Featured Article

06/14/2025
We have a growing experience with drone warfare and its impacts. The best way to understand their impact is how they have already re-shaped combined arms operations. Notably when combined with payload revolution and fifth generation warfare operations, as seen in the recent Israeli operation in Iran, drones are becoming a key part of the evolution of combined arms. Analysis of the Ukraine-Russia war, Houthi drone campaigns, and Israeli precision operations provides insights with regard…
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A Small Ship but a Significant Shift

04/30/2020By Robbin Laird When I first came to Australia in 2014, I was asked to write a report for the Williams Foundation on their seminar on the evolution… Read more »

Software, Operations, Training and Development: Working the New Combat Cycle for a Kill Web Force

04/26/2020By Robbin Laird One of the changes facing the emergence of the kill web force is recognizing that it is already here. The current situation reminds one of… Read more »

Laying a Foundation for the Shift from Building Interoperability Platform by Platform to Integratability Via Wave Form Management

04/23/2020By Robbin Laird In a continuing discussion with the digital interoperability team in USMC Aviation’s Headquarters, we focused on the challenge of building beyond specific platform upgradeability to… Read more »

The AH-1Z and Its Evolving Contribution to Marines in the Maritime Fight

04/15/2020By Robbin Laird My recent discussions with Major Thomas Duff and Mr. Michael Manifor, HQMC Aviation, APW-53, Attack and Utility Helicopter Coordinators, about the Viper maritime attack helicopter… Read more »

Platforms, Innovation and Integratability: The Case of the Osprey

04/14/2020By Robbin Laird In my series focusing on USMC and digital interoperability, the first piece focused on the interaction between platform innovation and integratability. With the evolution of… Read more »

The USMC and Digital Interoperability: The MANGL Approach

04/12/2020By Robbin Laird As highlighted earlier, USMC aviation is focused on ways to enhance its ability to connect with the MAGTF and to work integrated solutions at the… Read more »

Living through the Global Coronavirus Crisis: The Centrality of Connectivity

04/05/2020Certainly, one key impact of the Coronavirus crisis has highlighted in the crucial role of connectivity to allow 21st century societies to function even under duress. Stay at… Read more »

The USMC and Digital Interoperability: Shaping an Integrated Distributed Force

04/03/2020By Robbin Laird As the first combat force in the world to operate the F-35, the Marines experienced the challenge but also the impacts of what a fifth-generation… Read more »

L3Harris Australia: Working as Part of Team Luerssen in the New Build OPV

04/01/2020By Robbin Laird In the first part of this article, I posed the question: What does it mean to be a supplier to such an effort in which the… Read more »