The Future is Now for the ADF: Shaping Space for Maritime Autonomous Systems

04/15/2024 During my current visit to Australia, both at the 11 April Williams Foundation Seminar and in my interviews and discussions, there is a clear concern for ramping up ADF capabilities now. In addition to any longer term additive capabilities, it is crucial in the evolving strategic context to find ways to enhance the ADF in the near to mid-term. This… Read more »

Multi-Domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy: The April 2024 Sir Richard Williams Foundation Seminar

04/13/2024 By Robbin Laird The first of two seminars of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation in 2024 was held on 11 April 2024 at the National Gallery of Australia. The seminar was entitled, "The Multi-Domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy", and the aim of the seminar was identified as follows: “To examine the enduring and emerging multi-domain requirements of an… Read more »

A Look Back at Portugal Prior to the 1974 Revolution

04/12/2024 By Kenneth Maxwell My observations on Portugal in 1964 typed up on my portable Olivetti typewriter. This evaluation was written ten years before the “Revolution of Carnations” of 1974, when Portuguese junior army officers, tired of endless wars in Africa, overthrew Europe’s oldest dictatorship. This in turn ended Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Angola. I had spent much of… Read more »

Working the Sustainability Piece in Australian Defence: The Case of Munitions

04/10/2024 By Robbin Laird When shaping a relevant 21st century defence approach, sustainability is a key aspect of any credible effort. Gone are the days where just in time delivery from distant global supply chains is an effective means for deployed defense assets. Credible defense capability is built on a foundation of sustainability. The war in Ukraine has exposed the Achilles… Read more »

Poland Two Years into the War: An April 2024 Update

04/07/2024 By Robbin Laird Recently, I talked with my colleague Robert Czulda by video link to get an update on the situation in Poland two years into the war in Ukraine. We started by discussing the war seem from Warsaw. Czulda: “When the Russian invasion first started, there was shock in the Polish public and much concern. But with the Ukrainians… Read more »

The Global Partnership Supporting Arms For Ukraine: Secretary of State Blinken Visits France

04/02/2024 By Pierre Tran Versailles, France - The U.S. defense industry had much to gain if Congress approved swiftly a stalled $61 billion package of military and financial aid for Ukraine, in its fight against “Russian aggression,” the American secretary of state said April 2. Antony Blinken was speaking at the side of the armed forces minister, Sébastien Lecornu, who had… Read more »