Archive for the ‘Defense Budget’ Category
Monday, March 16th, 2020
This is an incredibly shocking video of a talk that Adam Andrzejewski, founder and CEO of openthebooks.com gave regarding waste, fraud, corruption and abuse in all levels of our government at a Hillsdale College event . He names all those that are involved in the abuse of our taxpayer money. This is not a Republican or a Democrat issue as the corruption is widely spread throughout our government. If this level of corruption is allowed to continue, our country will be greatly damaged. Please share with all your contacts. Nancy
VIDEO – CULTURE OF CORRUPTION IN THE DEPTH OF THE SWAMP
Adam Andrzejewski | The Depth of the Swamp
Posted in Administrative State, Bernie Sanders, Big Business, Big Government, California, Congress, Conservatism, Constitution, Corporate Cronyism, Corruption/Crime, Culture Rot, Deep State, Defense Budget, Democrats, Dept of Defense, Donald Trump, Economy, Election 2020, Elitism, Entitlements, GOP, Government Regulation, Government Waste and Fraud, Healthcare, IRS, Joe Biden, Liberalism, Lobbyists, Medical/Drugs, Military, Obama Administraiton and Policy, Pensions, Political Corruption, Politics, Social Security, Spending, State Department, State Governments / Deficits, Taxation, Taxes, Transparency, Videos, Wall Street | No Comments »
Monday, February 24th, 2020
This article is a real wake up call for what the future holds and how extremely important it is for the United States to develop its own space force. Nancy
The Urgent Need for a United States Space Force
January 20, 2020
Steven L. Kwast
Lieutenant General, United States Air Force (Ret.)
Steven L. Kwast is a retired Air Force general and former commander of the Air Education and Training Command at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering, he holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a past president of the Air Force’s Air University in Montgomery, Alabama, and a former fighter pilot with extensive combat and command experience. He is the author of the study, “Fast Space: Leveraging Ultra Low-Cost Space Access for 21st Century Challenges.”
The following is adapted from a speech delivered on November 20, 2019, at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C., as part of the AWC Family Foundation lecture series.
EXCERPT FROM THIS ARTICLE: If China stays on its current path, it will deploy nuclear propulsion technology and solar power stations in space within ten years. This will give it the ability to beam clean energy to anyone on Earth—and the power to disable any portion of the American power grid and paralyze our military anywhere on the planet. America is developing no tools to defeat such a strategy, despite the fact that we are spending billions of dollars on exquisite 20th century military equipment.
In June 2018, President Trump directed the Department of Defense to “begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.” The reason for a space force is simple: space is the strategic high ground from which all future wars will be fought. If we do not master space, our nation will become indefensible.
Since that time, entrenched bureaucrats and military leaders across the Department of Defense, especially in the Air Force, have been resisting the President’s directive in every way they can. And this December, although Congress voted to approve a Space Force, it did so while placing restrictions on it—such as that the Space Force be built with existing forces—that will render it largely useless in any future conflicts.
At the heart of the problem is a disagreement about the mission of a Space Force. The Department of Defense envisions a Space Force that continues to perform the task that current space assets perform—supporting wars on the surface of the Earth. The Air Force especially is mired in an outmoded industrial-age mindset. It sees the Space Force as projecting power through air, space, and cyberspace, understood in a way that precludes space beyond our geocentric orbit.
Correspondingly, the Defense Department and Congress think that the Air Force should build the Space Force. So far, this has amounted to the Air Force planning to improve the current Satellite Command incrementally and call it a Space Force. It is not planning to accelerate the new space economy with dual-use technologies. It is not planning to protect the Moon or travel corridors in space to and from resource locations—raw materials worth trillions of dollars are available within a few days’ travel from Earth—and other strategic high grounds. It is not planning to place human beings in space to build and protect innovative solutions to the challenges posed by the physical environment. It is not developing means to rescue Americans who may get stranded or lost in space.
In short, the Air Force does not plan to build a Space Force of the kind America needs. In its lack of farsightedness, the Air Force fails to envision landmasses or cities in space to be monitored and defended. Nor does it envision Americans in space whose rights need defending—despite the fact that in the coming years, the number of Americans in space will grow exponentially.
This lack of forward thinking can be put down to human nature and organizational behavior: people in bureaucratic settings tend to build what they have built in the past and defend what they have defended in the past.
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Posted in A Force for Good in the World, Artificial Intelligence, China, Defense Budget, Dept of Defense, Donald Trump, Military, National Defense, Space Exploration, Technology, Totalitarian | No Comments »
Thursday, February 20th, 2020
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Europeans Try to Have It Both Ways
They expect American protection but aren’t prepared to defend their own countries.
By Walter Russell Mead February 18, 2020
How solid is the West? At last weekend’s Munich Security Conference, the world’s largest gathering of security policy makers and officials, the theme was “Westlessness,” referring to the sense of disorientation that many Europeans feel in this age of America First.
Since the 1940s, U.S. leadership in the service of a united and secure Europe has been the one unchanging feature in the Continental landscape. For generations, the U.S. committed to protect Europe from Russia, maintain bases in Germany to prevent it from threatening its neighbors, and promote European integration. Now Europeans don’t know where they stand, and a mixture of bafflement, anger, disappointment and fear fills the atmosphere at conferences like the one in Munich.
There’s little doubt that Trump administration policies, ranging from trade wars to toughness on Iran, have tested trans-Atlantic relations to the breaking point. But to understand the growing weakness of the Western alliance, Europeans need to spend less time deploring Donald Trump and more time looking in the mirror. A good place to begin is with a Pew poll released earlier this month on the state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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Posted in Big Government, Defense Budget, Donald Trump, Elitism, England, EU ( European Union), Europe, Foreign Policy, France, Germany, Globalists, Liberalism, Military, National Defense, NATO, Socialism | No Comments »
Sunday, February 3rd, 2019
American Military Superiority ‘Seriously Eroded’
A US soldier stands at the Qayyarah military base during the ongoing operation to recapture the last major Iraqi city under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group jihadists in October 2016 (Photo: YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)American military superiority has eroded seriously in the last decades. This was the conclusion of the latest report by the National Defense Strategy Commission, a bipartisan body charged by Congress to evaluate the U.S.’ defense capabilities.
The commission said the erosion was to such a “dangerous degree” that “America’s ability to defend its allies, its partners, and its own vital interests is increasingly in doubt.”
The report further stated, “If the nation does not act promptly to remedy these circumstances, the consequences will be grave and lasting.”
It notes that due to the superiority of American military power in the past, the U.S.:
- has deterred or defeated aggression and preserved stability in key regions around the globe
- ensured freedoms around the globe on which American and international prosperity depends
- given America unrivaled access and influence
- prevented America from being coerced or intimidated
- helped to avert a recurrence of the devastating global wars of the early 20th century, which required repeated interventions at a cost of hundreds of thousands of U.S. lives
“Put simply,” the report states, “U.S. military power has been indispensable to global peace and stability—and to America’s own security, prosperity, and global leadership.”
One of the main reasons America has seen its military edge slip away is budgetary cuts, which have prevented “essential … modernization” that have contributed to shortfalls in readiness.
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Posted in A Force for Good in the World, BUDGET FOR 2014, Budget For 2018, China, Congress, Defense Budget, Dept of Defense, Donald Trump, Foreign Policy, Intelligence, Liberalism, Military, Missle Defense, National Defense, Obama, Obama Administraiton and Policy, Progressive Movement, Putin, Radical Left, Russia, Spending, State Department, Technology | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 29th, 2019
Experts say our future wars will not be fought with tanks. ships and planes but will be cyber warfare. We had better be ready. Nancy
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Strike Back Against Every Cyberattack
The U.S. can keep foreign hacks at bay by showing its ability and will to retaliate.
EXCERPT FROM THIS ARTICLE:
Washington should commit to use its weapons against all aggressors. One example of America’s potential is Stuxnet, a U.S.- and Israeli-made virus that in 2007 infected Iran’s uranium-enrichment centrifuges, causing them to spin out of control. Stuxnet was certainly an offensive cyberweapon, but not a retaliatory one.
The U.S. really needs a second-strike cyberweapons program. In December 2015 the Russians launched cyberattacks on Ukraine, shutting down three power plants (which ran on Windows PCs). The U.S. should have immediately flickered all the lights in Moscow, to show them we can. Meddle in our elections? Fill Russia’s VK social network with endless Beto O’Rourke dental videos—it’s only fair. When the Chinese stole plans for the F-35 stealth fighter fromLockheed , we should have made every traffic light in Shanghai blink red, announcing “Stop, Don’t Hack Us Again.” North Korea’s Sonyhack? Scramble state-run TV signals in Pyongyang. They’ll get the message.
Another week, another data breach. The latest is 773 million online accounts for sale, many with passwords included, known as Collection #1. More are likely to come—go ahead and check your status at HaveIBeenPwned.com. All this the same month Marriott admitted that five million unencrypted passport numbers were snatched from its system, probably by the Chinese. Oh, and the Russians might have hacked the Democratic National Committee again after the 2018 midterms. How do we stop this?
The foreign hacks are the most disturbing. Last month members of a Chinese espionage ring known as Advanced Persistent Threat Group 10 (a k a “Godkiller” and “Stone Panda”) were charged by the Justice Department with hacking NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and even IBM . Earlier last year the Chinese were caught stealing submarine data from a U.S. Navy contractor. And horror of horrors, in 2017 an Iranian national hacked HBO and threatened to release unaired episodes and plot summaries from “Game of Thrones.”
The U.S. has done close to nothing in response. Sure, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers last summer. I’m sure they’re quaking in their boots. Maybe those “Game of Thrones” episodes could have taught our leaders something about retaliation and revenge.
So what is America’s policy? That’s unclear. But a good start would be to heed the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told the press last week that his state has a permanent policy of hurting “everyone who is trying to hurt us.” The U.S. needs a similar stance to halt cyberattacks.
Posted in Cyber Security, Cyber Warfare, Defense Budget, Dept of Defense, Foreign Policy, Military, Missle Defense, National Defense, Putin, Russia, Stuxnet, Technology | No Comments »
Monday, November 26th, 2018
A very realistic look at the possibility of a European Army. Europe’s dilemma is to continue the feeding of the socialistic beast (cradle to grave entitlements) or to increase its military so it can defend itself. I highlighted the author’s description of President Trump’s behavior towards the Europeans regarding their military spending (“his diplomacy of rudeness” and his “insolence”). Perhaps the Europeans would prefer that their dependency on the U.S. for military protection not be so rudely and openly discussed. Other presidents have complained (privately) and it got them nowhere with the Europeans. Everyone politely ignored the elephant in the room but not Trump ! He says it like it is !!! Nancy
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
A ‘TRUE EUROPEAN ARMY’? DREAM ON
Military autonomy is unworkable. There are better ways to improve the Continent’s defenses.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President Donald Trump in Paris, Nov. 10.PHOTO: SAUL LOEB/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
‘We must protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia, and even the United States,” French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month, calling for European strategic autonomy from the U.S. That autonomy would, in Mr. Macron’s words, include a “true European army.” A few days later, German chancellor Angela Merkel echoed the call for a European force. The vision is gaining momentum, propelled in part by Donald Trump’s diplomacy of rudeness against America’s European allies.
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Posted in Defense Budget, Donald Trump, Entitlements, EU ( European Union), Europe, Foreign Policy, Globalists, Liberalism, Military, National Defense, Political Correctness, Socialism, Spending, Technology | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 17th, 2018
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
THE AMERICAN ARSENAL IS VULNERABLE TO CYBERATTACKS
U.S. firepower could be crippled by software flaws. The Pentagon has been slow to respond.
October 16, 2018
by Brian E. Finch Mr. Finch is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where he is a leader of the firm’s cybersecurity team. His clients include cybersecurity vendors that may support the U.S. Defense Department under Comply to Connect.
Modern American military history is replete with examples of poorly designed weapons. Submarine torpedoes failed to explode after hitting Japanese ships. M16 rifles only could be counted on to jam in the middle of a firefight in Vietnam. Pentagon planners have since spent countless hours and billions of dollars to create acquisition programs that wring the bugs out of U.S. arms before they reach the hands of soldiers and sailors.
Despite the hard work, the U.S. still fields weapons systems with dramatic weaknesses. A new Government Accountability Office auditthis month indicates that huge swaths of American firepower could be rendered inert by software flaws. There are solutions to the cyber weaknesses plaguing our arsenal, but bureaucratic inertia at the Defense Department is hampering their implementation. Faster action is needed to clear the logjam and harden America’s weapons before it’s too late.
The GAO could not have been clearer about the threat: “A successful attack on one of the systems the weapon depends on can potentially limit the weapon’s effectiveness, prevent it from achieving its mission, or even cause physical damage and loss of life.” American ships, airplanes, combat vehicles, satellites and other systems have design flaws that leave them vulnerable to debilitating cyberattacks. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is growing more reliant on automation and artificial intelligence.
Posted in China, Cyber Warfare, Defense Budget, Dept of Defense, Foreign Policy, Military, Missle Defense, National Defense, Nuclear Energy/Weapons, Obama Administraiton and Policy, Russia, Technology, Vietnam | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 17th, 2018
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
F-22 FIGHTERS DOWNED BY HURRICANE
October 17, 2018
An aircraft hangar damaged by Hurricane Michael is seen at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 11. PHOTO: JONATHAN BACHMAN/REUTERS
Hurricane Michael did terrible damage in Florida last week, and that may include some of the world’s most capable military aircraft left in its path. But why can’t Air Force F-22 jet fighters, of all things, escape a storm? Answer: They lack the parts to be operational and so were stuck in hangars to take a beating.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Sunday that the damage to an unspecified number of F-22s on Tyndall Air Force Base was “less than we feared.” But maintenance professionals will have to conduct a detailed assessment before the Air Force can say with certainty that the planes will fly again. Press reports estimate that at least a dozen planes were left on the base due to maintenance and safety issues.
Welcome to a fighting force damaged by bad political decisions and misguided priorities. Of the Air Force’s 186 F-22s, only about 80 are “mission capable,” according to a July analysis from the Government Accountability Office. The average across the Air Force in 2017 was that about 7 in 10 planes were mission capable, which is still too low for meeting increasing demands.
Part of the F-22 problem is upkeep on a coating that helps the planes evade radar. Another issue is the supply chain for parts now that the U.S. no longer produces the airplane, and “some original manufacturers no longer make the parts or are completely out of business,” GAO notes. Air Force officials told GAO that a simple wiring harness requires a 30-week lead time for finding a new contractor and producing the part. Ripping out parts from planes that work, or “cannibalizing,” is now common practice in military aviation.
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Posted in Big Government, Congress, Defense Budget, Democrats, Entitlements, Foreign Policy, ISIS Terror Group, Military, National Defense, Obama, Obama Administraiton and Policy, Spending, Technology | No Comments »
Saturday, September 15th, 2018
Posted in Big Government, Border Security, Congress, Conservatism, Defense Budget, Democrats, Donald Trump, Election 2016, Election 2018, Entitlements, Environmental Issues, Environmental Protection Agency-, Foreign Policy, Free Trade, Globalists, GOP, Government Regulation, Government Waste and Fraud, ICE, Illegal Immigration, Legal Immigration, Legal Issues, Liberalism, Migration - Islamic, Military, National Defense, North Korea, Obamacare, Politics, Progressive Movement, Racism, Radical Islam, Radical Left, Regulations, Russia, Sanctuary Cities, Socialism, Sovereignty, Taxation, Taxes, Terrorism, Trade Agreements, Transparency, Urban Renewal, Welfare | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 16th, 2017
With heightened tensions around the world, this article analyses the preparedness of our U.S. bomber fleet. Thanks to Rosemarie Wenzel for sharing this article. Nancy
Less than half of the US bomber fleet is ready
to ‘fight tonight’
EXCERPT FROM THIS ARTICLE: “It’s not just the nation’s bomber force,” that is so stretched, Deptula said. “It’s the military writ large. The U.S. Air Force is the smallest and least ready it’s ever been in history – that should get people’s attention.”……..“If anything good comes out of the North Korea crisis,” it should be a wake-up call, he said.
WASHINGTON – Less than half of the bombers President Donald Trump would rely upon to be “locked and loaded” against North Korea could launch today if needed, according to the latest Air Force figures available.
That’s not a surprise to the bomb squadrons who have seen firsthand the combined effects of aircraft age, the demand of 15 years of air war operations and reduced budgets. But the numbers can be stark. Of the nation’s 75 conventional and nuclear B-52s, only about 33 are ready to fly at any given time, according to Air Force statistics. Of the 62 conventional B-1s, only about 25 are ready. With the 20 nuclear B-2 stealth bombers, the number drops further. Seven or eight bombers are available, according to the Air Force.
“On a nominal basis you don’t have more than single digits of B-2s available to do anything,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, currently the dean of the Mitchell Institute of Aerospace.
“If anything good comes out of the North Korea crisis,” it should be a wake-up call, he said.
Posted in Defense Budget, Foreign Policy, Military, National Defense, North Korea | No Comments »
