Surface Navy Association: Stop Ignoring The Logistics Fleet!

January 13, 2014

After Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Greenert has spent a year giving stump speeches that, in large part, highlighted the future contributions of civilian-manned ships operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) (the AFSB, MLP and JHSV), one might think that the Surface Navy Association (SNA) would get the message and give the humble ‘ole […]

Read the full article →

Sacre Bleu! Japan Reminds Us That France Is A Pacific Power

January 10, 2014

The announcement that Japan and France are strengthening their military ties should come as no surprise to Pacific-watchers. Both countries have a goodly amount in common, and, though some people will scoff, this relationship will be a good thing for the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Let’s be frank…In Pacific and Indian Ocean Affairs, France gets […]

Read the full article →

L’Affair Cowpens: Did China Plan Push-Back Of America’s Liaoning Tail?

January 9, 2014

Upon further review of the L’affair Cowpens, where the USS Cowpens (CG-63) and a Chinese ship engaged in a little “irresponsible” pas de deux, I must wonder if it was a planned piece of provocation. But, before we examine the confrontation in greater detail, let me highlight a fascinating Reuters piece published 7 November, almost […]

Read the full article →

The Collateral Damage of the Glenn Defense Marine Scandal

January 6, 2014

The fallout from the Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) scandal is wide-ranging…but just how wide-ranging is it? We don’t know yet, but I worry that the strategic impact of this scandal may well be greater than the arrests and sensational headlines suggest. Even worse, the SECNAV told us last month that this scandal is not […]

Read the full article →

Big Defense CEOs: Follow Elon Musk’s Lead

January 2, 2014

Over at TESLA/SpaceX, the power of dynamic, aggressively public leadership is on full display. Elon Musk gets in front of the cameras, engages blogs and even plays in the twittersphere—relishing his role as publicist-in-chief. His name and his hip image are irrevocably melded to his businesses—which are now recognized across the globe. In comparison, CEOs in the “Big […]

Read the full article →

For The Good Of The Nation, Keep Edward Luttwak Off The Oped Pages

December 30, 2013

If an editor wants to publish a tough red-meat, anti-China Op-Ed, a veritable constellation of excellent contributors are available. But Edward N. Luttwak is not one of them. His piece in the Wall Street Journal is so weak it cannot stand unaddressed–and the idea that his work might impact national policy should frighten everybody. To give you some […]

Read the full article →

Navy: Own Your Service’s Pro-Female Legacy

December 28, 2013

Back in December 2008, when somebody named Michèle Flournoy was being eyed for a high DOD position, I penned a wry little post over at the U.S. Naval Institute blog, suggesting that the U.S. Navy do more to showcase how the Service has, over the years, done a lot to provide an equal playing field for women. […]

Read the full article →

When Blog Themes Echo Across the Pacific

December 24, 2013

It is always fun when a mere blog posting echoes about in news stories or in policy. Most of the time it is all just coincidence and means little. But, this time, I’m amused that, after I posted a rather surprisingly well-trafficked post “Just Where Did We Think Japan Was Going…In 2003” that, on 20 […]

Read the full article →

South Sudan Demonstrates The V-22 Osprey Still Faces Operational Challenges:

December 22, 2013

So…the CV-22 Osprey chalks up more combat experience in South Sudan, with three CV-22 Osprey aircraft apparently taking ground fire on descent into what was probably the Osprey’s first noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO). Four of the approximately 46 aboard were reportedly hurt, and the Ospreys aborted their mission and diverted to an alternative landing zone. […]

Read the full article →

Is The USN Ready To Go Shoulder-To-Shoulder with the PLA(N)?

December 17, 2013

The 5 December encounter between the USS Cowpens (CG-63) and an unidentified Chinese amphibious vessel means that it might be time to revisit some old policy/training questions stemming from a 2005 collision.  The collision involved the Arleigh Burke Class destroyers USS Mcfaul (DDG-74) and the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81): The collision occurred while the ships were […]

Read the full article →