.S.-China lens, the gravest strategic consequences would fall on Japan and the Philippines. Chinese control of Taiwan would fundamentally alter the regional balance, potentially isolating both nations and forcing them into accommodation with Chinese regional dominance regardless of U.S. positions. Taiwan’s location…
By Robbin Laird In late 2020, Murielle Delaporte and I published our book entitled: The Return of Direct Defense in Europe: Meeting the Challenge of XXIst Century Authoritarian Powers. A major emphasis in that book was that the broad challenge was inclusive of European infrastructure and the clear need for…
U.S. Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 364, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, extract U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division from Calayan, Babuyan Islands, Philippines, during KAMANDAG 9, June 1, 2025. KAMANDAG is an annual Philippine Marine Corps and…
Ambassador Kenneth Moorefield’s offers a first-person account of his experiences during the Vietnam War as both a soldier and a diplomat, culminating in his evacuation from the Saigon Embassy in 1975. The article then describes his post-war efforts to aid Vietnamese refugees and American veterans, followed by his return to…
The 2025 iteration of Exercise Iron Fist represents a significant milestone in U.S.-Japan military cooperation, with American Marines and Japanese forces conducting their largest bilateral amphibious training exercise in Japan’s strategically vital southwest islands region. Running from February 19 through March 7, 2025, this exercise showcased the evolving partnership between…
Operation Spider Web stands as the most sophisticated drone warfare operation in modern military history, representing the culmination of Ukraine’s remarkable transformation from drone technology importer to global innovator. On June 1, 2025, Ukraine’s Security Service executed a coordinated strike using 117 drones across five Russian airbases spanning 4,300 kilometers,…
Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group conducts a strait transit in support of Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, May 27, 2025. During ARGMEUEX, the 22nd MEU, aboard IWO ARG shipping, conducts various mission essential tasks that enhance operational readiness as a…
By Robbin Laird On June 5, 2025, I had a chance to talk with Air Vice-Marshal Nick Hogan, the Head of Air Force Capability within the RAAF about the challenges and opportunities of incorporating autonomous systems within the Australian Defence Force and the impact this will have on the force.…
