Author Archives: Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D
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BAE Systems, General Dynamics Disclose Leadership Shifts At Defense Innovation Hubs (From Forbes)
December 5, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The first week in December brought news of important leadership changes in the most innovative segment of the U.S. defense industry. At BAE Systems, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Tom Arseneault assumed the additional role of President with its electronics-systems business. [Read More...] -
Ashton Carter Is An Inspired Choice To Lead The Pentagon (From Forbes)
December 3, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D When it comes to picking political appointees, Ashton (Ash) Carter is about as good as it gets. The former Deputy Secretary of Defense is apparently the White House’s choice to replace Chuck Hagel in the Pentagon’s top job, and a [Read More...] -
After Hagel: How Budget Caps Are Bankrupting America’s Military (From Forbes)
December 1, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Like a bankrupt enterprise, America’s military no longer has the resources necessary to meet its core commitments. The culprit is an arcane budget process called sequestration that threatens to cut defense spending $55 billion each year through the end of [Read More...] -
Clean Sweep: F-35 Fighter Confounds Critics With Perfect Performance In First Tests At Sea (From Forbes)
November 21, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The Navy’s carrier-based version of the stealthy F-35 fighter has just turned in what look to be the most positive results ever reported for initial testing at sea. The results were so good that two weeks of scheduled testing were [Read More...] -
Gains In Wheeled Combat Vehicles Are Closing The Gap With Traditional Tracked Systems
November 19, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Ever since the first primitive tanks appeared on the Western Front a hundred years ago, it has been the firm conviction of armored-warfare experts that tracked vehicles equipped with treads were better suited to mobility in mud and sand than [Read More...] -
Pre-Mortem: Hagel Innovation Initiative Is Too Little, And Way Too Late (From Forbes)
November 18, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D On November 15 Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel laid out his department’s plan for a long-term innovation initiative. The idea sounds reasonable, but in fact it is too riven with contradictions to produce useful results. First, there is not enough [Read More...] -
Obsolete A-10 Thunderbolt Becomes A Symbol Of American Air Power’s Decline (From Forbes)
November 14, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately known as the Warthog, has become a drag on American air power. Conceived during the Vietnam War to provide close air support to ground forces, the 40-year-old tank killer is outdated — too slow to [Read More...] -
Six Reasons Republican Resurgence Will Make Missile Defense A Priority (From Forbes)
November 12, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The biggest manmade threat to America’s survival is the specter of nuclear war. But you’d never know that from the way the Obama Administration has dealt with national missile defense over the last six years. In a typical year, less [Read More...] -
Election Outcome Is Good News For Defense Industry (From Forbes)
November 5, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D Although the defense industry tries to avoid taking sides in political races, there isn’t much doubt that this week’s Republican electoral surge is good news for the sector. First, the GOP has a long history stretching back to the Vietnam [Read More...] -
Navy-Marine Corps Team Closes Ranks Behind Future Amphibious Warship (From Forbes)
November 4, 2014- Loren B. Thompson, Ph.D The U.S. Marine Corps is the world’s premier practitioner of amphibious warfare. But being able to use the sea as a maneuver space and basing domain requires specialized equipment, including a dedicated fleet of amphibious assault and docking ships. That [Read More...]