Journal: UK Defence Bottoms Up, US DoD Next…

Joe Cirincione President of Ploughshares Fund Posted: October 20, 2010 02:13 PM British Budget Collapse Foreshadows Cuts to Come in U.S. Defense Budget Great Britain’s cuts, particularly to its nuclear forces, are the canary in the defense budget mine. Just as massive deficits forced the conservative UK government to cut deep into its military programs, …

NIGHTWATCH Extract: Anti-Piracy Without A Clue…

Somalia anti-piracy patrol: Reuters Africa published a report that European Union foreign ministers are expected to extend the bloc’s anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia for another year next week. Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, said he expected a new extension of its mandate which expires in …

Search: Strategic Analytic Model

A Strategic Analytic Model is the non-negotiable first step in creating Strategic Intelligence, and cascades downto also enable Operational, Tactical, and Technical Intelligence. The most relevant strategic analytic model to our purposes is the one inspired by the United Nations High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges, and Change.  Their report,  A More Secure World–Our Shared …

Search: The Future of OSINT [is M4IS2-Multinational]

The future of OSINT is M4IS2. The future of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is Multinational, Multifunctional, Multidisciplinary, Multidomain Information-Sharing & Sense-Making (M4IS2). The following, subject to the approval of Executive and Congressional leadership, are suggested hueristics (rules of thumb): Rule 1: All Open Source Information (OSIF) goes directly to the high side (multinational top secret) …

Journal: U.S. Air Force–Remote from War & Reality

Unmanned limits: Robotic systems can’t replace a pilot’s gut instinct BY COL. JAMES JINNETTE, USAF Unmanned combat systems have fundamental limitations that can make their technology a war-losing proposition. These limitations involve network vulnerabilities, release consent judgment and, most importantly, creative capacity during air combat and close air support (CAS) missions. Although futurists might assume …

Journal: Versailles on the Potomac Implodes…Again

Chuck Spinney sends…. The Afghan debacle is becoming a case study of how political debate in Versailles drips in a naturally self-organizing way to protect the dysfunctional status quo. As I indicated yesterday and in September, the fundamental flaw that set the stage for the current policy making fiasco was the unexamined analytical hole in …