Rapid Fire: 2010-04-07 – Afghan Focus

* Center for Naval Analysis: US Navy’s decline reaching a tipping point? * Chinese hackers gain access to classified documents in India’s Defense Ministry, Canadian think tank finds. Report | New York Times | Bloomberg | India Express * Feeling Irregular?: USAF needs to beef up its irregular warfare capabilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, including dedicated COIN aircraft, says RAND report [PDF]. * Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer, flip side: Why Taliban marksmanship sucks – and how they sometimes make it work for them anyway. * A UK conference report, “Winning Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan: Assessing the Effectiveness of Development Aid in COIN [PDF],” says the current counter-insurgency approach may be doing more harm than good. * The Taliban have a COIN doctrine, too. Or at least, rules for procuring suicide bombers. * USA sending GunPACS Sniper detectors to Afghanistan, ASAP * Meanwhile, David Axe reports from the ground in the Chowkay Valley. And Michael Yon discusses the COIN uses of a “designated comedian.” * Culture Club: UK military specialists advise commanders on Afghan culture and language. * USAF F-15s begin to get new nosecones, to go with their new radars * Argon snags $11 million contract for Phase […]