We are publishing a book in March 2025 which focuses on the Italian airpower enterprise.

This book highlights Italy’s significant role in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The book details Italy’s contributions to F-35 manufacturing and maintenance at the Cameri facility, highlighting its status as a key production and sustainment hub for European and allied partners. Furthermore, the book highlights the integration of the F-35B into the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour aircraft carrier and its implications for sea-based operations. Finally, the book discusses Italy’s participation in multinational exercises, such as Pitch Black, showcasing its long-range deployment capabilities and commitment to international partnerships, and the development of advanced pilot training facilities.

The book is based on interviews in Italy, the United States and Australia conducted with Italian pilots and airpower leaders since 2013.

The main articles are written in English but with Italian translations for an Italian audience.

This Deep Dive podcast was produced by NotebookLM and provides a look at the forthcoming book.

Featured photo: An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151, conducts aerial refueling with four Italian F-35B Lightning II, attached to ITS Cavour Carrier Strike Group. (Official U.S. Navy photo). October 18, 2024

This report details a paradigm shift in shipbuilding, focusing on Denmark’s innovative approach.

Modular design, allowing for rapid upgrades and adaptable payloads, is central.

The shift emphasizes payload-centricity over platform-specific designs, utilizing autonomous systems and standardized container dimensions.

This modularity enables cost-effective production, facilitates international collaboration, and enhances operational flexibility.

The adoption of this model by other nations, such as the UK and Singapore, is also discussed.

In a Deep Dive podcast based on NotebookLM, this report is discussed.

A new report on the CMV-22B to the Navy on the East Coast.

The report details the arrival of the CMV-22B Osprey at Naval Station Norfolk and its significance to the U.S. Navy’s logistics strategy.

Laird recounts his own experiences with the Osprey, highlighting its evolution from a joint force asset to a dedicated logistics enabler. He then examines the squadron’s operations, including its role in supporting carrier strike groups, and its adaptability to contested environments.

The report also explores the perspectives of Rear Admiral Douglas Verissimo, commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, who emphasizes the CMV-22B’s contribution to the Navy’s shifting strategic priorities, particularly the importance of distributed operations and the need for agile logistics capabilities in a contested environment.

This is a Deep Dive podcast made via Notebook LM.

There is a mis-statement in the podcast regarding range. The report focused on the increased range of the CMV-22B compared to the MV-22B, not to the C-2A. The podcast spoke of the range of the C-2A versus CMV-22B and the statement is not correct.

Featured photo: The first East Coast-assigned Navy tiltrotor vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft CMV-22B Osprey lands at Naval Station Norfolk, April 5. The CMV-22B Osprey belongs to Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 40 the “Mighty Bison.” The CMV-22B airframe will provide the fleet’s medium-lift and long-range aerial logistics capability, replacing the C-2A Greyhounds of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 over the next several years. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Sylvie Carafiol)