03/31/2016: When visiting Australia in March 2016, the Brussels terrorism events had a major impact on the debate in Australia about how to deal with the terrorist threat closer to home. The Prime Minister of Australia gave a hard hitting speech which highlighted a tough immigration policy coupled with enhanced counter-terrorism…
2016-03-30 By Robbin Laird During the first day of the RAAF Conference on Airpower, I had a chance to sit down and to talk with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the RAAF, Air Vice-Marshal McDonald. This is the third time I have had the opportunity to interview him, initially…
03/29/2016: The Norwegian Telemark Battalion instructs U.S. Marine amphibious assault vehicle personnel from 2nd Amphibious Assault Battalion on techniques of driving tracked vehicles in winter conditions on an ice track in Rena, Norway, Feb. 15. In the weeks leading up to exercise Cold Response 16, at the end of the month,…
2016-03-28 By Richard Weitz The Russian media has recently given prominence to the role of Russian Special Operations Forces (SOF) in the military operation in Syria. The Russia media confirmed the death of a Russian Special forces officer conducting forward air control had called an artillery strike on his own…
2016-03-26 Eurofighter is expanding its weapons portfolio, in part to subsume key strike functions of the Tornado as it gets retired. A key missile in this effort is the addition of the Brimstone missile to the Eurofighter missile repertoire. Progress is being made in adding Brimstone to the strike package, and…
2016-03-25 The Aussies have added two new amphibious ships to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and sorting out the way ahead is at the vortex of land, sea and airpower, and the ADF is addressing it in this manner. It is a work in progress but the first new Canberra…
03/25/2016: Sgt. Eric M. Ekelund prepares an MV-22B Osprey to land the tactical recovery of aircraft and personal force during a Cobra Gold 16 demonstration at Utapao, Thailand February 15. During the scenario-based training the MV-22B Osprey unloads the TRAP force personnel so they can continue on foot to rescue the…
03/25/2016: The USNS Montford Point, an expeditionary transfer dock, floats off the coast of South Korea, March 17, 2016, during Exercise Ssang Yong 16, a biennial combined amphibious exercise between the armed forces of the Republic of Korea, U.S., Australia and New Zealand. An expeditionary transfer dock allows equipment and personnel…