Monthly Archives:: December 2007

Geopolitics – Forgetting the Obvious

Posted by & filed under Geopolitics.

American Interest – Robert D. Kaplan writes “Some truths are so obvious that to mention them in polite company seems either pointless or rude. What is left unstated, however, can with time be forgotten. Both of these observations apply today to the American way of war. It is obvious that a military can only fight [...]

US Navy – F-35B Rolls Out

Posted by & filed under USNavy.

Defense Technology International – Bill Sweetman notes that the roll-out of the first Lockheed Martin F-35B is a milestone in the development of a runway-free supersonic fighter. But it does raise a huge question: what is it for?more…

Piracy – U.S. Steps Up Anti-Piracy Actions

Posted by & filed under Piracy.

Washington Post – The U.S. Navy is adopting more aggressive tactics to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia, helping last week to make the area free of captured vessels for the first time since February, according to a senior U.S. Navy commander in the region.more…

Geopolitics / Asia – Winning Asia: Washington's Untold Success Story

Posted by & filed under Geopolitics.

Foreign Affairs – Pundits, academics, and Bush bashers insist that the United States is losing ground in Asia, but they are wrong. The Bush administration’s Asia policy has been an unheralded success. Improved relations with China, stronger U.S.-Japanese cooperation, North Korea’s gradual nuclear disarmament, and expanding regional alliances have made Asia more prosperous and secure [...]

US Navy – Aegis Make Over (2)

Posted by & filed under USNavy.

Defense Technology International – The U.S. Navy has given its final approval for Lockheed Martin to proceed with the integration and shipboard installation of the world’s first, fully-open architecture Aegis weapon system for a major surface warship.more…

Afghanistan – Into the Valley of Death

Posted by & filed under Afghanistan.

Vanity Fair – A strategic passage wanted by the Taliban and al-Qaeda, Afghanistanís Korengal Valley is among the deadliest pieces of terrain in the world for U.S. forces. One platoon is considered the tip of the American spear. Its men spend their days in a surreal combination of backbreaking labor-building outposts on rocky ridges-and deadly [...]

French Navy – French Navy Uses Second Life to Recruit

Posted by & filed under FrenchNavy.

Defense Technology International – From 29 November to 4 December a virtual frigate (which looks remarkably like the yet-to-be-built Franco-Italian FREMM) called in on Second Life which could be visited 24 hours a day and where youngsters could meet virtual sailors who would answer questions about the jobs and careers they might have if they [...]

Geopolitics / Asia – Washington's Eastern Sunset: The Decline of U.S. Power in Northeast Asia

Posted by & filed under Geopolitics.

Foreign Affairs – After 60 years of U.S. domination, the balance of power in Northeast Asia is shifting. The United States is in relative decline, China is on the rise, and Japan and South Korea are in flux. To maintain U.S. power in the region, Washington must identify the trends shaping this transition and embrace [...]