2014-03-27 By Robbin Laird During my visit to Australia in early March, I had a chance to talk with some of the F-35 suppliers in Australia. When one frames this subject, the term “suppliers” to a nation’s F-35 program suggests a legacy approach, whereby one is assembling an aircraft in…
03/27/2014: An MV-22 Osprey Tiltrotor Aircraft performs flight operations in the East China Sea and Okinawa. EAST CHINA SEA (March 15. 2014) -- An MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265, performs operations out of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6).…
03/26/2014: In the first two photos, Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star transits through the water accomplishing the Coast Guard missions summer of 2013. The Polar Star is one of the largest ships within the Coast Guard measuring at 399 feet long. Polar Star is specifically designed for open-water icebreaking with…
During the visit of the Second Line of Defense team to New River on February 10, 2014, we had a chance to sit down with Lt. Col. Ennis to discuss his experience with the Osprey, and preparing for operational innovations, such as CASEVAC. We also discussed his preparation for working…
2014-03-25 By Robbin Laird Earlier I wrote about the role of European firms in the augmentation of allied Pacific defense capabilities. In American discussions of the re-shaping of Pacific defense, naturally the primary focus is upon the American role and contribution. Lost in such a focus often is how the Asian…
2014-03-25 The Pacific is a big place. The search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370 only underscored how vast and difficult an area to operate in the Pacific is. The Indians have enhanced the reach of the navy to operate into the Pacific more effectively. Part of this enhanced…
2014-03-25 by Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird The image of the Marines fighting in Guadalcanal or the US carriers fighting their way through the Japanese fleet in the Pacific are core images for war in the Pacific burnt deeply in the memory of Americans. The challenges are different this time…
2014-03-25 The global interdependence of the 21st century poses significant challenges when states are forced to handle disruptions, and when competitors to shape outcomes to their advantage use disruptions. Energy security is clearly a key part of global interdependence, and managing energy security is a key challenge facing 21st century…