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By Greg Grant on Thursday, November 20th, 2008
The highly influential Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Pentagon funded think tank, recommends that the Army cut its planned force expansion of 65,000 new soldiers and comes mighty close to saying the service should axe its prized Future Combat Systems modernization program.
Posted in Land, Policy, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
By Greg Grant on Friday, November 7th, 2008
The Army is examining emerging concepts of human security and their application to defense and security strategies for the 21st century, with people such as Maj. Shannon Beebe, who spends time in Africa exploring the nexus among development, environment and security in areas such as Darfur and Congo.
Posted in International, Policy, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
By Colin Clark on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Reporters can be really dumb. There I was in front of Raytheon’s booth at the Association of the US Army’s conference with a little button under my thumb. I hit the button. My lower thoracic area got very hot, very fast. So I waited for the machine to recycle and hit the button again. This [...]
Posted in Uncategorized | 36 Comments »
By Colin Clark on Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Dave Bowman, who was the company’s C-17 program manager, is the new vice president for tankers. Boeing officials say corporate moves affecting the tanker program are routine, but in this heated atmosphere nothing is routine, even if it’s planned and rational.
Posted in Air, International, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
By Colin Clark on Monday, July 7th, 2008
One of the top defense consultants has published an analysis of what a decline in spending may mean internationally. “The end is in sight. Which companies will survive the downturn in spending? Which strategic changes will be generated by the new Administration? Which industrial players will prove best positioned and most agile in making the transition?” asks Robbin Laird in the June issue of the Royal United Services Institute’s Defence Systems publication.
Posted in Policy, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
By Colin Clark on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Defense Secretary Robert Gates should call in the CEOs of Boeing and Northrop (and probably EADS), apologize to them for the tanker fiasco and promise to make it right by conducting the cleanest, most technically rigorous contract award humanly possible. That’s what two of America’s most experienced acquisition experts say needs to happen, and fast.
Posted in Air, International, Policy, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
By Colin Clark on Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey had just sworn in slightly more than two dozen new recruits and serving soldiers today at a celebration of the 35th anniversary of the creation of the all-volunteer force with Army Secretary Pete Geren attending. I asked Geren after the ceremony if the US could afford a volunteer force with its ever-increasing costs from bonuses, pay increases and health care.
Posted in Land, Policy, Uncategorized | 23 Comments »