Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles were rapidly acquired based upon an undeniable urgent operational requirement. In short, the rapid fielding of MRAPs was an absolute necessity. The use of improvised explosive devices in Iraq and beyond had become a clear threat after several years in the Iraqi theater. And,…
In June 2009, ECATS celebrated its 50,000 flying hours at Le Bourget and has been pioneering a new approach in outsourcing training services’ support, which is now being duplicated and expanded accross France. This report focuses on such a “success story” by attempting to provide an overlook of the lessons learned ever…
In a recent Wall Street Journal piece on the new Chrysler and its struggle to build new cars, the authors underscored a core challenge facing the new Chrysler management. They have designs for new cars; they have assembly lines in mind for the new cars; they just don’t have the…
On October 23rd, 2009 during the NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Bratislava, nine NATO Allies signed a declaration of intent to contribute to the Czech-lead initiative to develop a multi-national transport helicopter programme for NATO (see: HIP helicopter initiative) and facilitate in-theater deployment of these much-needed air assets. The nine countries…
Rotorcraft are significant contributors to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. They provide combat support, logistical lift, troop transport, medivac, and integrated C4ISR for the battlefield. The Iraq conditions have provided significant stress on the fleet and the need to provide engineering and maintenance solutions for operating in sand, heat…
The acquisition of new tankers for the USAF remains challenging, as it gets underway for the third iteration. Virtually every aspect of the bids has been contested in blogs, newspaper, the GAO and commented on by various pundits. Whether the politics surrounding the bids can be attenuated to ultimately serve…
[caption id="attachment_408" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="A multi-national naval force, including the San Antonio class-amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde, USS Doyle, USCGC Mohawk, the Colombian navy frigate ARC Independiente, the Dutch navy auxiliary ship HMNLS Amsterdam, and the Uruguayan navy frigate General Artigas, underway in formation as part of FuerzasAliadas…
The F-22 debate has been highly charged politically. It has been used as a symbol for “defense waste” and “high technology irrelevance” by its detractors; and as a symbol of declining commitment by the United States to global power projection and strategic protection to its allies. But missing in this…
