Sometimes — not very often, to be sure — someone in government feels so strongly that things are headed in the wrong direction that they feel compelled to break ranks and tell the American people. We have such a case here. Our author, who agreed to be identified only as ‘Anonymous in Government’, knows a… Keep reading →

Washington: Wasting no time, Army Chief of Staff nominee Gen. Ray Odierno made it clear his vision for the Army once he takes the reins. If you want to win a war, you send the Army to do it. Not the Marines, the Air Force or the Navy. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee… Keep reading →

Washington: The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee today rejected the Senate’s Gang of Six budget plan, saying it cut far too much from the Pentagon’s budget. “Based on what we’ve read the proposal would result in $886 Billion in security cuts over 10 years. Due to a firewall in the proposal between security… Keep reading →

Washington: If there is one thing the Pentagon takes really seriously, it’s making plans. It has contingency plans for its original plans and if all else fails, well, there’s a plan for that too. But as far as anyone knows, the U.S. is pulling out of Iraq by the end of this year. So when… Keep reading →

When Congress considers funding a ship or a plane or a helicopter, the focus is often narrow: what does it cost this year? The Hill often ignores the impact of moving money for critical platforms to future budgets. Also, the strategic and tactical costs to the country of delaying a platform acquisition costs the country… Keep reading →

Washington: The rules of war are changing. Global conflicts kicked off by bombs and bullets in the past can now be started by the click of a mouse. While obviously not as simple as that, the White House’s nominee to oversee global strategic policy — including cyber policy — said today that a cyber attack… Keep reading →

Washington: On Capitol Hill, your committee is only as powerful as what it oversees. And with cybersecurity one of the biggest issues going nowadays, lawmakers are falling all over themselves to get a piece of that pie. Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) made his play during today’s confirmation hearing for DoD’s… Keep reading →

Washington: Last week was a tough one for backers of the Navy’s aircraft carriers. During last Tuesday’s hearing of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee, Chairman Randy Forbes (R-VA) asked point blank whether or not the sea service was looking to kill off parts of its carrier fleet. The official response from the heads of… Keep reading →

If you wanted a clear indicator of just where the Pentagon wants to be in buying weapons for the future, you would do well to pay attention to what Ash Carter, head of Pentagon acquisition, said today about a projected cost overrun faced by the Boeing tanker program. “It’s not our problem because it’s a… Keep reading →

So how many aircraft does it take to move the world’s largest military force? Not as many as many as you would think, the Pentagon says. In what has at times seemed like a long-running bad joke, filled with terms like ‘floors’, ‘ceilings’ and ‘sweet spots’, the Pentagon has finally capped its strategic airlift requirement… Keep reading →