By Ambassador (Ret.) Jon D. Glassman 10/28/2010 - As NATO considers assumption of homeland territorial ballistic missile defense (BMD) as an alliance mission at the Lisbon Summit in November, and as Israel, the countries around the Persian Gulf, and Japan proceed with their own BMD acquisition, missile defense now moves…
By Dr. Richard Weitz 10/16 /2010 The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency is expected to confirm soon an estimated $60 billion U.S. arms deal with Saudi Arabia. The unstated but widely understood purpose of the sale, which has been under discussion since 2007, is to enhance the Kingdom’s ability to…
By Dr. Robbin Laird 10/16/2010 Platforms are not capabilities; they become capabilities when integrated into a war-fighting approach, which necessitates combat tactical and strategic integration...
By Caroline Mükusch 10/15/2010 Competition for the Arctic has been growing intense since 2007. The Arctic neighboring states have proclaimed or renewed their national strategies on the Arctic. In the short-, mid- and long-term perspective, the question of who is entitled to the Arctic region and its vast store of…
By Dr. Heinrich Matthee 10/08/2010 - Iran’s leadership has been under severe pressure during the past twelve months. Infighting among the political elite and persistent popular protests since the presidential elections of 12 June 2009 are still fuelling tensions. Outside Iran, the US has increased pressure, with US Secretary of…
By Dr. Richard Weitz 09/30/2010 On August 17, the U.S. Department of Defense released its latest edition of its annual assessment of China’s military capabilities, intentions, and behavior to the U.S. Congress.(...) When one considers the recent reports collectively, one prominent theme is the growing strength of the Chinese Navy.
By Dr. Robbin Laird 09/30/2010 A global shift in manufacturing capability towards China, a significant investment by China in global commodities and the enhanced presence of China on the world stage are all significant developments. When married to a growing investment in the development and fielding of military capabilities, something…
By Dr. Richard Weitz 09/30/2010 Another theme in this year’s DoD report on the Chinese military is its appeal to China to make its military programs and objectives considerably more transparent by disclosing more data and engaging in more comprehensive military exchanges with the U.S. armed forces. Although acknowledging “modest…
