U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542 and VMFA-251, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, conduct maritime strike training during Atlantic Lightning 26-1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Jan. 29, 2026. Atlantic Lightning 26-1 is a tactical aircraft exercise focused on Marine…
By Robbin Laird In February 2026, a team from OpenAI published what may become a landmark document in the emerging field of AI geopolitics. "AI and International Security: Pathways of Impact and Key Uncertainties" represents something unusual: a major AI laboratory attempting to map how its own technology could reshape…
Recently, Lt General (Retired) Preziosa published two essays in European Affairs in Italian which we are including in translation after this overview of his analysis of Europe’s position in the evolving global system. His argument rests on a fundamental proposition: the Russian-Ukrainian war represents not a regional conflict but a…
Off the coast of Gotland, Sweden, scientists from the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) are deploying cutting-edge acoustic sensors to see if they might help NATO Allies detect and respond to sabotage of underwater pipelines and data cables. One key trial involves using ballast anchors to replicate…
By Robbin Laird In 2025, four significant books emerged that collectively chronicle the transformation of airpower from its industrial-age roots to its current form as a networked, information-centric enterprise. These volumes, Training for The High-End Fight: The Paradigm Shift in Combat Pilot Training, Remembering the B-17 and Its Role in…
By Robbin Laird February 7, 2026, The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article entitled, Squeezed by U.S. and China, the World's Middle Powers are Teaming Up. Upon reading this article, I wanted to take that assessment and compare it to the findings in my forthcoming book with Ken Maxwell…
U.S. Marines with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 461, Marine Aircraft Group 29, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), and 2nd Distribution Support Battalion (DSB), Combat Logistics Group 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, perform an external lift with a CH-53K King Stallion at U.S. Coast Guard Base Sector Key West, Florida,…
By Robbin Laird For generations, military aviation followed a familiar rhythm. Crises escalated in predictable sequences. Training focused on perfecting physical flying skills. Pilots mastered their aircraft through countless hours of stick-and-rudder practice, building muscle memory that would serve them throughout their careers. That era, according to defense experts examining…
