Why Mattis Should Support Long Range Stand-Off Nuclear Cruise Missile

Why Mattis Should Support Long Range Stand-Off Nuclear Cruise Missile
Why Mattis Should Support Long Range Stand-Off Nuclear Cruise Missile

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Defense Secretary James Mattis expressed doubts over plans to buy the nuclear Long Range Stand-Off cruise missile (LRSO). “I need to look at that one.” Mattis said, “My going in position is that it makes sense, but I have to look at it in terms of its deterrence capability.” While Mattis should take…

Mattis Signals Strong Commitment To Allies, Especially NATO; Announces Weapons Review

Mattis Signals Strong Commitment To Allies, Especially NATO; Announces Weapons Review
Mattis Signals Strong Commitment To Allies, Especially NATO; Announces Weapons Review

Presumptive Defense Secretary James Mattis sent a clear signal to America’s allies — and to his presumptive boss, President-Elect Trump — that the NATO alliance is “enormously” important and that America “must also take no ally for granted.” If approved by the Senate, Mattis said, in written answers to questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee,…

Keep The Pilots For B-21: Former B-2 Fliers

Keep The Pilots For B-21: Former B-2 Fliers
Keep The Pilots For B-21: Former B-2 Fliers

CAPITOL HILL: The B-21 will be America’s next bomber and the Air Force says it will be “optionally manned.” That’s fine, say some of America’s most experienced B-2 pilots. Just keep the pilots. You’ll want them for those rare moments when everything goes wrong and a human being needs to take the controls and make…

SecAf James Defends GBSD, LRSO

SecAf James Defends GBSD, LRSO
SecAf James Defends GBSD, LRSO

WASHINGTON: One thing grew clear as Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spoke this morning: the service has huge bills now and even bigger ones coming down the track, especially when you include nuclear modernization. If she could, Lee told the audience at the New America think tank, she would “rewrite history” so that the F-35A, which…

New Cruise Missile Crucial To Nuclear Deterrence

New Cruise Missile Crucial To Nuclear Deterrence
New Cruise Missile Crucial To Nuclear Deterrence

Critics of US nuclear modernization claim the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) weapon — an aircraft-launched nuclear cruise missile — can be eliminated without harming America’s security interests. But the LRSO provides America with a unique capability to deter adversaries from using nuclear force and projects credible power while keeping US forces safe. Updated standoff weapons ensure…

Presumptive CSAF Goldfein’s Top Five: Mackenzie Eaglen

Presumptive CSAF Goldfein’s Top Five: Mackenzie Eaglen
Presumptive CSAF Goldfein’s Top Five: Mackenzie Eaglen

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination of the new Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David Goldfein, today by voice vote. He is almost certain to get full Senate approval soon. This will round out the rare and noteworthy turnover of the entire slate of Joint Chiefs over the past year, including the National…

Why Bombers Are Key to Nuke Modernization; Think Russia, North Korea, China

Why Bombers Are Key to Nuke Modernization; Think Russia, North Korea, China
Why Bombers Are Key to Nuke Modernization; Think Russia, North Korea, China

  Opponents of nuclear modernization worry that the presidential elections this year could end their hopes of killing a number of nuclear modernization programs—such as the Long Range Stand-Off cruise missile (LRSO) and the B-61 Mod 12 life extension program. Unfortunately for nuclear minimalists and abolitionists, President Obama has been true to his word and continued to support nuclear…