Russia Signs Deal with France for Warships

06/28/2011
News Brief By Kirsten Ashbaugh 06/27/2011 - Russia has signed a long-expected agreement with France to buy two Mistral-class warships in a US$1.7 billion (€1.2 billion) contract.  Anatoly Isaikin, director of the state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport, and Patrick Boissier, president and CEO of the shipbuilder DCNS that will construct the…

An Unheralded Victory for the 12th Air Force

06/28/2011
06/28/2011 by Ed Timperlake “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” John Lennon A tremendous and unnoticed US Air Force victory is being won right off the shores of America.  And this victory highlights the impact of a Hi-Lo mix of technology. “Brazilian planes silence Dominican…

The Chinese Quest

06/27/2011
By Richard McCormack Manufacturing News, May 31, 2011 06/06/2011 - China has embarked on a goal of becoming the world’s leader in science, technology, invention, innovation and commercialization through a wide range of “techno-nationalistic” policies, spending programs and incentives. [caption id="attachment_19945" align="alignleft" width="178" caption="(Credit: CENTRA Technology, Inc.)"][/caption] It is receiving…

Transatlantic Defense Troubles

06/27/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz 06/27/2011 - In early June 2011, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a comprehensive report on European countries’ defense industrial policies. Thus far, European governments have devoted sufficient resources to keep their deployed forces in a state of high readiness. Often this has…

A New Middle East

06/27/2011
By Franck Znaty 06/27/2011 - "There are currently no doubts about the stability of the regime in Egypt.” It was in these words that the newly-installed Military Intelligence Director of the  Israel Defense Forces' (IDF), Major General Aviv Kochavi, presented his assessment of the political situation in Egypt to the…

A Deadly Alliance

06/26/2011
06/26/2011 By Douglas Farah Senior Fellow, Financial Investigations and Transparency International Assessment and Strategy Center Adjunct Fellow, Americas Program, CSIS http://www.ndu.edu/press/emerging-alliances.html Introduction Terrorist-Criminal Pipelines and Criminalized States: Emerging Alliances for the 21st Century 06/21/2011 - On July 1, 2010 the U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed…

Eurofighter at The Paris Air Show: The Indian Dimension

06/22/2011
06/22/2011 By Robbin Laird What are the strategic potentials of a Eurofighter in India from an industrial point of view?  Much depends on what India is able to do and can re-organize itself to do.  If properly organized, India could shape a significant aerospace future and Eurofighter could become a…

Sustainability: The Missing Factor in the U.S. Defense Debate

06/20/2011
By Dr. Robbin Laird 06/20/2011 - The U.S. defense debate is being framed as defined by constrained fiscal choices and program cuts.  Also, the real need for a strategic review for the post-Afghan military is pressing. But rampant so-called “contingency” operations are sucking up operational money and draining procurement capabilities…