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Defense Industrialist

Mar 13, 2017

Heithold’s heavy lasers

By James Hasik, Julian A. Eagle-Platón

Forthcoming developments in directed energy could bring tactical and geopolitical change.

China Defense Industry

Defense Industrialist

Jan 12, 2017

The tether of fuel—a brief counterpoint

By David Foster

Unless troops live off the land again, energy efficiency can only yield so much.

Conflict Defense Policy

Defense Industrialist

Dec 19, 2016

If found, please call 228-688-5877

By James Hasik

China’s stealing an American ocean glider won’t stop the world from making a whole lot more. In what Ankur Panda in the Diplomat termed an “exceptionally brazen and illegal move by Beijing,” the Chinese Navy this past week stole an American ocean glider. On Friday, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook announced that the Defense Department had contacted the Chinese government to […]

China Defense Industry

Defense Industrialist

Nov 28, 2016

Advice to the Trump Administration on the evolution of war

By James Hasik

Technological developments and actual financial constraints demand top-to-bottom rethinking of the business of defense. As I wrote earlier this month, Donald Trump’s unpredicted electoral victory has brought the possibility for real change in the enterprise of national security. To borrow Paul Ryan’s phrase, thoroughly rethinking the business of defense could create a military that moves closer to […]

China Defense Industry

Defense Industrialist

Nov 3, 2016

Technological disjunctures and the 21st century destroyer

By Danny Lam

The future of surface warfare requires cooperation across borders. Sea control in the twentieth century revolved around fleets based on battleships, then aircraft carriers. Lesser vessels like destroyers and frigates were for constabulary duty during peacetime, and during wartime, for assisting the main battle fleet in defeating opposing navies to restore control of seas. In […]

China Conflict

Defense Industrialist

Nov 1, 2016

Will Roper’s economical way back to coastal artillery

By James Hasik

Not every Third Offset choice will be this easy, but the Strategic Capabilities Office has found an excellent solution. At the CSIS’s Third Offset Conference last week, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that Will Roper’s Strategic Capabilities Office has found a solution to the United States’ shortfall in coastal artillery. The simplicity is almost obvious: modify the Army’s existing Army Tactical Missile […]

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Defense Industrialist

Oct 27, 2016

How late is too late for new weapons?

By James Hasik

The Pentagon’s drive for innovation is up against adversaries’ efforts to “occupy leading positions” themselves. Back at the beginning of August, I wrote an essay about how soon was too soon with new weapons. Some historical perspective, I thought, should inform the aims of the Pentagon’s Third Offset strategy. And yet, to focus a moment on […]

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Defense Industrialist

Sep 27, 2016

Beyond the MAD-ness of the Airbus-Boeing rivalry

By James Hasik

In the long run, military requirements and funding may matter more than trade disputes. In a 574-page report last week, the World Trade Organization ruled that the European Union and several of its member states had failed to adjust their behavior on their subsidies to Airbus, after its last mammoth ruling on their subsidies to […]

Defense Industry Defense Technologies

Defense Industrialist

Aug 11, 2016

A modest arms sale of obsolete aircraft to India?

By Danny Lam

There may be more to Lockheed’s made-in-India deal than first meets the eye. The US Air Force and those of other NATO countries are phasing out F-16s much sooner than anticipated. This implies that performance of F-35s has met expectations, and that there are no obvious show-stoppers to ramping up production as fast as budgets […]

China Defense Industry

Defense Industrialist

Aug 2, 2016

How soon is too soon for new weapons?

By James Hasik

Historical perspective should inform the aims of the Pentagon’s Third Offset strategy.  RAND has just released a public version of its study War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable (hat-tip to Council member Byron Callan for bringing that to my attention). For the Army, which sponsored and took in the report last year, authors David Gompert, Astrid Cevallos, […]

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