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Policy Blog
- Army Signals The Abrams Tank Is Here To Stay (From Forbes)
The U.S. Army has designated the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank as an “enduring capability,” indicating that (1) it will remain central to the Army’s warfighting plans and (2) it is unlikely to replaced anytime soon. Thanks to the digital revolution and a practice of continuous improvement, today’s version of the tank is more lethal, survivable and versatile than anyone [ Read More…]
- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
- Why The Air Force’s Plan For Fighting China Could Make Nuclear War More Likely (From Forbes)
The U.S. Air Force is planning to modernize its heavy bomber force by fielding a super-stealthy strike aircraft designated B-21 and equipping aged B-52 bombers with stealthy cruise missiles. Both aircraft will be capable of conducting nuclear and non-nuclear missions, which raises serious concerns with regard to China. If Beijing seeks to occupy Taiwan, the Air Force would likely respond [ Read More…]
- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D.
- How Misguided Antitrust Concerns Pose A Threat To The Nation’s Security And Health (From The National Interest)
Mergers and acquisitions will continue to be an important tool for defense and aerospace companies in accelerating change, improving their performance, reducing costs, and providing the rapid innovation demanded by the Pentagon. Mergers and acquisitions may be particularly significant is in bringing unique products to bear on critical defense problems. The acquisition of small and mid-sized companies) by larger firms [ Read More…]
- DoD Is Leading the Way in Creating a Federal Zero Trust IT Architecture (From RealClearDefense)
The phrase “DoD is leading the way” is one that has been largely absent from conversations having to do with information technologies and cybersecurity. Commercial sectors such as banking are more frequently described as being on the “cutting edge,” while the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is often labeled a “technology laggard.” But that distinction is neither fair nor entirely accurate. DoD is leading the way in moving to a “zero trust” architecture for protecting its IT infrastructure. Where DoD [ Read More…]
- Future Vertical Lift: Army Aviation’s Master Plan To Defeat China and Russia Without Breaking The Budget (From Forbes)
The U.S. Army is leading a rotorcraft development program called Future Vertical Lift that aims to transform the way it conducts tactical air operations. Its immediate goal is to replace Cold War scout and assault helicopters with aircraft that are twice as fast and can fly twice as far. And that’s just the beginning–they will also deliver 360-degree situational awareness, seamless networking and diverse effects in a sustainable and affordable package. If this sounds excessively ambitious, it’s important to keep [ Read More…]
- Statement To Postal Regulatory Commission On Proposed First-Class Mail Service Standard Changes
The Lexington Institute opposes the U.S. Postal Service’s proposal to lengthen delivery times, by degrading service standards, on approximately 39 percent of first-class mail. This is a dramatic and audacious change that will alter the very character of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), while accelerating its decline and reducing its public service role and value to the American people. It is particularly distressing that USPS has presented this service reduction in a vacuum and with minimal financial back-up information. This [ Read More…]
- The Russian Submarine Threat In The Atlantic Is Growing, But A Low-Cost Solution Is Available (From Forbes)
The Russian Navy has recently resumed large-scale submarine exercises in the North Atlantic after a long hiatus. The U.K.’s defense secretary says Russian subs are “circling Britain’s entire coastline.” Unfortunately, the maritime patrol aircraft of America’s European allies have declined markedly in quantity and quality since the Cold War ended, and the U.S. Navy has plenty of other places around the world it would need to cover in wartime. Although many European nations would prefer a local solution, they recognize [ Read More…]
- The Good News About Boeing’s KC-46 Tanker (From Forbes)
Boeing’s KC-46 tanker has been getting some bad press lately due to lengthy delays in fielding the next-generation aerial refueler. However, the only real showstopper is a remote vision system that airmen use from the cockpit to guide refueling booms into receiving aircraft. Although the system works well at night and during most daylight hours, when the Sun is low in the sky there is a problem with visual acuity. A fix has been identified, and will likely begin installation [ Read More…]
- The JLTV And The 21st Century American Way Of Land Warfare (From RealClearDefense)
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps are looking to change how they will fight near-peer adversaries in the future. Both Services are focused on becoming more lethal, distributed, mobile and survivable. When it comes to fielding new capabilities, this requires achieving a balance between these different attributes. One system that achieves this balance while enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of Army and Marine Corps units is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). Built by the Oshkosh Corporation, it is now [ Read More…]
- When It Comes To Weapons, The Biden Administration’s Budget Is Just Like Trump’s (From Forbes)
It you were expecting the Biden administration to propose a raft of changes in the weapons plans inherited from the Trump years, then you are in for a surprise. Biden’s weapons plans are nearly identical to those of the Trump administration. The White House says more changes will be apparent in the fiscal 2023 budget request, to be released nine months hence, but don’t count on it. There is a striking degree of similarity in the weapons priorities of defense [ Read More…]
- Defunding Trump’s Wall Halted Deployment Of Advanced Surveillance Systems (From The National Interest)
When President Joe Biden terminated funding for former President Donald Trump’s controversial border wall, an unintended consequence of that decision was to stop deployment of several advanced electronic surveillance capabilities. Ironically, on many parts of the border, these systems provide an alternative to a physical wall. Advanced surveillance capabilities act as a force multiplier for badly overstretched Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel. At a time when activities on the border are increasing at a remarkable pace, both crossings by [ Read More…]
- Postal Reform Should Eliminate Private Sector Subsidies (From RealClearMarkets)
Both houses of Congress are finally moving ahead in a substantive, bipartisan manner to reform the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The Postal Service Reform Act has many important and beneficial provisions. However, the legislation also has a troubling flaw, Section 202, which specifies and requires “an integrated network for the delivery of market-dominant and competitive products.” The practical effect of the wholly unnecessary language is that it eviscerates attempts to price mail products based on mail costs and package products [ Read More…]
- First Look: Air Force 2022 Budget Is All About Technology, Much Of It Secret (From Forbes)
The Air Force released its first budget request of the Biden years on May 28, and most of what’s interesting is in the R&D accounts. The service is spending many billions of dollars developing next-generation solutions to long-range strike, nuclear deterrence, space resilience and multi-domain command and control. Many of the initiatives are overdue, but they also are secret–making it hard for outsiders to learn details. Any way you slice it, though, the Air Force is on a vector to [ Read More…]