This podcast discusses Robbin Laird’s latest book on Australian defence.

The title of the new book, Fight Tonight Force: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance, is deliberately provocative. It signals a fundamental break from the comfortable assumptions that have shaped democratic defence policy for decades.

The phrase “fight tonight” has traditionally meant little more than unit-level readiness metrics—can this squadron fly, can this battalion deploy?

But in the strategic environment now crystallizing across the Indo-Pacific and in Ukraine, “fight tonight” must describe something far more demanding: a system capable of fighting tonight, still fighting next week, and becoming more lethal a month into a campaign than it was on day one.

The book argues that transformation in contemporary defence is no longer a matter of gradual modernization or platform replacement.

It is a collision between accelerating threat evolution, brittle legacy institutions, and societies that have not yet internalized what long-duration strategic competition actually requires.

Australia, as a middle power with outsized geographic exposure and a hollowed-out industrial base, serves as the central test case for whether liberal democracies can redesign how they generate combat power, industrial capacity, and cognitive resilience under continuous pressure, not episodic war.

The book is based on the Sir Richard Williams September 2025 seminar and is expanded with additional interviews and additional articles expanding the discussion.

Fight Tonight: Combat Readiness at the Speed of Relevance

Discover the dramatic transformation at the heart of 21st-century military aviation in “2nd Marine Air Wing: Transitioning the Fight Tonight Force.” This compelling and deeply researched volume unlocks the story of how America’s Second Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW) underwent a remarkable evolution between 2007 and 2025, becoming a digitally driven, combat-ready force able to respond to crises the world over, at a moment’s notice.

From the very first landing of the MV-22 Osprey on a British warship, the 2nd MAW showcased its vision for seamless allied interoperability, a vision that would come to define its mission. The Osprey’s revolutionary tiltrotor design shattered old ideas of time and distance, enabling fast, far-reaching deployments, whether rescuing personnel under fire or providing hurricane relief across the Pacific. Paired with the KC-130J Super Hercules aerial tanker and lifter, the Osprey’s range extended global reach as never before.

But the Osprey was just the beginning. The introduction of the CH-53K King Stallion brought a digital-first heavy-lift helicopter, delivering unmatched stability, reduced pilot workload, and sophisticated predictive maintenance. Its fly-by-wire system and integrated vehicle health monitoring were game changers for reliability, translating data into action, and hours into combat power. Pilots gained new confidence flying in degraded environments, from blinding dust storms to Arctic darkness.

At the center of the 2nd MAW’s revolution stands the F-35 Lightning II. This fifth-generation marvel isn’t just faster and stealthier; it’s a networked sensor-fusion platform that reshapes the entire battlefield. The F-35 fuses massive streams of information from radar and electronic surveillance, distributes a unified tactical picture to every level of command, and provides integral electronic warfare support that once depended on aging dedicated aircraft. This shift allows Marines to strike harder, survive longer, and share intelligence at the speed of relevance.

Driving these advancements is a new generation of “digital native” pilots, the iPad generation, trained from day one to think in terms of networked, integrated, data-powered warfighting. At Beaufort, South Carolina, the pipeline of F-35 pilots grows, ready to exploit the full potential of fifth-generation technology and develop tactics that will define conflict for decades to come.

Transformation isn’t only about platforms and sensors; it’s about culture. The book sheds light on how forward-thinking leaders, empowered junior Marines, and a bottom-up innovation culture have propelled readiness.

Command and control are reimagined through the creative fielding of mobile C2 solutions, such as retrofitting MV-22s as airborne “nerve centers” with digital communication suites, and the widespread adoption of ruggedized MAGTAB tablets for real-time secure sharing across every echelon.

If you want a compelling, inside account of how U.S. Marine aviation reinvented itself for the demands of the modern battlefield from technology to training, from strategy to culture. this book delivers an authoritative and insightful guide.

A must-read for professionals, policymakers, and anyone fascinated by the nexus of leadership, innovation, and defense in a world defined by uncertainty and rapid change.

By Robbin Laird

The shift from counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East to major power competition has fundamentally transformed how Western militaries must prepare for combat. This strategic pivot, which I explored in my 2021 book Training for the High-End Fight: The Strategic Shift of the 2020s, demands nothing less than a complete reimagining of how we train our fighting forces, particularly our combat pilots.

The challenge is clear: modern militaries must operate as full spectrum crisis management forces, capable of delivering precise combat effects while managing escalation against 21st century authoritarian powers. This isn’t simply about acquiring new equipment or updating doctrine. Rather, it requires a fundamental reset in combat approach that enhances our escalation management skills and protects liberal democracies in an increasingly contested global environment.

Following extensive interviews with officers at U.S. warfighting training centers, I documented how the services were reconceiving future combat operations. This research led to my 2022 collaboration with Ed Timperlake, A Maritime Kill Web Force in the Making: Deterrence and Warfighting in the 21st Century, which examined the operational evolution required for this new strategic context.

As Vice Admiral (Retired) Dewolfe Miller, former Navy Air Boss, noted about our work, “peer threats drive change and inspire clarity in how forces are manned, trained, and equipped. The future of combat hinges on bringing trusted and verifiable assets to the fight through enhanced connectivity, accelerated tactical decision-making, and common equipment that enables integration within single services, across services, and into allied forces.”

This evolution toward kill web operations, where multiple platforms share targeting data and coordinate effects across domains, raises a critical question: How do you train combat pilots to operate effectively in this interconnected, high-speed environment?

The answer requires moving beyond traditional individual pilot proficiency toward cultivating skills in networked operations, information sharing, and joint force coordination. Pilots must learn to operate not as lone warriors but as nodes in a distributed combat network, where speed of decision-making and quality of information sharing can prove as decisive as weapons employment.

This October, I had the opportunity to visit the Italian Air Force’s advanced fighter pilot training facility in Sardinia, where I observed firsthand how one of America’s key allies is addressing these challenges. The Italian approach offers valuable insights into preparing the next generation of combat aviators for kill web operations.

The facility’s training methodology reflects a sophisticated understanding of modern air combat requirements. Rather than focusing solely on individual aircraft handling and weapons delivery, the program emphasizes the cognitive and technical skills needed for networked operations. Trainees learn to process multiple information streams, coordinate with distributed forces, and make rapid decisions in contested electromagnetic environments.

What makes the Italian approach particularly noteworthy is its integration of fifth-generation aircraft concepts into the training pipeline. Having spent two decades studying fifth-generation aircraft and operations, I recognize how crucial it is to embed these operational concepts early in pilot development rather than treating them as advanced skills acquired later in a career.

The findings from my visit to Sardinia are shaping a series of articles on combat pilot training challenges and a forthcoming book that will detail the contours of effective training approaches for the kill web era. The Italian model demonstrates that allied forces are taking seriously the imperative to transform pilot training for great power competition.

The stakes could not be higher. As we face increasingly capable adversaries equipped with advanced integrated air defense systems, counter-space weapons, and their own networked forces, our ability to train pilots who can operate effectively in contested, degraded environments will prove essential to maintaining military advantage.

The transformation of combat pilot training isn’t merely a technical challenge. It’s a strategic necessity that will help determine whether democratic nations can successfully deter and, if necessary, prevail against authoritarian aggression in the decades ahead.

This podcast was produced by NotebookLM.

The quote from Captain McCoy now Admiral McCoy was made when was chief of staff of VADM Miller, the Navy Air Boss.