By Murielle Delaporte Afghanistan and operations in the Middle East against jihadist terror groups mark the rebirth of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as probably the most modern and innovative air force among US allies and partners. The Aussies deployed a new force package during their most recent Middle…
Robbin Laird During a visit to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Williamtown in March 2018, Murielle Delaporte and I had the chance to talk with the new commander of the Air Combat Group, Air Commodore Kitcher. RAAF Williamtown is undergoing significant infrastructure modernization as it prepares for the F-35A…
Robbin Laird During a visit to Amberley Airbase, Murielle Delaporte and I had a chance to talk with Group Captain Steve Pesce, Officer Commanding 86 Wing, comprising the RAAF’s C-17, KC-30A, B300, CL604 and B737 fleets. We discussed his perspectives on the future of air tanking, and specifically the next…
Recently, Australia more than doubled its F-35A fleet when Lockheed Martin delivered three F-35As (AU3, AU4 and AU5) to the Royal Australian Air Force team stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, USA. These are Australia's first Block 3F Lightning II 'Mission Ready' jets which are being used to train…
Interview with Paul Bracken In February, the U.S. Department of Defense released the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, a report that outlines the state of the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons and the threats it faces from other nuclear powers, as well as recommending policies and strategies for the future of the…
Soldiers operating at Clear Air Station and Fort Greely, Alaska, conducted two force protection exercises designed to enhance the military’s ability to operate tactically in extreme cold weather conditions as part of Alaskan Command’s Arctic Edge exercise, March 12-23, 2018. EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, AK, UNITED STATES 04.03.2018 Video by Senior…
F-35B Lighting IIs assigned to the "Avengers" of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 participate in a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise and Maj. Chris Brandt, F-35B pilot assigned to VMFA 211, conducts an interview on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) in the Pacific…
Lance Cpl. Taryn Escott, Marine Corps Forces Central Command AFB MACDILL, Fla. -- The F-35B Lightning II aircraft arrived at U.S. Central Command on MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., April 4, 2018. The purpose of the two-day visit was to inform CENTCOM senior leadership on the capabilities and limitations of…
