Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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Air Force, Navy Plans Look Totally Out Of Sync With China Threat Estimates (From Forbes)
October 25, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday have recently warned that China could move to seize control of Taiwan in the very near future. They aren’t the only ones expressing concern about a near-term [Read More...] -
The Air Force’s Aged Fleet Of AWACS Radar Planes Is In ‘Hospice Care.’ It Needs New Planes As Soon As Possible. (From Forbes)
October 20, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Air Force should have begun replacing its fleet of AWACS airborne surveillance and battle-management planes 20 years ago. It didn’t, and as a result it is saddled today with 31 aircraft that are expensive to operate, hard to find [Read More...] -
Marine Corps War Plans Are Too Sino-Centric. What About The Other 90% Of The World? (From Forbes)
October 17, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The U.S. Marine Corps is striving to be more relevant in the Western Pacific by reorganizing to help defeat Beijing’s navy in the China littoral. Marine leaders think that by fielding smaller, more mobile units they can hide in the [Read More...] -
Lockheed Martin Laser Breakthroughs Could Signal A Turning Point For Missile Defense (From Forbes)
October 13, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Lockheed Martin last month delivered the most powerful laser it has ever built to the Pentagon, a 300-kilowatt system. A month earlier, it delivered the first tactical laser suitable for use in layered defense of U.S. warships. And earlier this [Read More...] -
The Biggest Threat To America’s Global Dominance In Software & Services Isn’t China–It’s Washington (From Forbes)
October 10, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Over the last 20 years, software and digital services have become the most vibrant sector of the U.S. economy. The pace of innovation is furious, and the impact on global commerce and culture is profound. At a time when America [Read More...] -
U.S. Tax Law’s Retrograde Treatment Of R&D Is A Threat To National Security (From Forbes)
September 26, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The United States was one of the first industrialized countries during the postwar period to recognize the importance of private-sector research and development by giving it favorable treatment in the tax code. Now Washington looks poised to move in the [Read More...] -
The Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Is A Model Of What Military Acquisition Can Accomplish (From Forbes)
September 22, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D In 2015, the U.S. Army awarded Oshkosh Corporation a contract to develop and produce a successor to the Humvee called the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. The program has turned out to be a smashing success, delivering the first light military [Read More...] -
The Right Way To Buy The U.S. Navy’s New Generation Of Supercarriers (From Forbes)
September 20, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The lead ship in the Navy’s new generation of supercarriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is about to begin its first deployment. The Navy expects to buy ten Ford-class carriers, the last of which will not exit the fleet until [Read More...] -
Five Reasons Buying An All-New Engine For The Air Force’s F-35 Fighters Is A Real Bad Idea (From Forbes)
September 15, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Pentagon is mulling whether the Air Force should develop a new engine to replace Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system on its F-35 fighter. This is an awful idea. The existing engine is the safest, most reliable fighter engine [Read More...] -
Not Your Father’s Chinook: The Army’s Biggest, Fastest Helicopter Is Poised For Further Performance Gains (From Forbes)
September 12, 2022- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The CH-47F Chinook tandem-rotor helicopter is the fastest rotorcraft in the U.S. Army fleet, capable of transporting up to 55 soldiers to remote locations at a speed of nearly 200 miles per hour. It has doubled its payload capacity to [Read More...]