The Impact of Space Budget Cuts on the Supply Chain: The End of An American Era

12/21/2012
2012-12-21 by Richard McCormack   A substantial percentage of companies that specialize in the space industry are on the brink of extinction.  According to the initial findings of an industry survey conducted by the federal government of 1,087 companies in the space supply chain, 38 percent said they would be insolvent…

The PRC Shapes the Pacific Future: Can the US and Its Allies Meet the Challenge?

12/20/2012
2012-12-18 by Richard Weitz Yesterday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, China experts Andrew J. Nathan and Andrew Scobell presented some of the themes in their new book entitled China’s Search for Security (Columbia University Press, 2012). Their articles in Foreign Affairs and The Washington Quarterly repeat the same…

Moving Forward with Japan-US Defense Cooperation

12/19/2012
2012-12-19 By Richard Weitz The change in government in Japan offers an opportunity to move forward in re-shaping the US-Japanese Alliance. The Alliance has now a long history, but re-shaping the Alliance will be crucial in the period ahead, notably with the challenges from North Korea, the PRC and new regions…

Meeting the Challenge of Dealing with Counterfeit Parts in the Defense Supply Chain

12/18/2012
2012-12-24 In a discussion with Denton Clark of Lockheed Martin, the focus was upon how to meet the challenge of counterfeit parts in the supply chain. Denton Clark, an AIT Manager, is the Automated Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) Integrated Process Team (IPT) lead, for Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this…

Chinese-US Thinking on the “ASEAN Pivot”

12/18/2012
2012-12-18 by Richard Weitz In several comprehensive dialogue sessions on China-U.S. relations held at the Chinese Embassy and various Washington think tanks, several themes emerged, focused primarily on the Southeast countries of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to U.S. officials, their Chinese counterparts are communicating two messages -- and…

North Korean Missile Test Exposes Limits of US Policy: Failed Policy Tools in Play

12/18/2012
2012-12-18 By Richard Weitz The White House denounced North Korea’s December 12 missile test as a "highly provocative act that threatens regional security." National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor called the launch "another example of North Korea's pattern of irresponsible behavior." He said that the administration “would work in a concerted…