In 2006, a relatively obscure book caused a major stir among the U.S. Air Force leadership. Why Air Forces Fail, edited by Robin Higham and Stephen J. Harris, lays out the determinants of failure: deficiencies in the industrial base, misguided technology and tactical picks, inattention to logistics and neglect of training. The case studies are broken… Keep reading →

Let a hundred hypersonic flowers bloom, Pentagon officials say, instead of a single cumbersome mega-program.

The White House defense budget for 2020 falls short of commitments made and actual requirements to meet the military’s strategy, but it begins to shift priorities and start the long process of investing in long-term competition with China and Russia. Washington still lacks the budget details for another week, but here are some initial reflections… Keep reading →

The US Navy now says it’ll reach 355 ships by 2034, while whacking F-35Bs and a carrier from its five-year plan. What’s the strategy?

For all the talk of major changes, the Pentagon is pouring money into some pretty traditional priorities.

A single F-35 could have a flock of “loyal wingman” drones to carry weapons, jam radars, and if need be take a hit and die to save their human commander.

How are Air Force pilots training for a war with Russia or China?

How bad is the F-35’s computerized maintenance system, ALIS? So bad the plane may be better off without it.

Another US ally — and host of a critical Middle Eastern air base — is considering buying a high-tech Russian missile system. What can Washington do about it?

Fifth gen or fourth gen? F-35A or F-15X. Stealth, sensors and fusion or lots of missiles? Lockheed or Boeing? See what the Mitchell Institute says.