by Robbin Laird 2012 is perhaps a turning point year in the global fighter market. India’s downselect of the Rafale and the possible selection by Brazil of the same aircraft could have some game changing qualities. First, if this were to occur, this would mean that the US is down…
Thomas Hobson became known in history for what is called Hobson’s choice. A person has a free choice but can only chose one option. For the normal human, this sounds like no choice at all. But for Thomas Hobson, a livery stable owner in Cambridge England, he would offer customers…
by Kenneth Maxwell Brazil's principal newspaper had two stories in its Saturday issue concerning the competition for a new fleet of combat aircraft for the Brazilian air force and the continuing saga of the Super Tucano. In the "Folha de Sao Paulo," Clovis Rossi, writing from New Deli, where President…
By Richard Weitz The PNSR Case Studies: Righting Resource Allocation Allocating resources improperly is a persistent problem with U.S. national security policy. The national security system finds it easier to mobilize resources for hard power assets (e.g., military capabilities) than for soft power capabilities (e.g., civilian agencies or public diplomacy).…
Bold Alligator 2012 was the largest Amphibious exercise in more than a decade. After a decade of land wars, the “return” of the USN-USMC team to littoral engagement operations is a core skillset, which needs to be highlighted and further, enhanced and developed. Because it is called an amphibious exercise,…
by Robbin Laird Recently, we have seen yet again, a US government report on the life cycle costs of the F-35 fleet from a 55 year perspective! One could ask a simple question: what has mandated this question and why are they not fired? There are many questions one can…
The Making of US National Security Policy: The Leadership Imperative By Richard Wetiz Successful policy development, implementation, and outcomes are often associated with direct and sustained presidential engagement. For example, the study of U.S. policy during the East Timor crisis found that it was only after President Clinton intervened to…
Second Line of Defense visited the USNS Robert E. Peary (T-AKE 5) while it was in port in Norfolk. The ship caught our eye while we were covering Bold Alligator 2012 because of the first operational engagement of an Osprey aboard a T-AKE ship. We will publish shortly an interview…
