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October 15, 2013  

It’s all pinpricks | AirSea Battle, defined | From stupid to dangerous

MQ-1B Predator (USAF photo)

MQ-1B Predator (USAF photo)

Remember President Obama’s “We don’t do pinpricks” speech? Lionel Beehner begs to differ. And, he says, “countries across the globe are beginning to mirror the United States by modifying their military doctrines in favor of lighter footprints and ‘pinprick’-style targeted assassinations.” (“No Pinpricks? We Only Do Pinpricks,” The Atlantic).

Yesterday, we noted three AirSea Battle pieces, including one on on last week’s ASB hearing before the HASC Seapower committee. Today, Galrahn argues that the officers at the hearing failed, in a historic manner, to offer the long-awaited clear definition of the concept. (Information Dissemination)

Under current trends, sequestration is going to go “From Merely Stupid to Dangerous,” according to an Oct. 11 report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. “The combination of sequester cuts and unaddressed cost increases will erode force readiness, stall modernization, and reduce the fighting forces by at least 50% by 2021.”

And Frank Hoffman’s on a roll: here’s his take on Tony Echevarria’s “Op-Ed: Is Strategy Really A Lost Art?” (War On The Rocks)

Looking for more papers on cyber conflict than you can possibly digest? Here’s Lori Fossum’s “Cyber Conflict Bibliography“. (Via Paul Rosenzweig)

Warlord’s Quote of the Day

“Those that know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories.” — Polybius

Contributed by Tim Hoyt, a Naval War College strategy professor who occupies the John N. Brown Chair of Counterterrorism and concentrates on Pakistan, the British Isles, and Mexico. From a list compiled by the Warlord Loop, a private email forum for national security experts.

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