If the nuclear triad is to remain viable into the 21st century, then all three of its elements ought to endure the same level of programmatic scrutiny. The Air Force’s troubled Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile is one such program that demands greater scrutiny.
China has been in pursuit of a carrier aviation capability for nearly 40 years, using every imaginable method to acquire carriers via deception, amusement park attraction and finally domestic carrier production.
While the United States should not be in the business of fighting the Houthi movement in Yemen, U.S. joint forces can step up their operations and inflict significant defeats on the group to force them to cease attacks on merchant trade.
The recent sinking of a Russian navy ship was a solid victory for Ukrainian forces. But it’s a lot more about Russian failures rather than the success of uncrewed drones. The U.S. Navy can learn lessons.
What is missing in the discussion about the right size Navy needed to counter growing threats is a defined maritime strategy, a type of document not used by the service since the end of the Cold War.
The U.S. Ready Reserve Fleet of cargo and fuel ships that move military gear around the world when needed for a conflict is in serious need of an upgrade. The fleet is aging and generally not ready for war.
The nation’s mine infrastructure is facing a historic nearly-40 plus year period of neglect and under-investment since the end of the Cold War. This decay also includes industrial capacity, explosives, training, infrastructure, ships and personnel.
The Navy has struggled over the past quarter century to implement changes in a challenging budget environment. The evidence of struggle is clear.
Given the unpopularity of the Ukraine War, and the attempted revolt/protest of Wagner group Russian mercenaries, could the Black Sea Fleet by ripe for another grand and embarrassing naval mutiny?
There is a big mismatch between the Biden administration’s new National Defense Strategy and its push for forces to be equipped for global campaigning and the current projections for the U.S. Navy. The conventional manned fleet, the combat logistics force and the developing unmanned side of the Navy all need additional support to meet the NDS’s campaigning requirements.
