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Defense Industrialist

Jun 18, 2015

Bug Hunt or Stand-up Fight?

By James Hasik

Textron’s Scorpion wins on the economics. The politics need some attention. Instead of attending the Paris Air Show this week, I found myself sitting on the couch the other night, watching Iron Man 2 with the kids. As Justin Hammer introduced his squadrons of nearly-identical killer robots (er, drones) for “the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines”, I […]

Defense Industry Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

Jun 11, 2015

Fire the Non-Performers?

By James Hasik

For improving military procurement, there’s no alternative to cultural change. And all the brilliant private-sector managers who say if only I were running the Defense Department, I know what I’d do? Well, the first thing they’d discover is the Civil Service Commission wouldn’t allow them to fire the 50,000 non-performers as they would have done […]

Defense Industrialist

Jun 3, 2015

Big Time for Small Arms

By Alex Ward

Business is booming, but think twice before sending more guns. A quick look around the world reminds you that small arms are the tools of choice for those wishing to propagate violence. Indeed, from France’s war in Mali to the conflict in Ukraine to the Islamic State’s reign of terror to Libya’s disintegration, small arms are […]

Defense Industry Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

Jun 3, 2015

UCAS-D versus UCLASS? No.

By James Hasik

Testing today’s drones should not be curtailed just for “fairness” in procurement. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus really likes drones. He now has a whole deputy assistant secretariat for them. In contrast to the US Air Force, his people aren’t yet burned out from operating them around the clock for over a decade. This April Fool’s Day even brought the […]

Defense Industry Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

Jun 2, 2015

Weapons of the Weak

By Blake Franko

Why Russia Focuses on Electronic and Drone Warfare Russia’s war in Ukraine has brought into question the very notion of NATO’s Article 5, as concerns grow that Estonia might lie next in the Kremlin’s attention. Russia’s posturing in Ukraine, however, should be seen as that of a weaker power trying to avoid confrontation with a […]

Russia Ukraine

Defense Industrialist

May 27, 2015

Don’t Dis Commercial, Wes.

By James Hasik

Even broadly available technologies are not equally well exploited by all powers. At a speech on Tuesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush urged the US Defense Department to temper its enthusiasm for commercial technologies. As Politico Pro reported, Bush observed that the wonders of commercial markets notwithstanding, […]

Defense Industry Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

May 22, 2015

BRAC for Better Business

By James Hasik

The Pentagon needs a comprehensive rethinking of its public and private industrial support. The US Congress isn’t allowing another Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC). People at the Pentagon aren’t even supposed to think about it, at least not on the job. But at least the House version of the 2016 authorization bill does require yet another […]

Defense Industry Security & Defense

Defense Industrialist

May 20, 2015

“A Magnificent Navy on Land”

By James Hasik

Done right, deeply cutting headquarters can free human resources for the fight. Earlier this month, Federal Times noted how the House version of the 2016 US National Defense Authorization Bill would mandate a 20 percent cut in headquarters staff across the Defense Department. As authorizations are not strictly tied to appropriations, the mandate could be […]

Defense Industrialist

May 13, 2015

Ray Mabus Knows Naval Human Capital

By James Hasik

The Navy Secretary’s speech on managing talent was founded on sound economic principles. In his speech at the Naval Academy this morning, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that he intends to profoundly reform the way his department manages people—the human capital that drive the physical capital of its ships and aircraft. He admits that progress […]

Defense Industrialist

May 8, 2015

Strengthening and Defending Ukraine

By Blake Franko

How reforming an arms industry can save a country Ukraine currently finds itself struggling against separatists in the East, but the solution to this problem might not rest in foreign aid and weapons. The Ukrainian military industrial complex has been a significant player in the country’s economy and can help to supply Kiev’s own defensive […]

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