by Ed Timperlake The US Intelligence Community is a famously federated league of like-minded sleuths conjoined by parallel mandates. It is not dysfunctional, merely less effective than it has to be. Like any large cobbled together organization the Intelligence Community (IC) operates on the maxim that “people are people,” and…
by Kenneth Maxwell Brazil will soon decide on reequipping its air force with a new generation of fighters. The decision was postponed by President Dilma Rousseff last year. The competitors are the French Dassault Rafale, the US Boeing F-18 Super Hornet, and the Swedish Saab Gripen. The US, France, and…
by Richard Weitz When the Obama Administration says it will shift national security strategy to the Asian pivot, can it do so? Richard Weitz looks at the historical record in Administrations seeking to provide for a policy shift and a core strategic focus. The PNSR Case Studies: Achieving Unity of…
Second Line of Defense had a chance to discuss with Lt. Col. “Uber” Williams who served as Col. Shorter’s deputy from MAG-14 headquarters during Bold Alligator 2012. According to Williams, “While he’s back in Cherry Point running the rest of his MAG, I will be out aboard the Kearsarge basically…
by Harald Malmgren As global economic growth slows, the price of oil should be falling. Instead, fears of disruption of supply are causing users of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to increase storage and encouraging traders to speculate on continuing elevation of oil. This is already having the effect of…
by Richard Weitz In their latest annual assessment of Russia’s nuclear forces, Hans Kristensen and Robert Norris estimate that the Russian Federation has more than 4,400 nuclear warheads. Of these, they calculate that some 2,430 warheads are assigned to various strategic delivery vehicles (1,490 on 434 ICBMs, and 950 are…
By Robbin Laird There are several new elements of the evolving global maritime transportation system, which place increasing demand on the providers of maritime security. Among those dynamics are: Deeper offshore drilling (such as the Arctic), Very large cruise ships (which are tax the ability to provide safety and security),…
by Richard Weitz For several years, the Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) worked as a nonpartisan, nonprofit, public interest organization to revitalize the American government by transforming its national security system. Since the current national security system was developed in 1947, the world has changed. Funded and supported by…
