The transparency of some anti-defense ploys boggles the imagination. The most recent one has to do with the production rates of the new F-35 multi-role fighter. This aircraft will replace several of the worn-out fighters of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps that are sometimes older than the pilots who fly them. The multi-role abilities of the F-35 will benefit the readiness and war fighting capabilities of all the branches of service and will markedly improve national security at a time when threats are increasing in number and magnitude. … More
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“Providing for the common defense” is the federal government’s single most important responsibility as prescribed by the Constitution. It is the cornerstone of our freedom, upon which all other liberties and guarantees rely. Our nation’s ability to protect its citizens must remain the foremost priority for the President and Congress, regardless of political affiliation or public sentiment. This requires providing the Department of Defense (DOD) with the necessary resources to do so. Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Sequester Replacement and Reconciliation Act, designed to ensure those resources … More
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Last week, the British government made a decision to change from the Carrier Variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) back to the Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of the JSF—as was originally planned before its 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. While this move was politically challenging for the coalition government in the U.K., it was the right decision. The assumed cost of equipping the U.K.’s new generation of aircraft carriers with catapults and arrestor gear that are required for the Carrier Variant of the JSF … More
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“Americans are tired of carrying the burden of foreign obligations, frequently unappreciated by others and always costly in blood and treasure,” lamented Senator Jon Kyl (R–AZ) last week, as he gave the annual Jesse Helms lecture at The Heritage Foundation. The Senator, who spoke powerfully in favor of engagement and a strong defense, was absolutely right. The fact is that Americans have made huge sacrifices to prosecute the wars in Iran and Afghanistan, and they are weary. However, the world with its multitude of challenges will not go away. Somehow, … More
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Recently, Daryl Kimball and Tom Collina, both of the Arms Control Association, criticized the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for taking hostage the implementations of the New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (New START) in order to provide necessary funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration. The article misrepresents facts. New START mandates U.S. unilateral reductions and does not serve U.S. interests. Both authors assert that if the National Defense Authorization Act passes in its entirety—that is, including provisions tying the treaty’s implementation funding with funding for the nuclear weapons complex—Russia … More
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Dark shadows and superheroes may be all the rage in theaters, but the real heroes are on freedom’s frontier, and what’s really scary are schemes in Washington that will leave our men and women in uniform without what they need to defend us. Here is some serious short cinema on the problems of protecting America. Senator Jon Kyl (R–AZ) speaks out on why conservatives must defend our defenders. “A thousand-pound truck bomb” and a lesson about America’s military at risk. During “Protect America Month,” The Heritage Foundation features programs and … More
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Pakistan’s military has lost more than 3,000 security personnel in the fight against terrorism. Such sacrifices are often overshadowed in the U.S., where the media (rightly) focus on Pakistan’s lack of action against groups like the Haqqani network that targets U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, responsible for the terrorist atrocities in Mumbai in November 2008. While Pakistani military leaders seem to believe they can handle the terrorist threat to their own country without targeting all of the terrorist groups that find sanctuary there, the recently released Osama bin … More
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The Chinese minister of defense, General Liang Guanglie, is currently visiting the United States, and as usual, he is getting the red carpet rolled out for him. He is meeting Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and visiting a number of U.S. military installations, including Southern Command and Fort Benning. General Liang has already made clear that Secretary Panetta is welcome to visit China in the second half of this year. On these visits, the Chinese typically get to see American forces and equipment, although usually little different from what is … More
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On January 5, 2012, President Obama stepped to the podium at the Pentagon to deliver a speech outlining the United States’ new defense strategy. In just over 12 minutes, the Obama Administration managed to roll back a military strategy that had been in place for more than 60 years. No longer will the U.S. military force structure be sized to conduct two large-scale operations simultaneously. The Administration’s new plan prescribes a force structure capable of engaging in one war while maintaining the ability to deny the objectives of, or imposing … More
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On January 5, 2012, President Obama stepped to the podium at the Pentagon to deliver a speech outlining the United States’ new defense strategy. In just over 12 minutes, the Obama Administration managed to roll back a military strategy that had been in place for more than 60 years. No longer will the U.S. military force structure be sized to conduct two large-scale operations simultaneously. The Administration’s new plan prescribes a force structure capable of engaging in one war while maintaining the ability to deny the objectives of, or imposing … More
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