PENTAGON ACQUISITION REFORM - CounterStrikeMedia

WHERE CHINA ACQUIRES TECH: U.S., EUROPE & PENTAGON'S PROCUREMENT OFFICE MANDATE FOR CHANGE

4/27/2018

Chinese technology acquisition is not about investing in the US
Derek Scissors | American Enterprise Institute

The Pentagon's New R&D Chief Has a Mandate for Change
// Patrick Tucker
Michael Griffin has orders to concentrate the Defense Department's diverse research and development efforts on a few key technologies.

The Pentagon Is Losing the Innovation Battle. Here’s How to Turn It Around
(NextGov) Four steps that will help better harness American innovation.

Turning Around the Pentagon's Innovation Battle
By Tim Greef, Defense One: “The United States military is losing the innovation battle. This is not hyperbole. Ellen Lord, defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, made this point last December.”

RUSSIA HAS A TOMAHAWK TO STUDY & CHINA SEEKS TO SLOW DOWN U.S. UNDERWATER ADVANTAGE

4/26/2018

Russia claims it has a US Tomahawk cruise missile and will use it to improve its own weapons
(CNBC) Russia has gotten its hands on a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile and it's going to study it to improve its own weapon systems, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday, However, the U.S. Department of Defense told CNBC that the claims from Moscow are "absurd."

THE F-35B HEATS UP FAST WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY & WHAT HAPPENED TO THE F22

4/24/2018

F-22 Production Was Killed so That a New Bomber Could Live
By Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone: “Retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz has stated in his new memoir that F-22 production was idiotically axed after building less than half the required number so that the flying force could get then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to approve building a new stealth bomber.”

The Air Force's Secret F-22 Production Restart Study
By Joseph Trevithick & Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone: “Axing F-22 production at just 187 examples has become one of the most hotly debated and controversial defense procurement-related decisions of our time.”

How 1 Revolutionary New Technology Is Making the F-35B Even Deadlier
By Dave Majumdar, The National Interest: “The new up-gunned ESG concept adds an enormous amount of anti-surface and anti-air capability the amphibious unit—especially when the firepower the Aegis-equipped destroyers is combined with the F-35Bs.”

Why the F-35 Isn’t Good Enough for Japan
By Abraham Ait, The Diplomat: “Tokyo looks to American and indigenous alternatives as a result of the joint strike fighter's shortcomings.”

STATUS ON U.S. PENTAGON REFORM & INDIA DROPS RUSSIA

4/23/2018

Thornberry's Pentagon-Reform Plan to Nowhere
// William D. Hartung
It's pitched as a way to cut waste — but would make the misallocation of our tax dollars more likely.

Thornberry Is Getting Rolled by the Services // Gordon Adams
The HASC chairman's proposed reforms would roll back consolidations that have been saving money for decades.

India withdraws from fifth generation aircraft carrier project, leaving Russia to go it alone
(IHS Jane’s 360) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has shelved its 11-year old collaborative Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme with Russia following enduring differences over its developmental cost and technological capabilities.

NAVY CREATES PERMANENT READINESS COMMAND & THE IMAPCT OF DEFICIT POLITICS ON READINESS

4/19/2018

Navy Creates Permanent Readiness Command
By Ben Werner, USNI News: ““Rebuilding readiness is my top priority,” Vice. Adm. Rich Brown, the commander of Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. “CNSG WP is one critical step in the process.””

Defense Spending Gets a Reprieve From Austerity Politics…for Now
By Matt Vallone, War on the Rocks: “Deficit politics have reared their head in almost every past presidential administration. It is unlikely this time will be different and the defense industry should plan accordingly.”

U.S. JAPAN HAS A2/AD (AREA ACCESS AREA DENIAL) FOR BEIJING; CHINA NEW MISSILE: THE FIRE DRAGON 280

4/18/2018

Losing US air superiority risks ground forces
(Defense News) The asymmetric advantage that the U.S. military possesses ― and that has prevented enemy aircraft attacks on American ground forces since April 15, 1953 ― is eroding.

U.S. & Japan Can Counter Chinese A2/AD
(U.S. Naval Institute) Japan and the United States must cooperate together and with other partner countries to maintain a stable status quo in the region.

U.S. & Japan Can Counter Chinese A2/AD
By Takuya Shimodaira, Proceedings Magazine: “Chinese anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region are alarming. China seeks to wield its growing might to challenge the stable international order in the region with weapons that range from anti-ship cruise missiles to advanced submarines and even a rapidly growing and assertive coast guard.”

China's Norinco reveals Fire Dragon 280A tactical missile
(IHS Jane’s 360) The China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) has revealed the development of the Fire Dragon 280A Tactical Missile for use by its AR3 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).

Air Force Operationally Debuts JASSM-ER
By Robin Hughes, IHS Jane's 360: “The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has operationally debuted its Lockheed Martin AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missile during allied weapons strikes against Syrian chemical weapons research and storage facilities.”

China launches second Type 055 destroyer
(IHS Jane’s 360) Photographs posted on Chinese online forums indicate that a second Type 055 destroyer on order for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was launched on 28 April at the Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard in Shanghai.

WHY CIVIL SOCIETY MATTERS FOR WAR & REFORM; THE DOCTRINE OF REPAIR AND REBUILD U.S. MILITARY

4/16/2018

Two Decades of War Have Eroded the Morale of America's Troops
// Phil Klay
If the courage of young men and women in battle truly does depend on the nature and quality of our civic society, we should be very worried.

Two decades of war have eroded the morale of America’s troops
(The Atlantic ) South of fallujah’s Route Fran were hundreds of insurgents who’d spent months digging trench lines, emplacing roadside bombs, barricading streets, training with their weapons, reading the Koran, and watching videos of suicide bombers to inspire them for the fight to come. North of Route Fran were the roughly 1,000 men of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, preparing themselves for the assault. Route Fran itself was a wide, four-lane highway. On November 9, 2004, the highway was wet—it’d rained the previous day—and the sky was gray and foreboding.

“Repair and Rebuild: Balancing New Military Spending for a Three-Theater Strategy,” Eaglen outlines the steps the US must take to restore America’s military for decades to come. Read the full report.
To get smart fast on the steps it would take to fix the US military, revisit the Repair and Rebuild one-pager here.

MATTIS WANTS NEWS WAYS OF WAGING TACTICAL WAR

4/14/2018

Stop Wasting Infantry’s Time: Mattis Task Force

The U.S. Is Building Its Own Anti-Access Air and Missile Defense System
By Daniel Gouré, RealClearDefense: “Soon, the U.S. will have a layered capability that links every sensor with any shooter to create a truly integrated anti-access air and missile defense.”

HYPERSONICS NEED MORE SENSORS & IS THERE A MISSILE GAP

4/12/2018

Pentagon Aims to Win Global Race for New Hypersonic Technologies
By Oriana Pawlyk, Military.com: “"The Air Force is using prototyping to explore the art of the possible and to advance these technologies to a capability as quickly as possible," spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement.”

With the rise of hypersonics, the Missile Defense Agency wants more sensors
(C4ISRNET) The head of the Missile Defense Agency wants the Pentagon to improve its sensors to combat new missile technology coming from Russia and China, according to his testimony before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee April 11.

Russian and Chinese Hypersonic Glide Vehicles: Closing the Gap
By Davis Florick, NIPP: “Moscow and Beijing have reportedly broached the possibility of arming HGVs with conventional or nuclear munitions thus complicating how the U.S., allies, and partners might handle a crisis situation.

Missile Gap Is Looming in Hypersonic Weapons
By Dan Goure, The National Interest: “A new “missile gap” is emerging, one that is based in fact. This is the disparity between the United States and its main competitors, Russia and China, in the field of hypersonic weapons systems.”

PRESENCE IS NOT DETERRENCE: HOW U.S. NAVY SCREWS UP THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DISPUTE

4/12/2018

Presence Is Not Deterrence
By Joseph Hanacek, Proceedings Magazine: “In pursuit of its sailing direction to “operate forward,” the U.S. Navy seems to have confused presence with deterrence and, in so doing, hampered its ability to maintain, train, and equip its forces effectively and sustainably.”

DEFENSE RELATED INDUSTRIES EMERGING IN EASTERN EUROPE

4/11/2018

Private Enterprise Thriving in Central Europe
By Lanny J. Davis, RealClearDefense: “Recently, Raytheon chose CSG to assist the training of Afghan officers as part of the U.S. Army’s Warfighter Field Operations Customer Support (FOCUS) program.”

ARMY'S NEW COLLABORATION HUB FOR WEAPONS & MATERIALS

4/10/2018

Leap-Ahead Technologies: Could They Be the Army's Undoing?
By Matthew Cox, Military.com: “The U.S. Army is locked on a path to replace its tanks, helicopters and other major combat systems -- a daunting venture in itself. But the true challenge for the service may be avoiding the minefield of mistakes that led to the multibillion-dollar demise of another leap-ahead plan, Future Combat Systems, less than a decade ago.”

Building the Hierarchy of Innovation in DoD: A Plan for Action
By Peter Newell, War on the Rocks: “In the process of defining these innovation pipelines we observed that there are distinct types of people who actually drive innovation in the military’s ecosystem: makers and innovators, entrepreneurs, and innovation gurus.”

US Army Eyes Faster Weapons Development with a New Collaboration Hub
// Caroline Houck
Super-strong materials, cyber defenses are on the agenda as the Army Research Lab launches new partnerships.

Robert H. Scales writes: The Army’s decision to create a “Futures Command” is long overdue, well-intended, [...] But accelerating the pace of modernization without a rigorous understanding of how militaries anticipate the future of war might run the risk of creating an accelerating engine with greater thrust, but no vectors. - War on the Rocks

Forecasting the Future of Warfare
By Robert H. Scales, War on the Rocks: “The Army’s decision to create a “Futures Command” is long overdue, well-intended, and absolutely necessary if the Army is to emerge from the malaise that has held modernization in its vice for all of this new century. But accelerating the pace of modernization without a rigorous understanding of how militaries anticipate the future of war might run the risk of creating an accelerating engine with greater thrust, but no vectors.”

What is U.S. Army Futures Command?
From the AUSA Global Force Symposium, here's what we've learned about the Army's command devoted to modernizing the service. (Jeff Martin/Staff)

What’s next for Futures Command?
In an interview before the Global Forces Symposium, Under Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy laid out what’s ahead in the process to stand up the service's newest command. (Jeff Martin & Daniel Woolfolk/Staff)

The Big Six: Milley Says What Army Needs, Esper Says How To Get It
(Breaking Defense) Gen. Milley lays out what the Army needs, embodied in its Big Six modernization priorities. Sec. Esper then works on how to fund and deliver those needs.

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION IN MILITARY AFFAIRS

4/8/2018

Russia parades war-‘bots for the first rime
(War Is Boring) On April 18, 2018, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the year’s military parade in Moscow, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, will feature new and advanced weaponry.

Is Russia on the Doorstep of the Seventh Military Revolution?
By Sergey Sukhankin, Eurasia Daily Monitor: “Army General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, presented his reflections on future conflicts, on March 24. Notably, he argued that “the enemy’s economy and command-and-control system (C2) will be priority targets [for potential Russian attacks].” And aside from traditional warfighting domains, Russian forces will increasingly operate in the information sphere and outer space.”

The strengths and weaknesses of Russia's military
(Deutsche Welle) Russian armed forces provide Moscow with clear military superiority in the post-Soviet region, despite Russia's troops not being able to match the whole of NATO. The Kremlin is busy modernizing its army, experts told DW.

Joshua Rovner writes: Competitive strategies are deliberately risky because by definition, they work by inspiring fear in adversaries. [...] Russia seems vulnerable to competitive strategies because of its oversensitivity and proclivity for overreaction. - War on the Rocks

Russia’s strategic bomber force extends long arm
(IHS Jane’s 360) On 30 March, Lieutenant General Anatoliy Zhikarev (retd), commander of long-range aviation (DA) in the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) in 2009–16, gave an interview to Russia’s Nezavisimoye Voyennoe Obozreniye ( Independent Military Review ) about the major improvements in the Tu-160M2.

How to Respond to Russia’s INF Treaty Violation
By Gary Schmitt & James Cunningham, RealClearDefense: “When The New York Times reported that Russia had likely deployed a nuclear-armed cruise missile in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, declared the treaty “in tatters” and the deployment a lesson “about the price of not confronting aggression.””

Competitive Strategies Against Russia Are Seductive, Dangerous, and Unnecessary
By Joshua Rovner, War on the Rocks: “In 1987, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger told Congress, “Wherever possible, we should adopt strategies that make obsolete past Soviet defense investments.”

Russia’s Shipbuilding Program: Postponed Blue-Water Ambitions
By Ihor Kabanenko, Eurasia Daily Monitor: “Russia’s shipbuilding program for 2011–2020, under which the country plans to build over 100 new warships, is reportedly causing “a very bad feeling” among some Russian naval experts. They describe the current status of the Russian Navy as a “ceremonial fleet” and have suggested that one third of the shipbuilding program has resulted in little more than a “donut hole.””

RUSSIA: Russian Navy Receives Upgraded Ballistic Missile Sub
By Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat: “The Russian Navy took delivery of an upgraded Project 667 BDRM Delta IV-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) this month, according to Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Yuri Borisov.

FIXING DEFENSE BUDGET
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TRANSPARENCY & COST CAPABILITY
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MACKENZIE EAGLEN
AEI

DEFENSE STRATEGY-PRIORITIES
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DEFENSE INNOVATION PROBLEMS
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REBUTAL TO EAGLEN
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DOD ACQUISITION REFORM

twelve problems_negatively_impacting_defense_innovation___american_enterprise_institute_-_aei.pdf
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the_1960s_had_their_day__changing_dod’s_acquisition_processes_and_structures___realcleardefense.pdf
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Dr. Kathleen Hicks

getting_to_less.pdf
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THUCYDIDES & THE LONG WAR PROBLEM

FORCE PLANNING IN AGE OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION

AGAINST ALL ODDS: CHANGING ACQUISITION CULTURE

THE CRISIS OF AMERICAN MILITARY PRIMACY

NATIONAL MILITARY STRATEGY: REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

UNDERSTANDING MILITARY MODERNIZATION

5 STRATEGIES FOR SEC. OF DEFENSE

WHY THE 3RD OFFSET FAILS

INADEQUATE DOCTRINES FOR IRREGULAR WAR

ALTERNATIVE WAR STRATEGIES & FORCE POSTURE

REVERSING DECLINE: ELIZABETHIAN ENGLAND

U.S. GRAND STRATEGY FOR WINNING WORLD WAR IV

MULTI-DOMAIN BATTLE REPLACES R.M.A.

GLOBAL DEFENSE SPENDING.pdf
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REBUILDING AMERICAN MILITARY.pdf
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Tweets by WilliamHolland

Principles Guiding Pentagon Acquisition Reform
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