Must-Reads

November 21, 2013  

Art of the possible | WOTR picks winners | AirSea Battle must-reads

The Pentagon is taking a hard look at the size of its future force, Defense News reports: DepSecDef Ash Carter is leading a “base force” review, the first since the early 1990s. For some context, read Lt. Col. Robert Bateman’s op-ed on “strategy, policy, civil-military relations, inter-service rivalry and the art of the possible.” (Esquire)

War On The Rocks recently challenged its readers to offer concise recommendations for DoD in these harsh budgetary times. They’ve picked the best three responses, which came from Stephen Rodriguez (“What Should DoD Do About Budget Cuts?“), Anonymous (“Congress’ Defense Program”), and Bryan McGrath (“The Shrink Wrap Strategy”).

Want to really understand AirSea Battle? BJ Armstrong lists the three most important public documents. (We’d add “Air-Sea Battle: Clearing the Fog” by the ASB office itself.) (War On The Rocks)

GAO says the Navy’s shipbuilding programs are all getting better: “Even in the worst cases — the LPD 17 San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks and the Littoral Combat Ship programs — the statistics show gradual and sometimes dramatic improvement in shipyard performance.” (Defense News)

Warlord’s Quote

“At the very heart of warfare lies doctrine. It represents the central beliefs for waging war in order to achieve victory. Doctrine is of the mind, a network of faith and knowledge reinforced by experience which lays the pattern for the utilization of men, equipment, and tactics. It is the building material for strategy. It is fundamental to sound judgment.” — Gen. Curtis E. LeMay

Contributed by Gen. (ret.) Pete Piotrowski, who commanded Ninth Air Force, was USAF Vice Chief of Staff, then commanded North American Air Defense Command and U.S. Space Command. From a list compiled by the Warlord Loop, a private email forum for national security experts.

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