Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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Naval Warfare: Cost Increase On Stealthy Destroyers Not Caused By Shipyard (From Forbes)
April 8, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Navy is building the most technologically advanced surface combatants in history at Bath Iron Works in Maine. It is a challenging program, and this week the service disclosed that the cost of constructing three “Zumwalt-class” warships has increased $450 [Read More...] -
Why BAE Systems Scored Big On The Air Force’s Secret Bomber (From Forbes)
April 5, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D When Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James revealed the names of seven major subcontractors on the next-generation B-21 bomber last month, she didn’t say what tasks each of them would be performing. In the case of BAE Systems, [Read More...] -
How The U.S. Government Helped Kill 4,000 Jobs This Week At Boeing (From Forbes)
April 1, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Boeing disclosed Wednesday that it will have to eliminate at least 4,000 positions at its commercial aircraft operation this year, and maybe twice that number as the operation strains to stay price-competitive with rival Airbus. Boeing jetliners are generally more [Read More...] -
As Leidos Doubles In Size, CEO Roger Krone Sees A World Of Opportunity In High-End Services (From Forbes)
March 30, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Leidos Holdings, Inc. has surmounted the latest regulatory hurdle on its path to acquiring the Information Systems & Global Solutions business of Lockheed Martin. Assuming that transaction is completed later this year as planned, Leidos will become a $10 billion [Read More...] -
“Solid Progress”: F-35 Fighter, Pentagon’s Biggest Program, Is Moving Forward Fast (From Forbes)
March 28, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Senior Pentagon officials testified before Congress last week on the status of the tri-service F-35 fighter program, and the news was mostly positive. According to a joint statement by the Navy’s acquisition czar and the Air Force general overseeing the [Read More...] -
Why Complaints Over Cost Of New Class Of U.S. Aircraft Carriers Are Off The Mark (From Forbes)
March 24, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the biggest warships in history, and they have a price-tag to match. Perhaps that is why the United States is the only nation that maintains a fleet of these unique warfighting assets. However, carrier construction [Read More...] -
Brussels Attacks: How The Terrorists Want You To React (From Forbes)
March 22, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D It will take some time to sort out the carnage that terrorists caused in Brussels Tuesday, but it is already clear what kind responses are likely to encourage further atrocities. First, terrorists want the public to overreact, conferring on their [Read More...] -
Boeing Warns Capacity Constraints Could Kill Air Force Radar Plane (From Forbes)
March 18, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Air Force needs to replace its JSTARS radar planes, which provide invaluable reconnaissance to the joint force about enemy ground movements. The current radar is hosted on second-hand Boeing 707 jetliners, and the service figures it could avoid $11 [Read More...] -
Electronic Warfare: How The U.S. Army Could Lose Its Next War (From Forbes)
March 15, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The digital revolution has transformed the U.S. Army. Soldiers have acquired a host of sensors and communications gear that enables information dominance in the fight against terrorists and insurgents. However, in the fight against more capable adversaries like Russia, all [Read More...] -
B-21 Bomber: Five Questions The Air Force Must Answer (From Forbes)
March 11, 2016- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The contract for the Air Force’s B-21 bomber has barely been awarded, and already members of Congress are asking tough questions. Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, states flatly that he will not allow development to [Read More...]