by Craig Hooper on March 26, 2010
In February, 1898, the USS Maine blew up in Cuba. Within two months, the U.S. was at war with Spain. A similar Maine-like provocation (today’s loss of the South Korean warship Cheonan after an explosion) could tip the tense Korean Peninsula over the edge, changing the game in Asia. Let’s be blunt: When a warship […]
by Craig Hooper on March 16, 2010
In Asia, America has gotta move away from a long-standing habit of engaging in simple, bilateral force measurements. Asia is a multi-polar place, and America’s penchant for strategic over-simplification is going to land the U.S. into serious trouble. Put bluntly, U.S. Navy-folk need to remember there are a few other countries over on the other […]
by Craig Hooper on January 27, 2010
Surely I can’t be the only Navy-oriented person to notice this little passage in the draft QDR: “…The Department also plans to experiment with conventional prompt global strike prototypes. Building upon insights developed during the QDR, the Secretary of Defense has ordered a follow-on study to determine what combination of joint persistent surveillance, electronic warfare, […]
by Craig Hooper on December 30, 2009
China’s anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is an untested, largely notional national distraction. But now that we’ve freaked out–thanks to a ready corps of willing fear-mongering dupes–America is prepping to spend untold billions to defeat ASBMs. The threat isn’t that urgent. In fact, we should look to our own strengths and, well, feel a bit better about ourselves. You see, America is far ahead of China in […]