Posts tagged as:

Pacific

And some China musings: Papers in USNI Proceedings and the Hoover Digest

by Craig Hooper on April 10, 2011

Over the course of my naval blogging, nothing has worried me more than the Pacific.  I worry that American policymakers have taken their eyes off the ball, distracted by impulsive, poorly justified national security choices (i.e. Iraq and Libya). As resources dwindle, the margin for error and or ability to absorb/compensate/fix strategic mistakes dwindle too. [...]

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French arms for sale: Reckless opportunism or glue for a future NATO?

by Craig Hooper on January 10, 2011

Back in 2008, In NDIA’s National Defense Magazine, I called for the purchase of the Mistral-class “projection and command” ships, noting that the acquisition of the vessels would be an ideal mix of capability and geopolitical utility.  In what was a sidebar discussion of next-generation hospital ships, Jim Dolbow and I snuck in some geopolitical [...]

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In Press: Talking Shipbuilding with the Seattle Times

by Craig Hooper on January 2, 2011

Seattle Times columnist Jon Talton got in touch last week to discuss shipbuilding, competition from Asia, and shipyard consolidation.  The resulting piece, on the merger of Seattle’s Todd Pacific Shipyards with privately-owned Portland’s Vigor Industrial, came out today.  It’s an interesting article, which you can read here. First, I think the Todd-Vigor merger is pretty [...]

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Prompt Global Strike will transform U.S. Naval Power:

by Craig Hooper on July 8, 2010

As many of you know, I’m occasionally contributing to the military.com universe as their resident Naval Analyst.  In today’s post, I wonder what will happen if, over the next two years, the 7,804 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells in the surface fleet suddenly acquired a Prompt Global Strike capability? It’s just a DARPA project now, [...]

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China’s upcoming exercises: Or why Andrew Erickson needs to calm down

by Craig Hooper on June 30, 2010

So China announces, in advance, that a set of naval exercises will take place from June 30 to July 5.  And as expected, China fear-monger Andrew Erickson and the rest of America’s China “threat technicians” are freaking out. And why shouldn’t they?  The idea of China launching an “anti-access exercise” over America’s 4th of July [...]

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China’s Navy: Hey, let’s not panic…

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 [...]

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Overlooked In The QDR…Prompt Global Strike:

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, [...]

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Why salvage assets are important:

by Craig Hooper on December 24, 2009

Divers operating off the USNS Safeguard (T-ARS-50) are quietly getting Saipan’s channel to the point where that delightful isle will be able to host deep-draft vessels.  After this visit–the latest of at least two–the main channel will be clear to at least 36 feet, say the divers:  “… the main priority of this mission is the removal of five [...]

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