Re-“Working” the Question

08/09/2011
by Michael W. Wynne 21st Secretary of the USAF Under Secretary Work focused on TACAIR options for the USN and USMC.  Work focused on “warfighter capability and affordability trades, and costs and potential cost savings of different TACAIR force structure combinations.” http://www.sldforum.com/2011/08/under-secretary-of-the-navy-robert-works-july-tac-air-memo/ Perhaps a better question would be to ask:…

PLA Navy Capabilities on the March

08/07/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz 08/07/2011 - The PRC’s sustained military buildup has over time allowed the PLAN to modernize many of its platforms and weapons systems. Since the late 1990s, China has undertaken an ambitious modernization program that has produced approximately one hundred new warships since 2001. The PLAN already…

Re-Norming the Navy Battle Fleet: Supportable Defense Within a Manageable Budget

08/07/2011
By the Honorable Ed Timperlake [slidepress gallery='navy-battle-fleet'] 08/07/2011 - The air fleet of an enemy will never get within striking distance of our coast as long as our aircraft carriers are able to carry the preponderance of air power to sea. —   Real Admiral W. A. Moffet, Chief of the…

Assessing the North Korean Threat

08/05/2011
By Dr. Richard Weitz 08/03/2011 - The London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) recently released an insightful new report on the security challenges presented by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the international community. Its latest Strategic Dossier, “North Korean Security Challenges: A Net Assessment,” offers a…

Jointness, Airpower, and the Emerging Security Environment

08/05/2011
By Lt. General (Retired) Deptula 08/05/2011 - Since the advent of Goldwater-Nichols, a joint approach was to move contingency organizations and operations from independent, de-conflicted, service-oriented approaches to sustained interoperability.  How well the U.S. military has done that, where we are today, and where we ought be heading, could and…

Assessing the 5th Generation Competition: Losing A Decade

08/02/2011
08/02/2011 - The introduction of non-US stealth aircraft into the global competition is a significant development.  The Chinese and Russians have introduced developmental prototypes that signify both capabilities and intentions to enter the stealth aircraft game.  The former Secretary of Defense indicated that this competition was years away; but it…

The Slippery Slope of SLEP

08/02/2011
Service Life Extension Program (SLEP): Investing in Going Backwards By Michael W. Wynne, 21st Secretary of the USAF 08/02/2011 - Pressure is growing on the DoD budget. Perhaps 80 billion, 400 billion or whatever on top of the one hundred billion in savings that has been demanded by the outgoing…

Sacrificing Sovereignty at Sea

08/02/2011
By James Jay Carafano 08/02/2011 - America’s Navy and Coast Guard have always partnered to protect the nation’s sovereignty. The navy projects power. The Coast Guard policies the seas. The Coast Guard has served the nation well because the nation always gave it the right ships to do the job.…