Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D

Threats To U.S. Elections Are Creating A New Kind Of National Security Challenge (From Forbes) In the old days, national security was all about military challenges. Not anymore. Pandemics and climate changes are now viewed as part of the panoply of threats to the nation. But Washington has been slow to recognize what may be [Read More...]
Army Rethink Of Aviation Priorities Is A Big Boost For Boeing (From Forbes) On February 8, the Army disclosed that it will end development of a manned recon helicopter and place greater emphasis on unmanned systems. Funding intended for the canceled program is being reallocated in a fashion designed to support other missions [Read More...]
The U.S. Commercial Ship Industry Has Collapsed. Fallout For National Security Could Follow. (From Forbes) Last month, legislators from both chambers of Congress sent President Biden a letter expressing alarm at the decline of the commercial shipbuilding and shipping industry. They have a point: the industry barely exists beyond domestic routes reserved from U.S.-flag vessels. [Read More...]
Amazon’s Kuiper Orbital Internet System Will Include Important National Security Features (From Forbes) Amazon has begun launching a 3,200-satellite system into low earth orbit that will provide high-speed, low-latency internet service around the globe. The system is called Kuiper, and even though it is a commercial venture, it offers big benefits for military [Read More...]
Boeing Products Bulk Large In Latest Foreign Military Sales Report (From Forbes) Boeing’s defense and space business is in recovery mode after suffering a series of setbacks due to fixed-price development contracts. It is not alone. The business has embarked on a path to sustained profitability that includes increased sales to foreign [Read More...]
How Submarine-Launched Systems Can Overwhelm Chinese Warships In The Taiwan Strait (From Forbes) The danger of a Chinese amphibious assault on Taiwan is the central driver of U.S. defense strategy. China’s military advantages in the region are growing, and it is not clear that most U.S. warfighting systems will be able to operate [Read More...]
Air Force’s Sentinel ICBM Program Is Struggling, Potentially Impacting Nuclear Deterrence (From Forbes) Bloomberg News reports that the Air Force’s effort to replace its aging ICBM force is facing substantial cost growth and multiyear delays. Called Sentinel, the program involves developing a new missile to replace Minuteman III and replacing a vast infrastructure [Read More...]
Pentagon Makes It Official: U.S. Industrial Decline Is Undermining National Defense (From Forbes) Earlier this month the Pentagon released its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy. Its tone is strikingly similar to industrial assessments conducted during the Trump administration. That is arguably a good thing, in the sense that it demonstrates there is a [Read More...]
Why The U.S. Needs A Third Site For National Missile Defense (From Forbes) The U.S. currently has two sites dedicated to defending the American homeland against ballistic missile attack. The major site is at Fort Greely in Alaska. A much smaller site is at Vandenberg AFB in California. The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency [Read More...]
What Would The U.S. Defense Posture Look Like In A Second Trump Presidency? (From Forbes) Former President Donald Trump has a decent shot at winning reelection in 2024. Contrary to popular perception, that would not portend an unpredictable presidency, at least when it comes to defense. Trump has bedrock convictions about war and peace that [Read More...]
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