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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The Australian Government and the Australian Arafura Class Offshore Patrol Vessel: The Perspective of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG)

03/31/2020By Robbin Laird After my visit to Perth and the Henderson Shipyard, I had a chance in Canberra to discuss the new class of OPVs with the senior… Read more »

Shaping a New Build Platform for an Integratable Force: What is the Role Then for Suppliers?

03/30/2020By Robbin Laird I have focused in recent months on the shaping of the integrated distributed force as the core outcome of shaping a sixth-generation force. At the… Read more »

Crafting Tron Warfare Capabilities for the Integrated Distributed Force

03/30/2020By Andrew McLaughlin When introducing a new capability, a major factor in its success – or otherwise – is its ability to be successfully integrated with other capabilities.  … Read more »

The New Australian Offshore Patrol Vessel: Its Impact in the Perspective of Vice Admiral (Retired) Tim Barrett

03/23/2020By Robbin Laird The first time I met Vice Admiral (Retired) Tim Barrett was at the 2016 Williams Foundation Seminar in which he addressed the evolving role of… Read more »

Visiting HMAS Rankin: The Collins Class Shapes a Way Ahead for the Next Generation Australian Submarine

03/14/2020By Robbin Laird On March 12, 2020 I had a chance to visit HMAS Sterling and to visit the HMAS Rankin, one of the Collins class submarines homeported… Read more »

The New Build Australian Attack Submarine: Convergent Forces and Expectations

03/14/2020By Robbin Laird This week I have had the opportunity to visit Western Australia. I visited both the Henderson shipyard and HMAS Stirling, the Collins submarine base. I… Read more »

Maritime Remotes and the Evolving Surface Fleet: An Element of the Integrated Distributed Force

03/07/2020By Robbin Laird At the upcoming Williams Foundation Seminar to be held on March 26, 2020, the role of autonomous systems in the evolution of the combat force… Read more »

Loyal Wingman: Part of the Next Generation Autonomous Systems to be Examined at the Next Williams Foundation Seminar

03/07/2020Since 2013 the Sir Richard Williams Foundation seminars have focused on building an integrated fifth generation force. Recent seminars have evolved from the acquisition of new platforms to… Read more »

Building the Australian Offshore Patrol Vessel: Contributing to and Leveraging the Integrated Distributed Force

03/06/2020By Robbin Laird For the past few years, I have been visiting Australia to participate in and to write the reports for the bi-annual seminars held by the… Read more »