The report's authors said purchasing a combination of high-tech systems along with cheaper, lower-tech options would allow the Pentagon to increase the size of its force and permit the US to invest in equipment to handle emerging threats.And then this.
"There is a point where quantity does have a quality," Hendrix told CNN, adding that it is easier to maintain a presence around the world with higher numbers of ships and planes.
For example, rather than buying two F-35s, the CNAS report suggests purchasing one F-35 and two older F-16s or F-18s.
It's about applying the right type of force to right combat situation," Hendrix told CNN. "You don't have to be all high end to manage national security issues."Interesting.
Despite cutting the Ford-class carrier program after only two of the four planned ships are complete, the three think-tank experts said their plan will ensure that the US still has 10 aircraft carriers by the end of the decade due to their 35-year lifespan, but that the carriers would take on new functions, acting as prepositioned operating bases around the world.
Investing in the airwing gives aircraft carriers utility going forward, Hendrix said, noting that long-range strike aircraft would allow the carriers to sit out of range of Russian and Chinese anti-ship missiles.
The money saved by cutting the additional carriers could also allow the Pentagon to counter China and Russia's anti-ship and anti-air defense systems by bolstering the US submarine fleet and developing unmanned systems and undersea technology.
Asked for comment on the CNAS report, the Pentagon said only, "Our strategy is laid out in the President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2017."
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| The damn thing can hold a Humvee? Impressive. |
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) today announced the CH-53K King Stallion successfully completed initial operational testing by the U.S. Marine Corps to verify the key capabilities of the heavy lift helicopter. The week-long operational assessment by Marine Corps pilots, aircrew and maintainers marked an important step in support of a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Milestone C decision early next year.The Marine Corps is REALLY pushing this testing hard. I know its budget related and that they want to clear the books of this requirement but I wonder if they're missing stuff.
"This successful operational assessment by the Marine Corps is a clear sign of the maturity and the robust capability of the King Stallion," said Dr. Michael Torok, Sikorsky Vice President CH-53K Programs. "This was a key requirement in support of the upcoming Milestone C decision, and its success is another important step in our transition from development into production."
It is the latest in a series of snubs by the French government, showing its displeasure with Poland’s decision to scrap a landmark deal to purchase 50 H225M ‘Caracal’ helicopters. A foreign trip by French President Francois Hollande to Warsaw has already been cancelled.All this over a helicopter contract? JESUS! How desperate are the French? This should be a minor thing but its turning into a diplomatic incident!
The news that France had withdrawn its Euronaval invitation to Poland was reported by the AFP news agency on 13 October. Bartosz Kownacki, Poland’s deputy defence minister, said the invitation withdrawal had been the direct result of the cancelled negotiations for the new helicopters.
In a move that is unlikely to end the diplomatic spat anytime soon, Kownacki said France’s current behaviour could be explained by the fact that Poland taught the French how to use forks ‘a couple of centuries ago’.
