Earlier this year, The Heritage Foundation urged Congress to mandate a truly independent panel to critique the analysis underpinning the Pentagon's 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and draw its own conclusions and recommendations regarding the future defense strategy, modernization, and force structure of the U.S. military.… Read more
Without congressional intervention, the Air Force's ability to conduct air superiority missions will be increasingly at risk over the next three decades. President Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2010 defense budget request would stop production of the F-22A Raptor at just 187 aircraft and permanently shut down this production line. … Read more
The F-22A Raptor is the world's most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The F-22A offers several unique features: thrust-vectoring engines, which make it highly maneuverable; the latest in stealth technology; an avionics system that can fuse information into a single display; and the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds at 50,000 feet. What makes the Raptor spectacular--and… Read more
The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee will complete its markup of H.R.2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year (FY) 2010, last week. The full House will likely begin debate and pass its version this week. While considering the legislation, committee members made several important steps to begin reversing some of… Read more
On May 5, The Heritage Foundation argued that "it is absolutely vital that Congress establish an independent National Defense Panel to draw its own assessments and offer its own separate conclusions" on the Pentagon's 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).[1] During the recent markup of the National … Read more
America's military strength remains vital to preserving the nation's interests and sustaining international stability. While much of this strength is derived from the professionalism and skills of America's armed forces, the technologically superior military platforms that the U.S. has developed and fielded since World War II are also vital to ensuring a superior… Read more
On May 2, Australia released its first defense white paper in almost a decade. "Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030" proposes a wide-ranging strategic agenda that is the product of geography, the lessons of Australia's history, and the island nation's analysis of shifting power dynamics in the "wider Asia-Pacific region."… Read more
Over the course of the next several months, senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials will conduct the congressionally-mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). This broad examination of national defense strategy, modernization, and force structure will establish a defense planning program that will direct how the Pentagon… Read more
The issue of cyber security, cyber competitiveness, and cyberwarfare has weighed heavily on the minds of policymakers as the severity and complexity of malicious cyber attacks have intensified over the past decade. These attacks, directed against both the public and private sectors, are the product of a heterogeneous network of state and non-state actors whose… Read more
Eliminating misspent defense dollars is frequently cited as a remedy for reducing military spending. Such proposals ignore the fact that eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse has historically proven to be a relatively modest source of savings compared to the overall defense budget. In addition, substantial programs already exist to root out unnecessary spending. While government should,… Read more
Senior U.S. officials made two major statements last week concerning the implications of China’s military...… Read more
This week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates poignantly described the emerging high-end asymmetrical challenge that...… Read more
Like cyberspace, space remains a critical enabler of America’s military power. Whether for navigating Navy destroyers...… Read more
Consistent with the highly belligerent posture North Korea has taken in the past three weeks, and the “rapid-fire series...… Read more
This afternoon, the Department of Defense will conduct detailed briefs on the FY 2010 defense budget request. While...… Read more
While China continues to insist its military expansion is purely defensive in nature, yesterday the Chairman of the...… Read more
During yesterday’s press conference on government contracting reform, President Obama took aim at the defense...… Read more
This afternoon Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) and Representative Trent Franks (R-AZ) introduced a joint resolution to...… Read more
A recent article I wrote for Armed Forces Journal discusses the Pentagon’s efforts to maintain space dominance amid the...… Read more
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