Dr. William Roper, the director of the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office, meets with reporters at SCO headquarters in Arlington, Va., to discuss how his office is driving innovation and making existing weapons to be more effective.
Read the Report: President Obama has made it clear that he intends to veto the legislation the House passed on September 9, 2016 that would allow families of those killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any role its officials played in the terrorist attack. He should veto the bill and the Congress should pause and not override that veto.
Ulf Nilsson, the head of Saab Aeronautics, discusses the company’s new Gripen E fighter, export markets and the company’s design philosophy.
On Sept. 11, 1941, construction of the US military’s headquarters — The Pentagon — begins with a ground-breaking ceremony on the site of the Hoover Field in Arlington, Va., that closed in June. The building came be be five-sided because it was initially to be located on a nearby plot of land that was an irregular pentagon. When the site was moved, the building — designed by architect George Bergstrom — was made symmetrical with five sides, five floor, five rings and two basements. It was finished on Jan. 15, 1943.
Fifteen years after the deadliest terror attacks on US soil, Americans are remembering 9/11 and still grappling with its implications.
As with any mass tragedy, scars for some remain fresh as others have worked hard to move beyond the searing events of that sunny September day. Many – particularly those who experienced the chaos of that day first hand – still struggle with anxiety sparked by memories or images of buildings falling, scenes far more gruesome, or wonder why they survived when others didn’t.
Sept. 11, 2016, will be a day of public remembrance and personal reflection for a tragedy that killed 3,000 and injured some 6,000 more. A thousand first responders and others have died since of illnesses linked to the attacks, along with nearly 6,000 American troops who fought in the wars to avenge that attacks and prevent others.
In an election year, there will also be vulgar political grandstanding that shouldn’t distract us from thoughtfully taking stock.
Today in Military History: On Sept. 10, 1813, in the Battle of Lake Erie, a nine-ship US Navy squadron commanded by Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry defeats a six-ship Royal Navy squadron commanded by Cmdr. Robert Herlot Barclay, who was gravely wounded in the action.
Read the Report: In Reducing the Risks from Rapid Demographic Change, Dr. Mathew Burrows explores how longer life expectancies, aging workforces, and high birthrates will affect the future economic growth and development of countries around the world. Using a forecasting model developed by the University of Denver’s Pardee Center for International Futures, this report looks at different future scenarios, and investigates how medical advancements, migration, and unanticipated drops in fertility rates might affect current demographic trends.
CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Peter Harrell and Energy, Economics, and Security Program Director Elizabeth Rosenberg have written a new report outlining a strategy for the next president on the use of coercive economic measures to achieve national security objectives. The report, “The Next Generation of Sanctions,” is part of CNAS’ Papers for the Next President series, which explores and offers recommendations on critical issues the next president will have to address early in his or her tenure.
On Sept. 7, 1965: Bell Helicopter flies the prototype of its Model 209 attack helicopter, a private venture to address the US Army’s need for a dedicated aerial gunship. Work on the project that became the AH-1G HueyCobra began in 1965 as Army losses of Bell’s iconic UH-1 Huey utility helicopters modified as gunships in Vietnam began to increase.
Frank Kendall, the US undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, on the prospect of another continuing resolution, Congress’ proposal to use Overseas Contingency Operations funds to boost the Pentagon’s base budget, and DoD concerns with reform proposals.