Wild Blue Yonder

Aug. 17, 2020
Airpower in the Twenty-first Century: Swing- and Multi-role versus Single-role Specialist

A hundred years after classics like the Vickers Virginia I, the Super Zeppelin L70, or the Etrich Taube, military air assets can be stealth-capable, accelerate far above the velocity of sound, and bear weapons systems reaching over the horizon. Among these technological developments are single-,
Aug. 17, 2020
The Future of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

The global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the export of China’s worst characteristics, while prompting delays and disruptions to BRI construction and investment plans. These delays risk years of planning and hundreds of billions of dollars in PRC economic diplomacy. Quarantine measures are
Aug. 3, 2020
Strike Back!: India–China Border Skirmish

What factors, as the Germans say, were the Anlass (trigger) and the Ursache (underlying reason) for the breakdown of decades-long relative peace along the 3,488 km India–China LAC in the Himalayas? How should India react? And what does the Himalayan clash mean for US strategy?
July 9, 2020
Why Did Beijing Decide to Apply the Security Law to Hong Kong Now?

The passage of the new Hong Kong national security law probably is the most significant political change that has taken place since Britain transferred Hong Kong to China. Therefore, it is hard to ignore the timing in which China chose to declare the new law—a time when the entire world is
July 6, 2020
Understanding and Challenging “The Digital Air Force” USAF White Paper

This short article is an examination, constructive critique, and epilogue to “The Digital Air Force” USAF White Paper. The article characterizes the white paper in terms of where it falls in a traditional stratification of guidance documents, categorizes the white paper in terms of international
June 22, 2020
On Early Air Combat in Southeast Asia: After Wingate’s Fortitude Eclipsed Mountbatten’s Folly

Generals and admirals bring prior credibility to conferences. Insignia of rank demonstrate authority; rows of ribbons denote extensive service if not valor; and reputations for previous sound decisions (or lack thereof) may affect listeners. Some credibility, however, is enhanced by their speaking
June 22, 2020
Issues with the Integration of Space and Terrestrial Military Operations

When was the last time the air war was in doubt for the United States? Maybe in the early days of World War II, almost 80 years ago. Since then we have produced many generations of military leaders who are far too accustomed to winning wars and doing things the good old way. Space is too new a
June 22, 2020
Posse Comitatus in Space: Forging a Relationship between the US Space Force and Law Enforcement

As the Department of Defense continues its stand up of the US Space Force (USSF), Congress must draft legislation similar to that pertaining to the USCG to allow local law enforcement agencies to use USSF assets, specifically surveillance satellites, in their investigations and reconnaissance. With
June 8, 2020
Space Legal Operations

The purpose of this article is to propose that the US Space Force create a new Space Force Specialty Code (SFSC): Space Legal Operations. To explain this proposal, (1) China’s “three-front” war will be described to illustrate the need for such an operator; (2) the challenges and requirements of the
June 8, 2020
If A2/AD Will Blot Out the Sun … Then We Will Fight in the Shade: 300 Spartans and Information Warfare in the Twenty-first Century

The defense enterprise’s imagination has taken an ancient, yet simple, idea (i.e., combined arms defense of the homeland) and allowed it to grow unchecked into the notion that antiaccess/area denial (A2/AD) is a revolutionary new concept and anyone who employs it possesses an impenetrable fortress: