Weekly HASC Seapower and Projection Forces Read Board

Upcoming Events

M	0900-1030: Degrade and Defeat ISIS, CSIS

Scuttlebutt (News)

·       As Navy Missions Pile Up, So Does Jet Maintenance. Gaps emerge as readiness consumption exceeds readiness production, thereby forcing F/A-18 Super Hornets to fly longer than planned.

·       Pentagon Rushing to Open Space-War Center to Counter China, Russia. The Pentagon opened a center to develop space warfare tactics and combat adversaries in response to other countries’ development of offensive space capabilities.

·       China Aims to Challenge U.S. Air Dominance: Pentagon. Deputy Defense Secretary of Defense Robert Work says that China is “quickly closing the technological gaps” in order to compete with the U.S. in the air and space domain.

·       Marines Looking at Deploying Aboard Foreign Ships. Due to a shortage of U.S. Navy ships, the Marine Corps may deploy on foreign vessels for rapid response in Europe and North Africa.

·       Navy Wants to Work with Air Force on New Nukes: VADM Benedict. As both Air Force and the Navy seek to replace their aging nuclear arsenals, the Navy wants to coordinate programs in order to cut costs.

Now Hear This (Opinions)

·       Remarks at China Aerospace Studies Institute, by Bob Work. In last week’s speech, the Deputy Secretary of Defense discussed the reemergence of great power competitions and the DoD’s Long Range Research and Development Planning Program, often known as the “third offset.”    

·       America’s Pivot to Asia: Why Rhetoric Simply Isn’t Enough, by J. Randy Forbes and Jim Talent. Rep. Forbes and Fmr. Sen. Talent argue that the U.S. needs to rebuild its Navy to face Chinese expansionism.

·       5 Questions with Rep. Randy Forbes on Subs and Nukes, by Ryan Evans. In an interview, Rep. Forbes discusses the necessity of funding the National Sea-based Deterrence Fund to sustain America’s nuclear arsenal.

·       Let’s Be Real: The South China Sea Is a US-China Issue, by Jeff M. Smith. Smith argues that China’s actions in the South China threaten freedom of navigation and cause an increase in tensions between the U.S. and China. 

Deep Dives (Analysis)

·       Sustaining America’s Precision Strike Advantage, By Mark Gunzinger and Bryan Clark. Gunzinger and Clark argue that the U.S. is ill prepared to face fortified adversaries due to its reliance of direct-attack munitions.

Fact of the Week: 96% of the precision guided munitions procured by the DoD from 2001 through 2014 are direct attack while only 4% are stand-off.