News reports surfaced this past week that in a drastic bid to trim government spending Britain and France were discussing sharing aircraft carriers. Britain currently operates two carriers, HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious, with two more under construction, while France operates the large deck carrier Charles de Gaulle. Today, British and French officials threw [...]
Military Defense
The End of U.S. Maritime Dominance? Not So Fast Argues Naval Strategist
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
In a new research paper I came across, Geoffrey Till, a top-notch historian and naval strategist, looks at the notion that this is shaping up to be China’s century, not America’s, and that the maritime decline of the U.S. is a foregone conclusion. He contends that predicting the rise and fall of great power maritime [...]
LCS Mission Modules Not Working As Intended
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
A recent Pentagon war game that ran the Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship through simulated combat in the Gulf didn’t unfold quite as expected, according to participants. The LCS is custom built with the Gulf combat environment in mind: narrow and congested waters, a wide range of low-end threats from sea mines and swarms of [...]
Chinese Hospital Ship “Peace Ark” Sets Sail For Africa
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
China’s 10,000 ton hospital ship “Peace Ark” left Zhoushan Port today en route to the Gulf of Aden on its first overseas medical mission, according to a Chinese government announcement. It says the ship carries 428 “soldiers, officers and medical workers.” During its 87-day mission the ship’s medical staff will provide treatment to people in [...]
IISS Says China Now Has More Warships Than U.S.
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
In a must read article on rising weapons costs and defense spending, the Economist puts up an interesting chart from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) showing that China now has more warships than the U.S. While IISS apparently uses its own definition for what is and is not a warship (the chart puts [...]
DT Friend Capt. Josh Powers Receives Purple Heart
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Defense Tech readers who followed our Afghan embed coverage back in May will remember Capt. Josh Powers, Angel Company Commander, 3rd Batt., 3–187 BCT. We met Josh at the first shura we attended at Yahya Khel — right before the insurgents mortared the nearby city center. Josh immediately impressed us with his demeanor, attitude, understanding [...]
When Do Information Operations Become Cyber Warfare?
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
By Kevin Coleman Defense Tech Cyber Warfare Analyst An interesting question, well more than a question, it was an out and out argument that I got brought into via email last week. I thought this was the perfect venue to address the disagreement. The disagreement centered around the difference between IO (information operations) and CW [...]
What Do You Call an IED with Fins? A SAM …
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Our friends at Popular Mechanics are reporting that “DARPA has selected two companies to proceed with the next stage of its Transformer, a fully automated four-person vehicle that can drive like a car and then take off and fly like an aircraft to avoid roadside bombs. Lockheed Martin and AAI Corp., a unit of Textron [...]
Army Abruptly Cancels Ground Combat Vehicle Competition (Updated)
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
The Army has canceled the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) solicitation because the service decided, after an internal and external review, that the current Requests for Proposal (RFP) do not accurately reflect Army requirements and a changing acquisition strategy, sources tell us. A contract for the new vehicle was very close to being awarded, we’re told. [...]
Marines Will Remain in Southern Afghanistan For Years: Conway
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Being an outgoing Marine Corps Commandant gives you a hell of a lot more leeway in calling it like you see it. Short timer CMC Gen. James Conway has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Obama administration’s push to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Today, the typically (and now, [...]