Defense
Availability Is What Matters To The Warfighter
Historically, the government bought military equipment, supplies and services “by the yard” with relatively little thought as to the costs of integrating all the parts and activities. How the troops used that . . .
Gaining Situational Awareness On The Ground
The most important information military commanders can have is the location of friendly forces. With this knowledge maneuvers can be accomplished more deftly, fires planned more accurately and the risk . . .
C-130J: How the Best Military Aircraft Became Even Better
The C-130 Hercules is the most widely used tactical airlifter in the world. Prized for its ability to land almost anywhere, the C-130 transports troops, equipment and supplies hundreds of times each day for . . .
Apocalypse Soon: Another Rationale for Human Space Flight
I know how the world ends, and it isn't with a whimper. You can see humanity's epitaph etched in advance by simply gazing up at the Moon on any evening, and observing the vast craters created by . . .
“Quick Kill:” The Next Revolution In Warfare
One of the keys to an effective counterinsurgency/counterterrorist strategy is the ability to defeat asymmetric threats. In Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces have confronted an array of asymmetric . . .
Tanker Competition: Buying Both Planes Would Waste Billions
The oldest fleet of jets in the world isn't operated by Uzbekistan Airways. It is operated by the U.S. Air Force, which decided in the early 1950s to buy hundreds of Boeing 707s as the backbone of its aerial- . . .
Public-Private Partnerships
It has been six years and three days since the Al Qaeda attack on the American homeland. I doubt anyone in this room woke up on September 12th, assuming you were able to sleep that night, thinking it . . .
Troop Surge Fails To Yield Political Progress — In America
Iraq isn't the only place where a recent change in military strategy has failed to produce political reconciliation. In Washington, Republicans are singing the praises of General Petraeus while some . . .
Army Plans For Reconnaissance Drones Misuse A Vital Asset
The only upside to the heavy burden that America's Army is carrying in Iraq is an abundance of money. Congress may not know how to deal with IEDs or save the marriage of a soldier deploying for his fourth . . .
Joint Fighter: The Case For Buying Competing Engines Is Weak
The biggest program in the Pentagon's weapons budget is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will cost $338 billion -- a third of a trillion dollars -- to develop, manufacture and maintain. Current plans call for . . .