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Policy Blog
- Will The FTC Try To Unwind Northrop Grumman’s 2018 Merger With Orbital ATK? (From Forbes)
In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission allowed Northrop Grumman to acquire rocket-motor maker Orbital ATK, with conditions. Now Politico reports that FTC lawyers believe Northrop violated those conditions. That violation may have resulted in Boeing dropping out of the competition to build a replacement for the Minuteman III missile, which Northrop as a result won. The situation raises interesting antitrust [ Read More…]
- Paul Steidler
- Put The Kibosh On Porch Piracy (From InsideSources)
America’s crime wave is coming to your front door if it has not hit there already. Porch piracy, the theft of brand-new, unopened items in packages laying just outside the sanctuary of your home’s living space is a hot trend. Especially coveted items include large-screen televisions, cell phones, and anything from high-end retailers. But even the loss of items such [ Read More…]
- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D.
- An Aging Amphibious Warfare Fleet Will Not Deter China (From RealClearDefense)
Events of recent weeks have underscored the correctness of the Biden administration’s view that China is this country’s pacing threat, one that is racing to create a military that would challenge that of the United States. The U.S. military is seeking to alter both the design of its forces and how they operate in peacetime to provide a credible deterrent [ Read More…]
- Beijing’s Blockade Of Taiwan Is The Latest Sign Washington Needs To Streamline Its Defense Trade With Allies (From Forbes)
The United States government maintains a complex system for controlling arms sales called International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR. It is designed to prevent military technology from falling into the hands of bad actors, but it impedes sending the same technology to friends–even when it is urgently needed. With Beijing now determined to match and surpass Washington in advanced technology, there is a need to compress the time required to secure approvals in military transactions with key allies. The [ Read More…]
- Bell/Textron Says Keeping Future Vertical Lift On Track Is Critical To Renewing The Rotorcraft Industrial Base (From Forbes)
The U.S. Army is expected to award a contract for the development of a Black Hawk helicopter successor in October. It is potentially a very big program, and competing industry teams are straining to prevail. One team, led by Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit, is highlighting potential dangers to the rotorcraft industry’s workforce, depending on who wins or loses the award. The other team, led by Bell/Textron, is stressing a different facet of the potential industrial-base fallout. It says [ Read More…]
- Fix The U.N.’s Antiquated Regulation Of International Package Shipments (From RealClearMarkets)
With the global economy becoming increasingly interconnected, it is essential that international package delivery keep up. International package shipments are expected to at least triple in the next decade. This is good news for American businesses looking to sell more abroad. And for businesses and consumers, low-cost and efficient international e-commerce means more affordable and reliable purchases. But the vast promises of expanded international e-commerce will be diluted, and perhaps sidetracked, if the current international regulatory regime of small packages [ Read More…]
- Boeing Has Bottomed. It Could Recover Quickly. (From Forbes)
Boeing’s second-quarter results, released Wednesday, were a mixed bag. However, looking beyond the numbers, there is evidence that recovery from its recent rough patch is well under way. The company will likely deliver 400 737 narrowbody jetliners this year, and the highly profitable 787 Dreamliner will resume deliveries after a hiatus due to production issues. New variants of the Max are likely to be certified by FAA in the third quarter, and the 777X is headed for initial deliveries in [ Read More…]
- Why An Antitrust War Against Google And Big Tech Is A Big Mistake (From 1945)
There is a clear consensus among defense and intelligence officials across the globe that China has moved from being a competitor to the West to a threat not only to the U.S. but the entire liberal democratic world. One aspect of this growing threat is China’s effort to dominate so-called advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, 5/6G communications, extended reality, and cybersecurity. The ability to compete with and beat China in the development and deployment of advanced [ Read More…]
- Suddenly, The F-35 Fighter Is Everywhere (From Forbes)
July is shaping up to be a good month for the F-35 fighter. Greece disclosed it wants to buy 20 of the stealthy aircraft, maybe more. The Czech Republic revealed it wants 24. And the Pentagon reached a handshake deal with airframe integrator Lockheed Martin for another 375. All told, 16 nations have signed on to the world’s biggest weapons project, and more are waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, the increasingly ubiquitous fighter is participating in training exercises around the [ Read More…]
- How Unmanned Warships Might Provide A New Paradigm For Naval Shipbuilding (From Forbes)
The Navy has identified unmanned systems as a high-priority investment area, and is developing a diverse array of robotic sea vehicles. Some of these vehicles are genuinely autonomous warships, but with no crews. The Navy’s main focus to date has been on how such sea vehicles might enable new warfighting concepts like distributed maritime operations. Over the long run, use of unmanned sea vehicles might also support new approaches to naval shipbuilding. Because unmanned systems do not need to host [ Read More…]
- How To Slash The Time And Money Needed To Build Warships–Without Cutting Capabilities (From Forbes)
The U.S. Navy has been struggling unsuccessfully for 20 years to increase the number of warships in its fleet above 300. If wants to keep up with China–which will have 400 warships by the end of the decade–it will have to adjust how it does business. In particular, it needs to be more predictable in its plans, more stable in its funding, and more consistent in setting the intervals between when ships are constructed. Right now, the Navy isn’t any [ Read More…]
- The West Needs To Unleash Sanctions Hell On Russia Or Risk A War With NATO (From 1945)
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine appears to be broadening and deepening. While Moscow’s initial strategy of a swift coup de main to decapitate the Ukrainian government failed, Russia has had significant successes in the South and East. Some observers believe that despite Russia’s territorial gains, its army has been decimated, and Ukraine could even recapture some of the territories it has lost. But it is unclear whether Ukraine has a winning military option, regardless of how much assistance the [ Read More…]
- The West Needs To Unleash Sanctions Hell On Russia Or Risk A War With NATO (From 19FortyFive)
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine appears to be broadening and deepening. While Moscow’s initial strategy of a swift coup de main to decapitate the Ukrainian government failed, Russia has had significant successes in the South and East. Some observers believe that despite Russia’s territorial gains, its army has been decimated, and Ukraine could even recapture some of the territories it has lost. But it is unclear whether Ukraine has a winning military option, regardless of how much assistance the [ Read More…]