Category: Content Series

From Overreaction to Finesse

By James Hasik

Better Buying Power may depend on human capital the Pentagon yet lacks.   Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, said this week that his staff has “overreacted” at times to his guidance on improving outcomes and affordability. As Defense Industry Daily put it, this has caused some “tension with the defense industry amid the onset […]

Minimum Sustainment Acquisition

By James Hasik, Dave Foster

The Pentagon needs a lighter touch with low-volume vendors.   Last week, in an essay on how software costs are eating the war effort, we wrote about a “bold industrial strategy” proposed by Atlantic Council advisor Harlan Ullman. As he wrote,        one solution is to shift conceptually and practically from a defense industrial base […]

Endless Possibilities for the Future of Space Launch

By Atlantic Council

Please join the Atlantic Council’s Captains of Industry Series for a conversation with Tory Bruno, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance on November 13th at 4:30pm.

The Islamic State and Beyond: U.S. Military Strategy in the Middle East

By Atlantic Council

The Islamic State and Beyond: U.S. Military Strategy in the Middle East Welcome: Barry Pavel, Vice President and Scowcroft Center Director, Atlantic Council Moderator: Jake Tapper, Anchor, “The Lead with Jake Tapper” CNN Speaker: General Lloyd Austin III, Commander, U.S. Central Command Location: 1030 15th Street, NW, 12th Floor (West Tower), Washington, D.C. Time: 11:00 […]

An Appeal for BRAC to the GOP Majority

By James Hasik

It’s time to look tough on the deficit and tough on defense.   With the mid-term elections behind us, but Halloween in fresh memory, it’s time to ask again about BRAC—the Base Closure and Realignment process (boo!). The Army Department clearly wants another round to balance its books. For years, think-tankers and defense officials have […]

Lunch with the Minutemen of Cyber

Is Internet conflict NATO’s next defense-industrial agenda, or just a matter for industry?   “Where [was] the industrial agenda for the NATO Summit?” Hugo Rosemount of Defense One asked after Wales. Successful industrial engagement has not traditionally been NATO’s long suit, but after the talks had concluded, we had our answer: cyber was priority one. That might seem […]

Open for Innovation

By James Hasik

 The pursuit of intellectual property rights in weapons buying cannot focus solely on today’s price.   About a year ago, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Al Shaffer offered some views about the department’s view on open architectures for information systems. As reported by Inside Defense (13 & 14 November 2013), he had three comments, […]