The Army Needs to Get Serious About Modernizing THAAD By Daniel Gouré, RealClearDefense: “By exploiting technology already in advance development, the Army’s plans for an accelerated system may take a revolutionary turn with the addition of a laser weapon.” Stunning failures found in Global Train and Equip counter-terrorism programs
(Military Times) As billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars continue to flow into projects aimed at increasing counter-terrorism capabilities for countries from Jordan to the Philippines and Romania, a new government watchdog report raises questions about how effectively the Pentagon and State Department are overseeing these projects. PLA to tap J-20s to shield strike fighters in coordinated blitzes BY ASIA TIMES STAFF Undersupply of ace air supremacy fighters mean Chinese air force has to use them effectively F-22 Raptors Replace F-35As in Pacific for Theater Security Mission By Oriana Pawlyk, DoD Buzz: “Fifth-generation fighters, aircrew and support personnel from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, arrived this week at Kadena Air Base, Japan, as the new theater security package.” F-35 to 2070? By Kris Osborn, Warrior Maven: “Flying the F-35 all the way to 2070, blocking enemy missiles in mid-flight and using AI to quickly assist precision-guided weapons are all technologies which increasingly hinge upon rapid software development – inspiring Air Force leaders to say “software” will determine who wins future wars.” Time to Launch a Combined Maritime Task Force for the Pacific By Eric Sayers, War on the Rocks: “The United States needs new ideas to generate regional balancing against Chinese behavior while simultaneously deterring future actions like the consolidation of control at disputed features like Scarborough Shoal.” Time Is Now to Advance U.S.-India Defense Cooperation
By Arvind Thakur & Michael Padgett, National Defense Magazine: “Many recent articles have commented on the potential benefits of a new, closer U.S. defense relationship with India. The details of what will constitute the new relationship is still an unanswered question.” RUSSIA: U.S. Intelligence Reports Russia Recently Test Fired S-500 System
From Military Watch: “Just days after Russian President Putin called for the country's next generation air defence system, the Almaz Antey S-500, to enter mass production quickly, U.S. intelligence reports have indicated that the Russian military has conducted a test firing of the new weapons system.” The Army released a new vision statement — here are 3 things soldiers need to know (Army Times) You’ve probably heard some of this before. In the coming decades, the Army will have to prepare for high intensity conflict against enemies with similar weapons, in urban environments, facing the possibility of long periods without communication or helicopter support. Problems megacities will pose for the military (C4ISRNET) The military is increasingly turning its attention to war in megacities and the issues that will bring. Stalingrad Was Small: Multi-Domain Ops In Megacities Crowd-Sourcing the Character of Urban Warfare, V2.0
By John Amble, Modern War Institute: “The world is urbanizing, and doing so quickly. By 2030, 60 percent of the global population will live in cities. At the same time, the U.S. military remains committed to maintaining the capability to conduct an immensely wide range of operations—from humanitarian assistance and noncombatant evacuation to security force assistance and high-intensity conflict. The big shift and American foreign policy
Eminent scholar Walter Russell Mead compares the dysfunction and failures of American politics today with those of the generation after the Civil War. Then as now, he says, American society did not have the policy ideas or the institutions needed to meet a wave of new challenges, and the result was a generation of turmoil and discontent. Why the Corps Wants to Fight With Fewer Marines
By Shawn Snow, Marine Corps Times: “The Marine Corps is setting in motion plans to shrink the size of the traditional rifle squad, cutting manpower for the Corps’ most basic building block of combat power from 13 Marines down to 12 — a risky move that the Corps admits could fail.” ‘Hyper-Enabled Operator’ Technologies By Yasmin Tadjdeh, National Defense Magazine: “The concept includes four technology pillars: communications, computing, data/sensors and human-machine interfaces. Missile-Tracking Satellites to Foil Russia’s Hypersonic Weapons By Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews: “"With both Russia and China said to be close to deploying hypersonic glide vehicles — conceivably with nuclear warheads — the Pentagon does not have a lot of time to study how to build a defense architecture."” This Stinger Missile Is Back
By Charlie Gao, The National Interest: “The U.S. Military is now upgrading their Stinger to the new FIM-92J and FIM-92K models to effectively counter all aerial threats in the near future. ”
Why an F-22 Raptor Would Crush an F-35 in a 'Dogfight'
From The National Interest: “The U.S. Air Force’s original plan was for the F-22 to be its high-end air superiority fighter while the F-35 was designed to be primarily an air-to-ground strike aircraft, but one which could defend itself.
The F-35 Could Become a 'Navy' Killer
By Charlie Gao, The National Interest: “The requirements were: to meet the challenges of a future (up to 2040) ship-to-ship combat environment; to have a high probability of penetrating enemy air defense and countermeasures; to be effective in confined and open waters; and to be easily adaptable to different platforms.” Defense budget peaks in 2019, underfunding the National Defense Strategy May 2018 Mackenzie Eaglen Read Online Printable Copy KEY POINTS
Read this publication online. View a printable copy. Download the printable one-pager. ALSO OF INTEREST
Recommendations for a future National Defense Strategy Mackenzie Eaglen | Senate Committee on Armed Services | November 30, 2017 Repair and rebuild: Balancing new military spending for a three-theater strategy Mackenzie Eaglen | AEI | October 2017 To rebuild America’s military Thomas Donnelly, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Gary J. Schmitt | AEI | October 2015 U.S. Army Could Build an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Now By Daniel Gouré, RealClearDefense: “IBCS is overly ambitious and too expensive. It was conceived during the period of Army acquisition hubris that produced such debacles as the Future Combat System.” Assessing the Health of the Defense Industrial Base By John Adams, RealClearDefense: “As we eagerly await the release of the DoD report, let us not lose sight of the fact that our work to secure our defense supply chains is just the beginning.” Calm Down, Folks: Enemies Still Fear US Military Tech Innovation // Harvey M. Sapolsky and Eugene Gholz Where most countries focus on one or two areas, America has a huge, well-funded R&D infrastructure that pushes the envelope everywhere. SOCOM's Top 10 Tech Needs
From National Defense Magazine: “As the Pentagon puts renewed focus on preparing for great power competition, U.S. Special Operations Command is looking for new capabilities to support its warfighters.” New Reconnaissance Tools Needed to Assist Special Operators By Vivienne Machi, National Defense Magazine: ““We are getting so much information that we can’t go through it all,” said Glen Cullen, program manager for sensitive site exploitation within the program executive office for special reconnaissance, surveillance and exploitation.” 3 ways US and Mideast special ops could better counter regional threats (Defense News) The U.S. and its Middle East special operations partners must continue to improve relations if they are to counter growing complexities in the region, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command said May 7 at the Middle East Special Operations Commanders Conference. The U.S. Special Operations Command has about 67,000 troops and an annual budget of around 14 billion dollars. That may not seem to be a huge dent in the overall DoD budget (about 2%), but it greatly outnumbers the special operations budgets of other U.S. allies around the world. With deployments operating at high frequencies today and with operations increasing in places like Syria, what should we be thinking about in terms of the impact on U.S. Special Operations in the coming decade? The Cipher Brief’s Brad Christian talked with Former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence (and Cipher Brief Expert) Dr. Michael Vickers recently about this increasingly important instrument of American power: From the conversation:
Army Says It Needs $2B More Per Year For Big Six: Over Half For Air & Missile Defense
Looking to spend billions more on its top modernization programs, the Army is changing things up by spending those dollars in places that might come as a bit of a surprise. Big toys of Beijing’s dream of prestige in frontier physics BY ASIA TIME STAFF Tens of billions of yuan are being splurged on signature facilities and hardware for breakthroughs in frontier sciences and R&D Xi Jinping and the 'Chinese Dream' (Deutsche Welle) This DW series explores China's rise as a global superpower. In this article we examine the "Chinese Dream," which shapes the present and reaches far into the future, encapsulating President Xi's vision for the country. CHINA: China's Future Stealth Bomber Fleet By Rick Joe, The Diplomat: “In the last few weeks, a magazine cover for prominent Chinese aerospace magazine Aviation Knowledge featured a pair of stealthy bomber aircraft concepts.” The United States spends half a trillion dollars a year on scientific research — more than any other nation on Earth — but China has pulled into second place, with the European Union third and Japan a distant fourth. China is on track to surpass the United States by the end of this year, according to the National Science Board. In 2016, annual scientific publications from China outnumbered those from the United States for the first time. - Washington Post
China's Three Warfares Strategy and Blockchain
By Wilson VornDick, RealClearDefense: “With the lockdown in the commercial sector, has Chinese interest in blockchain shifted to other industries or sectors, such as the military (People’s Liberation Army (PLA))?” Blockchain Can Protect the Supply Chain By Henry Bond, Proceedings Magazine: “The question of supply chain trust received attention last fall when Kobe Steel revealed it had lied about the quality of the steel it was manufacturing. ” Is the Army Missing Its Chance at Modernization? By Loren Thompson, Forbes: “The U.S. Army's opportunity to carry out the first comprehensive modernization of its combat equipment since the Cold War ended may be slipping away.” Prepare the Army for Future Urban Battlefield By John Amble & John Spencer, Army Magazine: “Adequately preparing the Army to operate effectively in cities will require a range of changes, but three initiatives would combine to lay a much-needed foundation.” Innovation Determinants of the World’s First Integrated Air Defense System
By Austin M. Duncan, Strategy Bridge: “The prospect of air power dominated the outlook of future war at the dawn of the interwar period. Many theorized offensive air power would soon prove the decisive force of war, and the battlefield would never be the same thanks to the unprecedented destructiveness of aerial bombing attacks.” Rough seas: An AEI study in crisis response for tomorrow’s Navy and an improved Navy for the future John W. Miller, Thomas Donnelly, and Gary J. Schmitt | American Enterprise Institute Renewed calls in Congress and the Pentagon for a more ambitious shipbuilding program reflect a consensus that the current configuration of the Navy is insufficient to meet the peacetime demands of national security, let alone those of a major contingency. How We Lost the Great Pacific War By Dale Rielage, Proceedings Magazine: “Once the dust clears from the congressional inquiries and the various special commissions, it will be a challenge to sort the wheat from the chaff to discover and implement the real lessons for our Navy.” What’s Next for Third Fleet Forward? By Benjamin B. Foster, Proceedings Magazine: “The U.S. Third Fleet was born out of necessity, forged during the peak of the war in the Pacific. Sizing up the U.S. Navy’s Future Guided Missile Frigate Designs By Claire Apthorp, Naval-Technology: “FFG(X) will be an “agile, multi-mission platform designed for operation in littoral and blue water environments”. It should be able to operate independently or integrate with a task force to conduct offensive and defensive surface, anti-submarine, and air warfare roles.” Navy's Next Generation Network Will Not Meet Warfighters’ Needs
By Daniel Gouré: “The Navy’s new concept for Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) will take the idea of creatively, adaptively networking its platforms and systems to the next level.?” WHERE CHINA ACQUIRES TECH: U.S., EUROPE & PENTAGON'S PROCUREMENT OFFICE MANDATE FOR CHANGE4/27/2018 Chinese technology acquisition is not about investing in the US Derek Scissors | American Enterprise Institute The Pentagon's New R&D Chief Has a Mandate for Change // Patrick Tucker Michael Griffin has orders to concentrate the Defense Department's diverse research and development efforts on a few key technologies. The Pentagon Is Losing the Innovation Battle. Here’s How to Turn It Around (NextGov) Four steps that will help better harness American innovation. Turning Around the Pentagon's Innovation Battle
By Tim Greef, Defense One: “The United States military is losing the innovation battle. This is not hyperbole. Ellen Lord, defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, made this point last December.”
Russia claims it has a US Tomahawk cruise missile and will use it to improve its own weapons
(CNBC) Russia has gotten its hands on a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile and it's going to study it to improve its own weapon systems, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday, However, the U.S. Department of Defense told CNBC that the claims from Moscow are "absurd." F-22 Production Was Killed so That a New Bomber Could Live By Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone: “Retired Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz has stated in his new memoir that F-22 production was idiotically axed after building less than half the required number so that the flying force could get then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to approve building a new stealth bomber.” The Air Force's Secret F-22 Production Restart Study By Joseph Trevithick & Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone: “Axing F-22 production at just 187 examples has become one of the most hotly debated and controversial defense procurement-related decisions of our time.” How 1 Revolutionary New Technology Is Making the F-35B Even Deadlier By Dave Majumdar, The National Interest: “The new up-gunned ESG concept adds an enormous amount of anti-surface and anti-air capability the amphibious unit—especially when the firepower the Aegis-equipped destroyers is combined with the F-35Bs.” Why the F-35 Isn’t Good Enough for Japan
By Abraham Ait, The Diplomat: “Tokyo looks to American and indigenous alternatives as a result of the joint strike fighter's shortcomings.” Thornberry's Pentagon-Reform Plan to Nowhere // William D. Hartung It's pitched as a way to cut waste — but would make the misallocation of our tax dollars more likely. Thornberry Is Getting Rolled by the Services // Gordon Adams The HASC chairman's proposed reforms would roll back consolidations that have been saving money for decades. India withdraws from fifth generation aircraft carrier project, leaving Russia to go it alone
(IHS Jane’s 360) The Indian Air Force (IAF) has shelved its 11-year old collaborative Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme with Russia following enduring differences over its developmental cost and technological capabilities. Navy Creates Permanent Readiness Command By Ben Werner, USNI News: ““Rebuilding readiness is my top priority,” Vice. Adm. Rich Brown, the commander of Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. “CNSG WP is one critical step in the process.”” Defense Spending Gets a Reprieve From Austerity Politics…for Now
By Matt Vallone, War on the Rocks: “Deficit politics have reared their head in almost every past presidential administration. It is unlikely this time will be different and the defense industry should plan accordingly.” U.S. JAPAN HAS A2/AD (AREA ACCESS AREA DENIAL) FOR BEIJING; CHINA NEW MISSILE: THE FIRE DRAGON 2804/18/2018
Losing US air superiority risks ground forces
(Defense News) The asymmetric advantage that the U.S. military possesses ― and that has prevented enemy aircraft attacks on American ground forces since April 15, 1953 ― is eroding.
U.S. & Japan Can Counter Chinese A2/AD
(U.S. Naval Institute) Japan and the United States must cooperate together and with other partner countries to maintain a stable status quo in the region.
U.S. & Japan Can Counter Chinese A2/AD
By Takuya Shimodaira, Proceedings Magazine: “Chinese anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region are alarming. China seeks to wield its growing might to challenge the stable international order in the region with weapons that range from anti-ship cruise missiles to advanced submarines and even a rapidly growing and assertive coast guard.”
China's Norinco reveals Fire Dragon 280A tactical missile
(IHS Jane’s 360) The China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) has revealed the development of the Fire Dragon 280A Tactical Missile for use by its AR3 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS).
Air Force Operationally Debuts JASSM-ER
By Robin Hughes, IHS Jane's 360: “The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has operationally debuted its Lockheed Martin AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missile during allied weapons strikes against Syrian chemical weapons research and storage facilities.” WHY CIVIL SOCIETY MATTERS FOR WAR & REFORM; THE DOCTRINE OF REPAIR AND REBUILD U.S. MILITARY4/16/2018 Two Decades of War Have Eroded the Morale of America's Troops // Phil Klay If the courage of young men and women in battle truly does depend on the nature and quality of our civic society, we should be very worried. Two decades of war have eroded the morale of America’s troops (The Atlantic ) South of fallujah’s Route Fran were hundreds of insurgents who’d spent months digging trench lines, emplacing roadside bombs, barricading streets, training with their weapons, reading the Koran, and watching videos of suicide bombers to inspire them for the fight to come. North of Route Fran were the roughly 1,000 men of 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, preparing themselves for the assault. Route Fran itself was a wide, four-lane highway. On November 9, 2004, the highway was wet—it’d rained the previous day—and the sky was gray and foreboding. “Repair and Rebuild: Balancing New Military Spending for a Three-Theater Strategy,” Eaglen outlines the steps the US must take to restore America’s military for decades to come. Read the full report.
To get smart fast on the steps it would take to fix the US military, revisit the Repair and Rebuild one-pager here. |
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DOD ACQUISITION REFORM![]()
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