Archives
Recent
Global Hawk
In a farsighted strategic move, the Obama Administration has proposed the sale of four RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to South Korea. The Global Hawk is the premier U.S. high-end UAS, in operation with the U.S. Air Force and soon, as the Broad Area Maritime
. . . Read more
Date:
1/3/2013
In a move that seems to contradict the Obama Administration's recently announced Asia-Pacific strategy, the Pentagon has decided to mothball its longest-range surveillance drones and rely instead on shorter-range U-2 spy planes. The move is a victory for U-2 maker Lockheed Martin, which argues the
. . . Read more
Date:
1/24/2012
Even if politicians don't notice how many of the Air Force's major commands are located in "swing" states like Colorado, Illinois and Virginia, there's good reason to believe the service will experience a renaissance in the years ahead. First, the locus of global security concerns is shifting to
. . . Read more
Date:
11/14/2011
This is the week that Pentagon policymakers begin sorting out how to assure that one of the military's most important reconnaissance systems will be available to warfighters at an affordable price. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aircraft conceived to replace the venerable U-2 spy plane with
. . . Read more
Date:
9/26/2011
Unmanned aircraft have become the signature weapon of America's global war on terrorists. Just last week, a CIA drone strike killed al Qaeda's second in command. But unmanned aircraft have limitations. First, they are usually defenseless against attack. Second, they are fragile. Third, their
. . . Read more
Date:
8/29/2011
The Pakistani military has been detaining locals who may have helped the CIA monitor activities around Osama bin Laden's compound. The move isn't likely to improve relations with Washington, but it's understandable in light of how the raid that killed bin Laden unfolded. Pakistan's military leaders
. . . Read more
Date:
6/16/2011
It is like Banquo’s ghost is haunting the Department of Defense. Actually, it is two other ghosts: that of former senator and defense expert Sam Nunn and former representative Dave McCurdy. What haunts the Pentagon and stands as the lasting legacy of these two former defense experts and leading
. . . Read more
Date:
4/18/2011
The advent of heavier-than-air flight has been one of the great technological revolutions of all times. It changed many aspects of modern life, most notably transportation, surveillance and warfare. The numbers alone make it clear how much flying has become an integral part of our commercial, military
. . . Read more
Date:
1/20/2011
The great revolution to emerge from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts is airborne ISR. From having literally only a handful of manned and unmanned aerial ISR sensors at the start of these conflicts, the U.S. military now has almost ten thousand deployed. They range in size and capability from the
. . . Read more
Date:
10/7/2010
The outcome of the Defense Acquisition Board's June 24 meeting on the future of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial system appears to have been a split decision, with some airframes and sensors approved while funding of others was deferred. The mixed outcome introduces an element of uncertainty into
. . . Read more
Date:
6/25/2010