Rapid Fire Sept. 10, 2013: Rhetorical Answer on Syria Becomes Tentative Policy Within Hours

by Editorial Staff | Sep 10, 2013 | Asia - Central, Australia & S. Pacific, Britain/U.K., Chemical Weapons, Daily Rapid Fire, European Union (EU), Issues - International, Issues - Political, Launch Vehicles, Legal, Lobbying, Logistics, Middle East - Other, Missiles - Anti-Ship, Russia, Science - Basic Research, South Korea, USA

* US Secretary of State John Kerry’s off-the-cuff remark – meant to be rhetorical – that Bashar al-Assad could still avoid strikes by “[turning] over every bit of his weapons to the international community within the next week” was taken...

Whatever Floats Your Tank: the USN’s Improved Navy Lighterage System

by Joe Katzman | Sep 9, 2013 | Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, FOCUS Articles, Heavy Bombers, Logistics, Other Corporation, Surface Ships - Other, USA

Lighterage from USS Seay(click to view full) Lighterage is about loading or unloading ships using lighters (barges) that can form a sort of ad-hoc ramp or shuttle from ships at anchor; they are often used when a port’s dockside is too shallow for the ship, or...

Rapid Fire Sept. 9, 2013: Opposition to Syrian Strikes Spans Across Parties

by Editorial Staff | Sep 9, 2013 | Asia - Central, Britain/U.K., China, Daily Rapid Fire, Industry & Trends, Israel, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Middle East - Other, Russia, Scandals & Investigations, Submarines, USA

* National Journal notes how America has been taking a sharp turn inward. That isolationist streak was already apparent in the US House of Representatives during debates about Libya in 2011. This dynamic can lead to otherwise unlikely alliances across the aisle which...

Rapid Fire Sept. 6, 2013: Primes Worry About Their Suppliers

by Editorial Staff | Sep 6, 2013 | Asia - Central, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Forces - Naval, Guns - Artillery & Mortars, Industry & Trends, Issues - International, Middle East - Other, Russia, South Korea, UAVs, USA

* Support for President Obama’s request to strike Syria appears wobbly in the US Congress and even more shaky abroad. WaPo on Congress | WSJ on Russia | Reuters on strike costs. * From the Economist, a magazine that ended up deeply regretting its staunch support...

Rapid Fire Sept. 5, 2013: How to Fund Longer-Term Research While Budgets Decrease?

by Editorial Staff | Sep 5, 2013 | China, Coastal & Littoral, Corporate Financials, Daily Rapid Fire, European Union (EU), India, Issues - International, Issues - Political, Missiles - Ballistic, South Korea, T&C - SAIC, USA

Syrian update * Will lukewarm support from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees for a resolution [PDF] authorizing strikes against Syria translate into 60 votes in the US Senate as a whole? Then there’s the House, where some pro-defense lawmakers may try...