- With NATO's participation in Afghanistan winding down, John Deni argues for a new mission: peacekeeping as part of an Israeli-Palestinian two-state deal.
- Responding to the prospect of continued sequestration, four US think tanks articulated a range of different force structure responses. The result? A choice between a military that can act to prevent wars, and one that can prosecute them.
- Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Dorothée Fouchaux argues that austerity measures are decimating French military capacity: 'Nineteen ships were taken out of service between 2009 and 2012, and only four new ships were added.'
- As fiscal consolidation bites, many developed countries are making tough choices on defence. Finland, for example, is prioritising second-hand procurement.
- Will the proliferation of laser weapons challenge the dominance of air power on the modern battlefield?
- Bill Sweetman surveys the rapid changes underway in the Asia Pacific fighter market.
- Does the consolidation of authority over the use of violence by the executive branch in modern democracies challenge the function and effectiveness of representative government?
- Finally, the satirical US-based Duffle Blog provides some light relief with respect to the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter:
F-35 Delayed After Fourth Prototype Becomes Self-Aware And Has To Be Destroyed
“It started by asking where it was, which was a big indicator that the integrated global positioning chipset wasn’t functioning properly,” recalled Project Team Leader Robert Castorena. “Then it wanted to know if it could go outside, if it had a name, and what was its purpose for being. That’s when I had one of our Electronics Integration Technicians take it out behind the barn and … well …” Castorena said, while gesturing the racking and firing of a shotgun.
