It’s becoming increasingly clear that Afghanistan is like a giant checkerboard, and U.S. and NATO troops are the checkers, limited to the black squares.
After more than a decade of war combined with a hearts-and-minds …
Procurement
Carrier Wars
U.S. aircraft carriers are a big roll of the dice. The U.S. Navy has begun building the Ford class of carriers, which are going to end up costing $15 billion each once they’re outfitted with the warplanes that are the reason …
“When an 82-year-old pacifist nun gets to the inner sanctum of our weapons complex, you cannot say `Job well done.' She's in the audience. Would you please stand up, ma'am? We want thank you for pointing out some of the problems in our security.”
Privatizing War
There’s a new link in the chain that operates U.S. forces in war zones. You can see it in the Air Force’s own crash reports.
Usually, there’s a section up front called “Unit Information,” and it deals with the …
Calls for Phantom Defense Cuts Must Stop
Fiscal restraint is en vogue and increasingly the cover many are using to push other agendas. Republicans spent a week in Tampa monitoring America’s mounting national debt at their recent convention. Democrats included a call …
Weaning Kabul Off the U.S. War Machine
So there’s Mohammed Nabi in Kabul complaining about the half-finished buildings and empty scaffolding near his floor-tile shop. “We now realize that most of our business was dependent on foreigners,” he says about the shop he …
“I would add more F-22s.”
Another Name for a Panel of Military Officers Discussing Logistics
Driving Around…In Style
You thought Army uniforms were green? In Friday’s contract solicitations, the Army proves that’s not always the case. Its chauffeur uniforms, for example, must come in grey.
Chauffeur uniforms?
$776,000,000
Fallout Shelter 2.0
You might think this story from Monday’s Washington Post is simply about some Maryland congressman who believes the end of the world may be drawing near and wants to be prepared:
The electrical grid could fail tomorrow, he
…
Better Late Than Never
Interesting Pentagon contract buried deep in the long list it announced Friday. The Army awarded nearly $15 million to Jorge Scientific of Arlington, Va., to “provide for the modification of an existing contract to research and develop a methodology for counter insurgency operations. Work will be performed in Arlington and Afghanistan…”
Bigger Bang For The Buck
The Navy has just authorized full-rate production of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, a laser-guided rocket system that manufacturer BAE Systems says costs only a third as much the Hellfire missile commonly …