2012-12-14 by Kenneth Maxwell Brazil's military has been flexing its muscles recently. But major problems remain in shaping effective capabilities and an effective role within Brazilian foreign and security policies. Nonetheless, Brazil is redefining the role of its armed forces and making major decisions on the procurement of new equipment in the…
2012-12-13 by Richard Weitz The protracted negotiations concerning China’s possible purchase of an enormous volume of Russian natural gas has been a prominent agenda item at Russian-Chinese leadership summits for years. Expectations had been high for years that an agreement might soon be imminent, but the parties have proved unable…
2012-12-13 by Richard Weitz Nuclear energy is a part of overall Chinese security policy, but a fairly limited one. At present, China’s 11 operating nuclear reactors produce less than 2% of the country’s electricity, compared with over 25 percent in Japan and approximately 75 percent in France. Despite the nuclear…
2012-12-13 By Robbin Laird Leadership always looks easy in the rear view mirror. We often hear that it was easier in the Cold War because the landscape was so black and white. Now it is much harder, we are frequently told, because the enemy is diffuse, complex and asymmetric. When…
2012-12-13 by Robbin Laird President Obama has declared the Syrian preparation for possible use of chemical weapons a “red line” and the NATO alliance has responded also along these lines. A “red line” should mean something when it has been crossed and if you declare a “red line” to someone…
In an interesting notion of what US Pacific strategy should be, our good friends in the PRC are trying to persuade Inside the Beltway among others to be calm. Building trust is the proper response to being shot at. Thanks for that advice Beijing and remember that in the South…
2012-12-12 In the first piece from our interview with Col. Michael Orr, VMX-22 squadron commander, we focused on the co-location of the F-35 squadrons, MAWTS and VMX-22 and its impact on innovation. In this second part, Col. Orr discusses some of the consequences of having such a process in place.…
2012-12-12 It is anticipated that four A400Ms will be delivered in 2013. The first delivery to the French Air Force, of MSN7, is planned for the second quarter. Another milestone has been passed for the aircraft as it nears its first delivery. According to a recent Airbus Military press release:…
