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  • Defense Spending

    Long-Range Strike: The American Javelin

    While American defense budgets are in a rapidly escalating free-fall, Chinese defense budgets have seen annual double-digit increases. China’s rapid military modernization is focusing on anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) technologies, which are designed to deny American naval and air forces access to the skies and waters off the Chinese … More

    America: The Stabilizing Superpower

    In an atmosphere of deep defense cuts, many are questioning whether America really needs to maintain its position as the world’s only true superpower. Perhaps America can nation-build at home at the expense of our military posture abroad. However, American power underpins the most prosperous global order the world has … More

    Panetta—Pentagon’s Friend or Obama Stalking Horse?

    According to news reports, “Pentagon chief Leon Panetta vowed Wednesday to fight any across-the-board cuts to defense spending that could be triggered in the next phase of deficit reduction that he says could do ‘real damage to our security, our troops and their families, and our ability to protect the … More

    A Dangerous Debt Ceiling Deal

    The deep cuts in defense spending envisioned in the just-announced debt ceiling deal raise a fundamental question for Americans: Will we let a deal stand that promises to end American security as we know it? Or will we demand that the deal, born of crisis-driven politics in Washington, be abandoned … More

    President’s Debt Ceiling Agreement A Raw Deal for National Security

    This week, President Obama celebrates both a birthday and (maybe) a budget deal. The second looks to hardly to be a cause for celebration. Obama has worked hard to ensure a deal that leaves open the prospects for deep defense cuts. As the debate has progressed, the President’s antipathy toward … More

    Washington in a Flash: Politicians Agree to a Deal, Not a Solution

    Lawmakers in both houses of Congress are moving quickly to vote on the latest debt-limit deal — a plan agreed to Sunday night by President Obama and congressional leaders. Republicans and Democrats negotiating the agreement hailed it last night, but conservatives are less than impressed by the plan. Sen. Mike … More

    Standing at the Precipice: U.S. Military Readiness Set to Go Off a Cliff

    Hoping to reverse the trend of “enormous [defense] cuts” ahead, House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee chairman J. Randy Forbes (R–VA) held a hearing on the state of the military. Testifying before Congress were the vice chiefs of the four services: Army General Peter Chiarelli, Navy Admiral Jonathon Greenert, Marine Corps … More

    U.K. Defense Spending Increases: Welcome, but Not Enough

    American commentators are beginning to react to a British announcement of a modest increase in defense spending. Any increase is welcome, but there is unfortunately a good deal less to this increase than meets the eye. Start with the amount of the increase, which has been reported in the U.S. … More

    Heritage Action Issues Letter on Fiscal Crisis

    Today, The Heritage Foundation’s sister organization Heritage Action for America issued a letter to all Members of Congress regarding the debt limit impasse. Here is an excerpt: Our nation is in the midst of a fiscal crisis, but it is one that has nothing to do with an August 2 … More

    ‘Gang of Six’ Plan Could Gut Defense

    This week, Representative Buck McKeon (R–CA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released a memorandum to Republicans on the committee. He appropriately criticized the “Gang of Six” budget outline from the Senate for its possible negative consequences for national security. Since the Gang of Six proposal is nothing more … More