How have new alliances and rapid advancements in technology contributed to the largest array of security challenges since the cold war?

Introduction: All governments have the responsibility to procure goods and services to benefit the public they serve. However, when acquisitions fail, that same public pays the price. In this article we will examine several specific examples of failed acquisition strategies that ended up being costly for the government and delivered only schedule slip and cost overruns to the war fighter. These examples include flawed acquisitions by the US Airforce, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and others. The US … Continue reading →

In the rapidly evolving landscape of complex development projects and programs, a paradigm shift is underway. The systems procurement and development ecosystem is being transformed with new ways for systems to be conceived, designed, contracted, managed, staffed and supported. The result is nothing short of a revolution in how defense end-users are supported, from initial concepting to system fielding, with a focus on mission assurance through tailored acquisition strategies. This transformative approach is being championed through a partnership … Continue reading →

Quantum computing is poised to revolutionize military operations and national security in new and exciting ways. This cutting-edge technology has the ability to process vast amounts of data in a fraction of the time compared to classical computers, making it ideal for complex and resource-intensive tasks. In this article, we will illustrate nine (9) ways quantum technology will change national security in the near future. (1) On-Orbit Data Centers Quantum computers in low earth orbit (LEO) have the potential to … Continue reading →

Militainment is a term used to describe the phenomenon where the military and entertainment industries intersect, resulting in the portrayal of war and military life in a glamorous and heroic light. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of militainment and its impact on public perception of war and the military. We will examine how Hollywood studios have partnered with the military to sanitize the reality of war, and what this means for our understanding of … Continue reading →

With an $816 billion annual budget, the Pentagon has been in a perpetual love affair with the art of the possible concerning national security priorities for a long time. This includes past efforts undertaken in cooperation with eccentric billionaires like Howard Hughes to steal a sunken soviet submarine [Project Azorian], conducting over-the-horizon drone strikes on high value targets like Iran’s Qassim Suleimani, commander of the Quds, and using stealth aircraft with precision guided munitions to destroy an adversary’s entire command and control … Continue reading →

War games have existed since ancient times, with earliest examples played by advanced civilizations including the Egyptians and the Assyrians. They have often been used for military training and strategy planning, helping to prepare soldiers for battle and allowing them to practice tactics in a safe environment conducive for theory testing and to develop optimal courses of action (COA) through experimentation. While war games have been present in some form or another since the dawn of civilization, their use in military contexts … Continue reading →

Resilient Kill Chains Through Cyber Mission Thread Analysis During my time with the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, I provided systems engineering support to the Air Force Cyber Engineering Directorate at the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems. (AFLCMC EN-EZ CROWS).  CROWS is an Air Force unit that was stood up in late 2016 in an effort to analyze the cyber vulnerabilities of fielded and future major weapons systems and report findings back to Congress. Established under the Assistant Secretary of the … Continue reading →

Eye In The Sky Modernization Programs Face Tough Questions From Congressional Committees During my time with Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, I provided systems engineering support to the 551st Wing and the airborne radar international programs division. With more than 3,500 Airmen, government civilians and support contractors and an acquisition execution of $19 billion, PEO Digital leads the wing which was originally comprised of three groups; the 551st focused on AWACS, the 751st focused on Joint Stars, and the 951st focused on Mission Planning. The … Continue reading →

During my time with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center I provided engineering and acquisition support to the 653rd Electronic Systems Wing as a Mission Systems Engineer. With six squadrons and 720 personnel, the 653 ELSG acquires, delivers and sustains Air Force and Joint systems for airspace management, communications and intelligence, surveillance & reconnaissance, providing support to Air Force operations globally. The wing provides systems engineering and integration to deliver “net centric capabilities to warfighters for effects based combat … Continue reading →

Own The Night The December 1989 American invasion of Panama ushered in a new set of war fighting guidelines brought about by the prolific use of night operations systems and doctrine. About 26,000 U.S. soldiers, Marines, and airmen simultaneously seized some twenty objectives while overhead, more than 100 U.S. aircraft sortied in and out of a tight, twenty-mile-radius area of operations. The whole complex undertaking was staged in the dead of night without lights. Operation Just Cause flagged … Continue reading →

Afghan Mineral Wealth Undermines Regional Security It’s been said that at the end of the seventh day when God had finished creating the world, he placed all the leftover rocks in Afghanistan. According to the US Geological survey, the value of the minerals in those rocks is worth an estimated USD $908 Billion, a figure announced following a recent study. The presence of vast reserves of copper, cobalt, gold, iron, barite, lithium, sulfur, lead, silver and zinc spells much trouble … Continue reading →

The ability of the United States to project its influence around the globe is as critical to the freedom of our allies as it is to the interests of our own country. Throughout this nation’s history there have been distinct periods when the investments in developing new ships for the Navy have spawned technological advances that have influenced future ship design efforts around the world. One of the most famous examples comes from the American Civil War. The … Continue reading →

An OIF Retrospective The devastating weapons effects delivered by close air support (CAS) assets have consistently proven to be essential war winning tools. Considered critical to contemporary joint combat operations, CAS doctrine and technology has continued to evolve at a rapid pace consistent with the multi-mission value delivered to the war fighter. In our narrative retrospective, we will re-visit the employment and impact that CAS delivered to joint and coalition forces during critical phases of the Operation Iraqi … Continue reading →

Hollywood has given us a fantastic vision of the future of war fighting technology employing droids, cyborgs and powered exoskeletons. In reality, today’s robots already provide a valuable capability to war fighting and law enforcement operations in pursuit of kill chain compression and efficiency. As evolutionary advancements in enabling technology occur, future robotic systems will use autonomy to become highly capable, collaborative & connected teams on the battlefield and in our communities. Continue reading →

A short course in air defense. Continue reading →

Arab Military Forces Quietly Modernize With Russian Exports Moscow has significantly boosted sales of advanced weapons systems in a move designed to drive increased funding that will deliver much-needed support for a sweeping military industry consolidation strategy. The Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport has been quietly making major arms deals with the larger Arab State power brokers who are the new benefactors of this broad initiative. According to recent statements by CEO Anatoly Isaykin, the Middle East and … Continue reading →

Are Americans More Secure Than Four Years Ago? At 0730 EST today, four members of a splinter terrorist organization activated a US-based cell to carry out an attack on the nation’s capitol using an RDD or a “dirty bomb”. They chose cesium-137 because of its availability, high radioactivity, high dispersability, and the difficult nature of clean up and remediation. Their goal was a highly visible attack creating death to the maximum extent possible, as well as inciting fear, … Continue reading →

GAO Probes DDG-51 Flight III for Ballistic Missile Defense The United States Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) disclosed the findings of a recently completed study in a report that gives pause to revised plans to modify the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer as a platform for the Navy’s ballistic missile defense radar due to miscalculations concerning cost and complexity. The disclosures give renewed merit to the Navy’s original next generation DD(X) concept, lead vessel DDG-1000 Zumwalt, and another potential change … Continue reading →

Arab World Unable To Offer Military Intervention Option in Syria The Syrian regime of Basher Assad is more likely than not to continue to mismanage the horrible revolution sweeping the country. Following an unprecedented condemnation of his regime by the Arab League, Assad has accused Arab leaders of creating a pretext for international intervention in Syria. Much to the dismay of leaders of the global nation state majority who have condemned the escalating bloodshed across Syria and who … Continue reading →

Iran & Turkey Increase Energy Imports Energy Rich Iran Boosts Gas Imports From Turkmenistan According to remarks from Deputy Oil Minister Javad Oujl, Iran has signed a deal to boost annual gas imports from Turkmenistan by about 40% to 14 billion cubic meters. Under the new deal daily imports will reach 40 million cubic meters. Despite having the world’s second largest gas reserves, Iran currently Imports 25 million cubic meters of gas a day from Turkmenistan. Before reform … Continue reading →