The Retired Spook writes in to follow up on some recent items: Please convey my thanks to Operative BJ for his insightful analysis of the Gates memoir. Although we disagree on a few particulars, he covers the same ground that … Continue reading →
The media is starting to realize that former Defense Secretary Robert Gates did not do the Democrats any favors with his memoir. Operative BJ wants us to know that Gates, frankly, did no one any favors with his memoir: O … Continue reading →
And it wouldn’t be Thursday without Island Dweller spotting something to tick us off. He brings up the subject of former Defense Secretary Gates: Most illustrious, dread, awful, and so on – Your slightly chilled minion here in the hinterlands … Continue reading →
The Czar knows how smart you readers are, and will not hesitate to get you talking smart stuff with one another. For example, the Czar got a great letter from Island Dweller (and who doesn’t?) as follows: Oh Sultan of … Continue reading →
Pete DuPont, Dr. J.’s favorite 1988 presidential hopeful reflects on President Obama’s conflict between anti-military idealism and reality in yesterday’s column on ‘Peace through Strength.’ Go read it here. Dr. J.
Continue reading →So it seems that Carter’s National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski thinks that Senator John Kerry as Secretary of State and former Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense would be a heckuva powerful and effective team. The Senate should consider … Continue reading →
Well, maybe now craw…maybe I should say ultra-hi PSI servo-acutuated grasper. There are secrets, classifications and security clearances for a reason. Largely, and in a way a simplification, it is to protect the means and methods by which our country … Continue reading →
If there’s one good thing about ‘Puter, it’s that he’s fair enough to call out shenanigans on the Right. If there’s two good things about ‘Puter, it would be news to us. More to the first point, we want our … Continue reading →
As Congress begins to take up the Obama administration’s defense budget, one item not even under discussion needs to be considered. Events of the past 18 months have made clear that it’s time to rethink the fate of the F-22 … Continue reading →
Television station KFMB channel 8 is reporting on what they are calling a mysterious missile launch off the coast of southern California last night. As of right now no one in the military is taking credit for the launch. But … Continue reading →
Defense Secretary Bob Gates will be told in a meeting today that development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be further delayed, on top of the 13-month slippage that was disclosed in March. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions … Continue reading →
Because this retiring Air Force general’s presentation to the Air Force Association makes it clear that our this-generation aircraft are increasingly vulnerable to both Russian and Chinese SAMs and fighters, and our heretofore unchallengeable air superiority is becoming, well, challengeable, … Continue reading →
Here’s a couple tiny excerpts, but you need to read Arthur Herman’s piece in the upcoming Commentary. Twice. Not just because it jibes extensively with Confucius’s* thoughts on the American military. Seriously. Make time. Print it out. Whatever it takes. … Continue reading →
If this quote in the Guardian is right, then either someone flunked junior-high Civics, or the Administration’s opinion of itself is, uh, expansive? Obama has rejected the Pentagon’s first draft of the “nuclear posture review” as being too timid, and … Continue reading →
Mike Goldfarb is on fire these days. Your Volgi hasn’t even gotten to his reporting on Burma (tonight, maybe). But here he relates a hell of a scoop by Congressional Quarterly’s Josh Rogin: According to Rogin, “An internal Pentagon oversight … Continue reading →
Why is it so expensive for the Pentagon to buy stuff? I can’t even summarize. Notice the similarities to GorT talking about his Wang. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →As you’ll recall, Confucius* says “Buy more F-22s.” This question is heating up increasingly, with Congress and many military officers on the one side, and Secdef Gates and the White House on the other. Dodbuzz.com calls it A Battle for … Continue reading →
And so Aviation Week has some information on the new Predator Avenger unmanned drone aircraft. Based on the write up there, very cool hardware indeed. One thing though, from AW: “The UAV’s undeniably stealthed-up exterior offers several clues about how … Continue reading →
And I know what a contingency is. And certainly, “operation” is easy enough to understand. But the lamely-labelled “Global War on Terror” is now the “Overseas Contingency Operation.” And that’s close to meaningless. “That thing we do abroad if or … Continue reading →
The government of Kyrgyzstan is waffling on kicking us out of Manas AFB. I suspect means we’re doing a good job at saying, “Hey, look, you remember, oh, say, 1862–1991 when the Russians ran things around here? You sure you … Continue reading →
No sooner does the DoD release the new FM 3-36 Electronic Warfare in Operations manual, than someone evidently reads it. Check this out: we detect and respond to a “malicious” source in Iran reading detailed blueprints for a helicopter in … Continue reading →
