China has launched 29 satellites through Sept. 30, compared 27 launched by the US. The US has far more satellites already in space.
By Theresa HitchensWhat’s new in naval radars and missiles: Defending the Pacific
Defending U.S. naval forces in the Pacific, Red Sea, and elsewhere require a range of systems from close-in weapons to anti-ballistic missiles.
“This is a fundamental roles and missions question, and DoD needs to clearly designate a lead service and compel the other services to follow that lead,” says Todd Harrison, space and budget expert at the Center for Strategic and International Security.
By Theresa Hitchens
“What I’m really trying to do is maximize my capability,” Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Brown says.
By Theresa Hitchens
“”Where will the money for this program come from, and will it means less money for the Space Force and all the existing space programs of record?” asks Secure World Foundation’s Brian Weeden.
By Theresa Hitchens
Point-to-point space transport is “a decade plus, maybe even multiple decades, in the future for that to be economical and practical from any commercial standpoint,” Carissa Christensen, CEO of Bryce Space and Technologies, says.
By Theresa Hitchens
“All I can say is that the NGAD test flights have been amazing — records have been broken,” Will Roper says.
By Theresa Hitchens
“His greatest challenge will be to build the coalition in Washington, and particularly on Capitol Hill, that will support new ways of rapidly developing capabilities,” says former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson.
By Theresa Hitchens
Military innovation and savings: Go commercial
DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.
The congressional calendar and strategic inertia may come together to keep the defense budget relatively high. The calendar helps because the fiscal 2021 defense budget will likely be passed while Congress is in a free-spending mood.
By Mark Cancian
A mix of US ships have probed waters illegally claimed by China in the South China Sea in recent weeks, as the PLA Navy continues to harass civilian ships of neighboring countries.
By Paul McLeary
“The impact of the COVID crisis in the aviation sector has been really nothing short of catastrophic,” said Hunter. “At this point, it’s very challenging for those companies to stay in business.”
By Theresa Hitchens
“I think the budget comes down sooner rather than later,” Mackenzie Eaglen, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former congressional staffer, said today.
By Theresa Hitchens
Without recruit training, the services will lose .5 percent of their end strength every month (unless stop loss is imposed, and that has its own costs). Because the training pipeline is several months long, units will not feel that gap for several months, but when the pipeline begins to runs dry, units will shrink.
By Mark Cancian and Adam Saxton
The Russian Nudol mobile ASAT missile has been tested “as many as nine times in the past,” SWF’s Brian Weeden told me in an email.
By Theresa Hitchens
The first outlines of what a Biden administration’s national security policy and defense budget are coming clear. The good news is that nothing signals a major change in strategy, so deep cuts and radical restructuring are unlikely. The bad news is that the administration’s overwhelming emphasis would be on domestic affairs and there appears to…
By Mark Cancian