Battle Force 2045, the plan seeks "eight to 11" nuclear carriers — today's fleet has 11 — and possibly more of the conventionally powered smaller carriers called amphibious assault ships. He also wants an attack submarine force of 70 to 80 boats, up from today's roughly 55. Read on, here.
Esper's Reforms: An Interim Report Card
// Mackenzie Eaglen: What progress has the defense secretary made on his ambitious goals to reorient the Defense Department?
// Mackenzie Eaglen: What progress has the defense secretary made on his ambitious goals to reorient the Defense Department?
Mackenzie Eaglen writes: Secretary Esper stayed committed to his ten targeted goals—each with subtasks—under these three broad objectives to begin achieving “irreversible implementation” of the National Defense Strategy. He has made laudable progress — while leaving plenty of work for next year. – Defense One
Global Business Brief
// Marcus Weisgerber: 500-ship Navy?; Lord's reforms; Interior's drone fleet; and more..
// Marcus Weisgerber: 500-ship Navy?; Lord's reforms; Interior's drone fleet; and more..
Israel Should Reject Syrian Peace Overtures by Jonathan Spyer
The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
October 2, 2020
https://www.meforum.org/61610/israel-should-keep-syria-weak
The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security
October 2, 2020
https://www.meforum.org/61610/israel-should-keep-syria-weak
Revolutionary violence is always an indictment of a political system’s democratic legitimacy.
Read More »
Read More »
Horns of a Dilemma Podcast -- Military Pensions: Politics, Policy, and Reform
with Brandon Archuleta and Jim Golby
with Brandon Archuleta and Jim Golby
How China Outsmarted the Trump Administration // Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic: While the U.S. is distracted, China is rewriting the rules of the global order.
Keep an Eye on Taiwan // Michael Schuman, The Atlantic: The battle over the island may be a Cold War relic, but it will shape the future.
Keep an Eye on Taiwan // Michael Schuman, The Atlantic: The battle over the island may be a Cold War relic, but it will shape the future.
Defense Innovation Is Falling Short by Christopher Zember and Peter Khooshabeh
Kill ’Em All? Denial Strategies, Defense Planning, and Deterrence Failure by Evan Montgomery
INDIA:
India Scraps Investment Rule for Foreign Weapons Suppliers
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Bloomberg: “India scrapped a rule that forced foreign suppliers of weapons, aircraft or military hardware to invest in the South Asian nation, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to accelerate defense purchases and reduce red tape.”
CHINA:
003 and More: An Update on China’s Aircraft Carriers
By Rick Joe, The Diplomat: “As another year passes, additional developments in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carrier program continue to be sighted and confirmed, in spite of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
India Scraps Investment Rule for Foreign Weapons Suppliers
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Bloomberg: “India scrapped a rule that forced foreign suppliers of weapons, aircraft or military hardware to invest in the South Asian nation, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to accelerate defense purchases and reduce red tape.”
CHINA:
003 and More: An Update on China’s Aircraft Carriers
By Rick Joe, The Diplomat: “As another year passes, additional developments in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carrier program continue to be sighted and confirmed, in spite of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
What if Middle Eastern States Worked Together?
By Gary Schmitt, RealClearDefense: “A future with multiple states in the Middle East pointing nukes at one another seems more likely than ever before, but the Israel-UAE deal illuminates a solution.”
By Gary Schmitt, RealClearDefense: “A future with multiple states in the Middle East pointing nukes at one another seems more likely than ever before, but the Israel-UAE deal illuminates a solution.”
The Façade of Chinese Foreign Policy Coherence
By Ian J. Lynch, Strategy Bridge: "The spectre of great power competition with a rising China has prompted a sprawling debate in the United States. For decades, American engagement with China sought to make Beijing a “responsible stakeholder” in the U.S.-led international order."
China Expands Its Economic and Political Influence in Northern Iraq
By Yasin Yildirim, The Strategist (ASPI): “Autonomous Kurdistan is a federal administrative unit of Iraq in the northern part of the country and is controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government. It hosts foreign investors from many countries and entities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia and Turkey. The region is also an attraction point for the People’s Republic of China and Chinese state-owned and -controlled companies."
By Ian J. Lynch, Strategy Bridge: "The spectre of great power competition with a rising China has prompted a sprawling debate in the United States. For decades, American engagement with China sought to make Beijing a “responsible stakeholder” in the U.S.-led international order."
China Expands Its Economic and Political Influence in Northern Iraq
By Yasin Yildirim, The Strategist (ASPI): “Autonomous Kurdistan is a federal administrative unit of Iraq in the northern part of the country and is controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government. It hosts foreign investors from many countries and entities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia and Turkey. The region is also an attraction point for the People’s Republic of China and Chinese state-owned and -controlled companies."
Report: Russia's Military Strength Highest Since Soviet Days
That's according to a new International Institute for Strategic Studies report. "Russia's nuclear weaponry and the Russian Aerospace Forces have ... benefited most from a near-decade long increase in investment," the report states.
That's according to a new International Institute for Strategic Studies report. "Russia's nuclear weaponry and the Russian Aerospace Forces have ... benefited most from a near-decade long increase in investment," the report states.
Defense Acquisition Reimagined
By Bryan Smith, RealClearDefense: “Try to imagine a blue-ribbon panel of technologists, policy experts, military officers, and business executives being asked to devise, from scratch, a resilient system for delivering to DoD what it needs, when it needs it, at the best value to the taxpayer.”
Mine Warfare Needs a New Concept of Operations
By Ridge H. Alkonis, Proceedings: “Mine hunting, finding, and sweeping are not marginal operations. The assets peforming these missions must undertake careful thought and preparation, as “countering mines cannot be made easy, cheap, or convenient.” With the current mine countermeasures (MCM) force limited in personnel, material, and money, the Navy needs a new concept of operations that relies more on automated unmanned systems."
By Bryan Smith, RealClearDefense: “Try to imagine a blue-ribbon panel of technologists, policy experts, military officers, and business executives being asked to devise, from scratch, a resilient system for delivering to DoD what it needs, when it needs it, at the best value to the taxpayer.”
Mine Warfare Needs a New Concept of Operations
By Ridge H. Alkonis, Proceedings: “Mine hunting, finding, and sweeping are not marginal operations. The assets peforming these missions must undertake careful thought and preparation, as “countering mines cannot be made easy, cheap, or convenient.” With the current mine countermeasures (MCM) force limited in personnel, material, and money, the Navy needs a new concept of operations that relies more on automated unmanned systems."
Budget Cuts and Politics Will Crimp U.S. China Strategy
By Jacob Parakilas, The Diplomat: “Even though China is a rare point of convergence for both parties, partisan politics and COVID-19 induced cuts will affect the U.S. military’s ability to hold the fort in Asia-Pacific come January."
China Military Watch
By Malcolm Davis & Charlie Lyons Jones, The Strategist (ASPI): “Ballistic missiles on Chinese merchant vessels? . . ."
By Jacob Parakilas, The Diplomat: “Even though China is a rare point of convergence for both parties, partisan politics and COVID-19 induced cuts will affect the U.S. military’s ability to hold the fort in Asia-Pacific come January."
China Military Watch
By Malcolm Davis & Charlie Lyons Jones, The Strategist (ASPI): “Ballistic missiles on Chinese merchant vessels? . . ."
Erdogan's Plan to Take Over the Palestinian Authority by Khaled Abu Toameh
U.S., ASIA:
The End of U.S. Primacy in Asia
By Adam Mattison, USNI Blog: “As the Navy continues its push toward a 355-ship fleet, the perennial issue of manning that fleet is more important now than at any point since the end of the Cold War."
SOUTH CAUCUSUS:
The Key to Armenia's Tank Losses: The Sensors
By Jack Watling, RUSI: “Despite the heavy Armenian armoured losses, the key lessons from the videos Azerbaijan has published online are not about armour. Rather, they reflect how the density of sensors on the modern battlefield is changing the balance in combined arms warfare."
The End of U.S. Primacy in Asia
By Adam Mattison, USNI Blog: “As the Navy continues its push toward a 355-ship fleet, the perennial issue of manning that fleet is more important now than at any point since the end of the Cold War."
SOUTH CAUCUSUS:
The Key to Armenia's Tank Losses: The Sensors
By Jack Watling, RUSI: “Despite the heavy Armenian armoured losses, the key lessons from the videos Azerbaijan has published online are not about armour. Rather, they reflect how the density of sensors on the modern battlefield is changing the balance in combined arms warfare."
What Happens When China Leads the World
By Michael Schuman, The Atlantic: “What kind of superpower will China be? That’s the question of the 21st century. According to American leaders such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, China will be a rapacious authoritarian nightmare, intent on destroying democracy itself. Beijing, needless to say, doesn’t quite agree."
By Michael Schuman, The Atlantic: “What kind of superpower will China be? That’s the question of the 21st century. According to American leaders such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, China will be a rapacious authoritarian nightmare, intent on destroying democracy itself. Beijing, needless to say, doesn’t quite agree."
RSS Feed