VAGO’S NOTEBOOK

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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Washington no longer has the luxury of unnecessary duplication of capabilities, programs of incremental value, systems that are vulnerable or cause more logistical headaches than they solve. 

The reassessment of America’s legacy platforms, concepts of operations and assumptions must be clinical, empirical and unsentimental. 

Anything that poses novel and costly problems for our adversaries, holds their forces at risk, heightens their uncertainty or complicates every element of their planning deserves to be prioritized. Anything that doesn’t should be sacrificed to free resources for what will. 

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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As the Navy ramps up its great power game, it must learn Ford’s lessons to ensure major new programs like ballistic missile submarines, frigates, a surface warship and large- and medium-displacement unmanned vessels, a large unmanned tanker aircraft and more are successfully and quickly executed.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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Self-satisfied blabbing about US cyber prowess at a time when too much of America’s government or civilian cyber infrastructure — whether cities large and small, facilities, businesses, communications systems and even cars — remain vulnerable to hacking or worse, attack is downright foolhardy and dangerous. Before bragging about how its breaking into the networks of other nations with a proven ability to be persistent cyber foes, it’s vital the administration do more to secure America’s infrastructure first.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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On many levels, this year’s Paris Air Show was historic with the launch of two new, stealthy Western fighter programs that will dominate investment for Europe’s leading nations for the coming decade.

At Le Bourget, France, Germany and Spain launched the New Generation Fighter, the manned element of the bigger Future Combat Air System program — SCAF in French — spearheaded by France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus that is to include closely networked manned and unmanned combat aircraft. It constitutes many years of public and private work in Europe and France in particular on new stealthy manned and unmanned aircraft, including the Neuron demonstrator that was launched in 2006.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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The Trump Administration’s 2020 Budget Request Could Be, But OCO, F-15X, Carrier, Amphib, Space Force Raise Doubts

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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Now that President Trump has declared a national emergency to build his border wall, all eyes are on what will be cut to free the additional $7.5 billion he wants as a down payment for the project.

Rather than the wall, that money would be better spend on buying new systems and capabilities the United States desperately needs as it faces rising global powers.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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You can’t be a real airplane lover and take satisfaction in seeing the end of a flagship aviation program.

That said, Airbus’ decision last week to halt production of the A380 by 2021 will bring an end to a polarizing program.

It was neither sleek nor particularly attractive, but it was an astonishing aeronautical achievement that was ultimately too big to succeed.

VAGO'S NOTEBOOK
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Foreign Talent Has Always Been Instrumental in US Military and Technological Superiority

President Trump has been eager to deliver on his campaign promise to build the wall, deport illegal immigrants as well as cap legal immigration. But the history of America is a history of immigration, of a nation built on inspirational ideas consistently attracting the best and brightest — and their families — who want contribute to their new nation advancing science, technology, medicine, innovation, art, music and every other field.

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