Harrison
CSBA’s Todd Harrison takes a crack at quantifying what we all know in “Shutdown Could Cost DoD Billions of Dollars” (Marcus Weisgerber, Defense News) “It’s not that it’s immediate. It won’t cost you billions of dollars in the first year,” Harrison said. “It’s billions of dollars over the life of these programs.”
Now, for something completely different, two reports on austerity and the UK military:
- What it has done: “All the Things the British Military Can’t Do Anymore” (Robert Beckhusen, War Is Boring)
- What it may yet do: “Hammond: Budget Cuts Could Mean ‘Restructuring’ of UK Forces” (Andrew Chuter, Defense News)
In the ongoing struggle to usefully frame cyberwar, Daniel Steed offers a Thucydidian lens: a realist appraisal of “what we fear in a world of cyber, where issues of honor affect us, and what political interests are at stake.” (War On The Rocks)
Three pieces to feed your AirSea Battle needs:
- ASB steering committee chair Rear Adm. James Foggo (ADCNO Ops, Plans, and Strategy), testified to Congress last week on ASB: “Today, and for the first time ever, senior leaders from the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Army and Joint Staff discussed the Air-Sea Battle Concept in an open hearing with the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee…”
- The hearing also featured a late addition in the person of Army Maj. Gen. Gary Cheek, who, in BreakingDefense’s estimation, turned out to be the most engaged, engaging, and enthusiastic person there.”
- If you’re just looking to catch up on ASB, here’s the Navy’s 13-pager on it, first posted in May.
The shutdown kept some attendees from the first Defense Entrepreneurs Conference, but here’s a rave review from one who made it to Chicago: “I’m not sure of the science behind it, but the lack of uniforms and visible rank this weekend broke down barriers to discussion. Navy ensigns conversed with Army majors, and Air Force colonels spoke with Marine Corps sergeants. For 72 hours, rank and service took a backseat to professional discussion…” (Joe Byerly, An Enlighted Soldier)
Warlord’s Quote of the Day
“EUCOM again! I’d rather tangle with the Group of Soviet Forces, Germany, than that staff down there.” — Col. Richard Martin
Contributed by Col. (ret.) Stu Harrington, a military intelligence specialist who interrogated Noriega’s henchmen and Saddam Hussein’s generals, then assessed the POW camp at Guantanamo, Cuba. From a list compiled by the Warlord Loop, a private email forum for national security experts.
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