Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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McCain Panel Focus On Cost Of Secret B-21 Bomber Could Force Restructure (from Forbes)
May 10, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Senate Armed Services Committee is reviewing the Pentagon’s fiscal 2017 budget request, and one area where committee chairman John McCain is sure to focus is the Air Force’s B-21 bomber. The Air Force desperately needs a more survivable, maintainable [Read More...] -
Aging Overachiever: Black Hawk Poised To Be U.S. Army’s Workhorse Helicopter Through Mid-Century (from Forbes)
May 5, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Army’s 1976 decision to select Sikorsky’s UH-60 Black Hawk as its next airborne tactical transporter of troops in battle. It’s a good thing the Black Hawk turned out to be versatile and [Read More...] -
Southwest Defense Complex Is The Foundation Of U.S. Military Dominance (from Forbes)
May 3, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D There’s a lot of talk this primary season about revitalizing infrastructure in America, but the focus is mainly on civil works like bridges and tunnels. Another category of infrastructure — military infrastructure — may be just as important to the [Read More...] -
At Raytheon, Workforce Diversity Isn’t Just A Core Value — It’s A Strategy For Winning (From Forbes)
April 28, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D When a company gets a perfect score 11 years in a row for providing a workplace where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees feel welcome, it’s a safe bet that management designated that accomplishment as a priority. So it is [Read More...] -
Friendly Fire: Killing Russian Rocket Engines Too Soon Could Cripple U.S. Security (From Forbes)
April 26, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D After Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine, pretty much everybody in Washington agreed that the U.S. military needed to stop using Russian rocket engines for launching its satellites. However, because the Russian engines were available, there hasn’t been much funding of [Read More...] -
Boeing At 100: What It Will Take To Survive A Second Century (From Forbes)
April 22, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D In July, the Boeing Company will celebrate the centennial of its founding in 1916. From modest beginnings, it has grown to become the biggest aerospace company in the world. So many assume it will continue dominating global markets for the [Read More...] -
Overstretched U.S. Army Gets Only Two Days Worth Of Federal Spending In 2017 For New Weapons (From Forbes)
April 19, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Demands on the U.S. Army in Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific are rising, but its budget is not. Forced to focus on personnel and readiness, the service cannot afford the kind of weapons modernization effort that would enable [Read More...] -
Senate Banking Committee Halt On Ex-Im Nominee Costing U.S. $50 Million In Exports Every Day (from Forbes)
April 15, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Senate Banking Committee chairman Richard Shelby is blocking confirmation of a nominee to the board of the Export-Import Bank. Without that member, the board lacks authority to back transactions requiring more than $10 million in credit. So even though bipartisan [Read More...] -
Radar Planes: Why Does The Air Force Need A Dozen Years To Buy 17 Off-the-Shelf Aircraft? (From Forbes)
April 13, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The U.S. Air Force operates a small fleet of radar planes that can track moving ground targets day or night, rain or shine. Called JSTARS planes, they have made it possible for coalition fighters to precisely target enemy units in [Read More...] -
Why Pentagon Priorities Will Soon Change No Matter Who Becomes President (From Forbes)
April 11, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Early next year, the United States will get a new commander in chief when Barack Obama departs as president. We don’t know who the next chief executive will be yet, but we can say with near certainty that at some [Read More...]