Air Force Seeks Allies Support As Budget Crunch Looms
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WASHINGTON: The Air Force is turning to its allies for help as it looks to maintain a viable global presence in the face of coming budget cuts, a top Air Force general said today. The service expects to get much smaller as the Pentagon’s struggles to meet the White House deficit reduction goals and possible… Keep reading →
Abrial: NATO Closing ISR, Intel Sharing Gaps Exposed In Libya
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WASHINGTON: NATO is wasting no time in taking the painful lessons learned from its peacekeeping mission in Libya and folding them into a new strategy for future operations, the NATO general overseeing that effort said today. The resistance from forces loyal to recently deceased Libyan strongman Col. Muammar Gaddafi was a “strategic surprise” to NATO,… Keep reading →
U.S. Military To Scrap COIN; Focus on Pacific, Says Vice Chairman
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Omaha: The United States, which rushed to replace and rebuild its ability to wage counter insurgency warfare over the last decade, must plan for a new future in the Pacific and leave COIN behind. That was the bold message of Adm. James “Sandy” Winnefeld speaking here at the Strategic Command Cyber and Space conference. While… Keep reading →
U.S. Presses Ahead On Space Code While China Ignores Us
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Omaha: What if you crafted an international nuclear arms agreement and didn’t get all the major nuclear powers to sign on? That’s sort of the position the United States finds itself in as it pursues an international code of conduct designed to encourage international space cooperation to limit space debris and encourage information sharing about… Keep reading →
A New Strategic Moment for Darwin and Australia?
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President Obama’s visit to Darwin, a port city, in Australia’s Northern Territories, celebrates 60 years of the ANZUS Treaty, centerpiece of one of the closest defense relationships on the planet. Darwin is also the home of a forward Royal Australian Air Force base and other military facilities. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the president… Keep reading →
Obama Administration’s ‘Three Cs’ Means a Failing Space Policy
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The Obama administration will probably announce soon that the United States will join in supporting adoption of the European Code of Conduct for Space Activities, which the White House now calls the “international” code of conduct. This commitment reflects the administration’s continuing determination that security for US interests in space can best be found by… Keep reading →
Libyan Lessons For Doomed Autocrats and U.S.
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With news of Muammar Gaddhafi’s death, the U.S., NATO, and the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) deserve a moment to relish in the successes of the democratic movement in Libya. Yet it’s important to understand that despite this success, the story of Libyan democracy is in its infancy. Now begins the difficult part. Can the… Keep reading →
Airborne Refueling Pact Paves Way For Regional Push Against China
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Washington: Another memorandum signed by two governments. Yawn. Well, usually. But when the Japanese government confirmed that it would now allow its air forces to refuel American warplanes as part of an agreement signed between the two countries last October it took on an entirely new meaning. The year-old pact between the Air Force and… Keep reading →
Marine Libya Lessons: Short Command-Control Links, STOVL Flexibility
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The French operational experience in and off of Libya has neatly dovetailed with that of the U.S. Marines and suggests a way forward for American thinking about littoral operations. With the decision of the U.S. national command authority to “lead from behind,” the Marines were almost inadvertently given a leading role. What “lead from behind”… Keep reading →
China Grows More Belligerent, Unexpectedly
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Over the last few days, Chinese foreign policy seems to have undergone a 180-degree change. Only a month ago, the Chinese had published a white paper on its policy of “peaceful development,” underscoring that China’s approach to foreign policy was oriented towards peaceful, friendly relations with all states. Yet, in the past week, the message… Keep reading →