Defense
Missile Defense Neglected Fundamentals
There's a growing debate about missile defense in the national media. Much of it is recycled from debates in the 1960's (Sentinel/Safeguard) and 1980's (Star Wars). Missile defense, it is said, may "destabilize" . . .
Joint Strike Fighter Opportunity Costs
The biggest program in the Pentagon's weapons-purchasing plan for the next 20 years is the Joint Strike Fighter. The Clinton Administration wants to buy 2,852 of the stealthy fighter-bombers in three different . . .
Joint Strike Fighter: An “Opportunity” to be Avoided
If you want to understand why defense stocks often trade at a discount to other equities, take a look at the Joint Strike Fighter. The $220 billion program is supposed to replace Air Force F-16's, Navy F/A-18's . . .
JSTARS: Military has the ‘Eyesight’, But Where’s the Foresight?
Imagine if the Union Army had possessed the technical means to "see" from the farmlands of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia. President Abraham Lincoln's military commanders could have monitored the movements. . .
Keep Coast Guard Sharp: Expanding Missions Demand Modern Gear
When most people think of the U.S. Coast Guard, they think of a small-boat force that risks life and limb in crashing surf and stormy seas to rescue errant boaters. Perhaps they imagine a sleek cutter, armed . . .
Clear and Present Danger
To The Editor:Jonathan Schell's essay concerning our ongoing nuclear crisis ["The Unfinished Twentieth Century," January] correctly notes that the Clinton Administration's plans to develop an anti-ballistic . . .
Submarines and Intelligence (3): Bock Buy Saves Money
The Lexington Institute has published several essays on the seldom-discussed subject of submarines and intelligence. The Navy's nuclear-powered attack subs have a rapidly growing role in the collection of both . . .
Submarines and Intelligence (2): Time to Rebuild
Over the past ten years, the strategic intelligence taskings for the Navy's nuclear-powered attack submarines have doubled. During the same period, the number of attack subs in the active fleet declined . . .
Defense Industry’s Real Problem: Capricious Pentagon
The Pentagon is sponsoring a study by the Defense Science Board (DSB) to figure out what has gone wrong with the defense industry. In the two years since senior policymakers blocked the merger of top. . .
Submarines and Intelligence: The Missing Link
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has completed a comprehensive study of attack-submarine requirements in the years 2015 and 2025. The study is a follow-up to the 1997 Quadrennial Defense . . .