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…
Read More >>

Belgium Picks the F-35: President Macron Responds

10/27/2018Belgium is a key member of the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF) group which has flown F-16s for three decades. Denmark, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands and Portugal are the… Read more »

HMS Queen Elizabeth Concludes Initial F-35B Integration Tests

10/26/2018Second Line of Defense has followed the UK thinking, construction, and initial trials and preparation for operations by the new UK carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth throughout its… Read more »

5th Gen Enablement and the Evolution of Airpower: The Perspective of Major General Anders Rex

10/25/2018By Robbin Laird During my most recent visit to Denmark, I had a chance to visit Royal Danish Air Force bases in the Jutland area. This provided an… Read more »

USMC Conducts First F-35 Combat Operations from a Seabase

09/28/2018No media team has followed the birthing and growth of the F-35B more than the Second Line of Defense team. We started with the standup at Eglin AFB.… Read more »

The Australians Building Their Fifth Generation Air Force: The Latest Addition to the RAAF’s F-35 Fleet

09/25/2018The RAAF has taken delivery of its ninth F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the first to be taken on strength by its first operational flying unit to fly… Read more »

Leveraging Mobile Security: How To Shape a Way Ahead for a 5th Generation Military

09/23/2018By Robbin Laird In my discussions at Penten, I learned of a very innovative approach to providing for the security for mobile systems.  They have developed an approach… Read more »

5th Gen and the Tactical Leadership Program at Albacete

09/20/2018With the coming of the F-35 to European Air Forces, a key priority is to work the training side of F-35s and fifth generation aircraft with other types… Read more »

Lift Works Opens in UK to Support the F-35

09/19/2018The UK and the US Marines are the major users for now for the F-35B, although the demand for enhanced operational mobility by air faces direct threats to… Read more »

Lightning Strikes at Valiant Shield 2018

09/19/2018“The high-end biennial Valiant Shield exercise kicked off in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Sunday, with some of the Navy’s and Marine Corps’ most advanced platforms… Read more »