Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan Engine Has Had A Very Good Year (From Forbes)
December 19, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D 2018 is shaping up to be a watershed year for Pratt & Whitney’s revolutionary Geared Turbofan. Pratt spent $10 billion and 20 years refining the technology, and 2018 was the year in which that investment began paying off in the [Read More...] -
Air Force Ballistic Missile Becomes A Test Case For Trump Industrial Strategy (From Forbes)
December 14, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Air Force is buying a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a time when the Trump Administration has expressed concern military contracting practices are undermining the defense industrial base. The Air Force’s missile is an opportunity to demonstrate that the [Read More...] -
Five Existential Challenges Facing Elon Musk’s SpaceX (From Forbes)
December 11, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D SpaceX has transformed the commercial space market, accomplishing feats not previously thought possible for a privately-held company. However, the jury is still out concerning whether the company has a sustainable business strategy. There are at least five challenges that might [Read More...] -
Space Race: How The Air Force Can Respond Faster As China, Russia Threaten U.S. Orbital Systems (From Forbes)
December 7, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D These are worrisome times for America’s space warriors. Russia and China are developing diverse ways of degrading or destroying U.S. national-security spacecraft, and the Air Force must respond. It can’t do things the old way, because that will take too [Read More...] -
Trump Says U.S. Defense Spending Is “Crazy.” It May Signal An Important Shift. (From Forbes)
December 4, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D President Trump shocked the defense establishment Monday by describing the current level of U.S. defense spending as “crazy,” and calling for a halt to what he characterized as an “uncontrollable arms race.” Official Washington is accustomed to dismissing such tweets [Read More...] -
A Stealthy Anti-Ship Missile Could Help U.S. Turn The Table On Chinese Navy (From Forbes)
December 3, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The U.S. Navy faces a tough challenge in containing Chinese military forces in the Western Pacific, in part because it has under-funded anti-ship weapons since the Cold War ended. But it is about to get a potent new weapon called [Read More...] -
Delay In U.S. Army Upgrade Of Chinook Helicopter Would Devastate Boeing Workforce In Pennsylvania (From Forbes)
November 29, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Boeing helicopter plant in Ridley Township, PA is one of the last vestiges of heavy industry in the lower Delaware Valley. But it could suffer a devastating blow if the Army goes forward with a proposal to delay production [Read More...] -
Air Force Push For Better Pilot Protection Upsets Competitive Landscape In Ejection Seats (From Forbes)
November 26, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D As the Air Force’s flying community becomes more diverse and its headgear becomes heavier, the service is seeking to improve the protection provided to combat pilots by ejection seats. Ejection seats have saved hundreds of lives, but they subject the [Read More...] -
If America’s Military Loses World War III, Low Readiness Will Likely Be The Reason (From Forbes)
November 15, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D A congressionally-mandated commission on defense strategy has released its report, warning that the U.S. might lose a multi-front war in the future if it does not restore its military edge. One area that needs close attention is readiness, which seems [Read More...] -
BAE Systems Leverages Industrial Network As Ramp-Up Of Armored Vehicle Production Approaches (From Forbes)
November 13, 2018- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D In recent years, BAE Systems has won so much armored-vehicle work from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps that a government study recently speculated it might be facing capacity constraints at its main assembly plant. However, the company has long [Read More...]