Author Vago Muradian

Military & Aerospace History
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On Nov. 8, 1864, Read Arm. David Farragut, commander of US naval forces during the Civil War, wrote a powerful letter to Navy Secretary Gideon Welles months after the Battle of Mobile Bay that sailors, not weapons, determine the outcome of battles. Farragut, the first US naval officer to achieve the ranks of rear admiral, vice admiral and admiral, wrote: “I think the world is sadly mistaken when it supposes that battles are won by this or that kind of gun or vessel. In my humble opinion the Kearsarge would have captured or sunk the Alabama as often as they might have met under the same organization and officers. The best gun and the best vessel should certainly be chosen, but the victory three times out of four depends upon those who fight them. I do not believe that the result would have been different if the Kearsarge had had nothing but a battery of 8-inch guns and 100-pound chase rifle. What signifies the size and caliber of the gun if you do not hit your adversary?”

THINK TANK CENTRAL
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Central Asia is the third largest point of origin for Salafi jihadist foreign fighters in the conflagration in Syria and Iraq, with more than 4,000 total fighters joining the conflict since 2012 and 2,500 reportedly arriving in the 2014–2015 timeframe alone. As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues to lose territory under duress from U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition activities, some predict that many may return home bent on jihad and generating terror and instability across Central Asia. Yet several factors indicate that such an ominous foreign fighter return may not materialize. Among these factors are that a majority of Central Asians fighting for ISIL and the al-Nusra Front in Syria and Iraq are recruited while working abroad in Russia, often from low-wage jobs under poor conditions making the recruits ripe for radicalization. In addition, many of those heading for jihad in Syria and the Levant expect that they are on a “one way journey,” some to martyrdom but most for a completely new life, and do not plan a return.

VIDEOS
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Rear Adm. Bill Merz, USN, the U.S. Navy’s director of undersea warfare division (N97), discusses high attack submarine utilization rates in the Pacific, the attack sub shortfall, and new undersea weapons with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian at the Naval Submarine League’s 34th annual symposium Oct. 26-27 in Arlington, Va.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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In the early 1990s, any time you asked US Navy leaders how many aircraft carriers American had, their answer was “not enough.”

Today, the same thing can be said about the Navy’s submarine force.

At the moment, America has 52 nuclear attack submarines. That’s more than any other nation in the world, but still not enough to support US global needs.

Despite rising Russian and Chinese investment in newer, more capable and quieter submarines combined with more powerful and longer-range cruise and ballistic missiles that hold land bases and surface ships at risk, Navy leaders several years ago decided 48, more modern subs are enough.

VIDEOS
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Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the alternative defense strategy recommendations from Washington’s top think tanks — CSIS, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Center for a New American Security, the American Enterprise Institute and the CATO Institute — during an interview on Oct. 18 with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

VIDEOS
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Vice Adm. Mike Connor, USN Ret., the former commander of the U.S. Submarine Force who is the CEO of ThayerMahan, discusses how the new company will help improve Navy undersea warfare capabilities with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian at the Naval Submarine League’s 34th annual symposium Oct. 26-27 in Arlington, Va.

VIDEOS
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Don Jagoe, the senior business development director of Liquid Robotics, discusses autonomous sea surveillance systems with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian at the Naval Submarine League’s 34th annual symposium Oct. 26-27 in Arlington, Va.

AUSA 2016
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Chris Vanslager, the president of AM General Defense, discusses how the company is keeping its Humvee current with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian on Oct. 4 during the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting and trade show. The meeting was held Oct. 3-5, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

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