- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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so the minuteman force is absolutely where the officers no one likes in the Air Force get sent, right? to sit in a tube underground and go through checklists for 10 years and go insane
no wonder they are all on drugs
drugs in the tube sounds great vs the tedium and decay of sitting where a hundred other guys farted and shitted underground
I’d rather do that than almost anything else in the military. sounds pretty chill and it’s not like you’re going to launch something every day. yet.
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Jan 29, 2022 09:59
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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May 12, 2024 01:25
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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they keep flying by accident
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Mar 17, 2022 21:46
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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so that's what, $0.5 million for each brown people killed
is that too rich for your blood? you gotta spend money to make money.
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May 27, 2022 08:39
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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will those metals react and rust if the ammo gets wet in the field?
I’ve never studied chemistry. what happens if you dump vinegar on all that?
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May 27, 2022 19:59
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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it looks 3D printed at the library.
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Jun 16, 2022 16:14
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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I’d think transdocking and CFS near terminals will stay manual the longest.. places that do machinery OTs and FRs probably manual forever
manual transdocking? what’s that like?
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Jul 3, 2022 20:50
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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seems extremely unlikely that Man and Nature would perfectly align so that a round number like 10 kg would be the official number where it blows up.
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Jul 19, 2022 23:44
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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sounds like a trustworthy source!
quote:
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed,
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Jul 20, 2022 00:41
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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it would make a lot more sense, humanistically, to redefine the meter to be based on the atomic bomb instead of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds, which is a bit of a ridiculous number.
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Jul 20, 2022 03:30
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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it’s very kind of Germany to order exactly 35 of the F-35
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Jul 29, 2022 01:25
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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how many left alive on the list
Erdogan
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Aug 5, 2022 11:49
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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an acquaintance in the us army ran over a turkish child with a jeep near incirlik base in the 70s. the American taxpayer shelled out a few tens of thousands of dollars to the family and the driver was sad about it the rest of his life. this stuff probably happens constantly.
mawarannahr has issued a correction as of 12:51 on Aug 18, 2022
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Aug 18, 2022 12:34
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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isn't there rumblings of a deal between turkey and syria soon
the only “rumbling” is my tummy from eating an entire thing of hummus after forgetting to pack the beanzyme
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Aug 24, 2022 17:29
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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isn't there rumblings of a deal between turkey and syria soon
more serious, I just saw on tv the head of the great unification (?) party (büyük birlik partisi), which is allied to AKP, say *something* is in the works with the objective of sending Syrian refugees back to Syria. that’s a rumble
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Aug 24, 2022 18:05
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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if looking cool was what mattered then the US soldiers would be rocking the Steyr AUG, which ironically is the best of the 5.56 rifles anyway
apparently United States ICE uses the aug. wonder how its used.
e: also this tiny town in PA with barely 5,000 people and 12 cops is on a short list of police departments nationally with then p90. what the hell do they do with it lol.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutztown,_Pennsylvania
mawarannahr has issued a correction as of 10:27 on Oct 8, 2022
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Oct 8, 2022 10:17
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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Balloongun
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Feb 5, 2023 05:08
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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I too support a less disciplined military whose air and space forces are addled by hourly bong hits
https://twitter.com/cnasdc/status/1623729443612024837
quote:
The all-volunteer force of the last 50 years has been able to be selective and set stringent, uniform requirements. There are clear needs for some of these. Pilots must have good eyesight, sailors must be physically able to perform damage control, and so on. However, many of these requirements are more culturally imbued, and limit eligibility to serve.
Recent articles have highlighted that only 23% of Americans meet the minimum eligibility requirements to serve due to poor physical fitness, medical disqualification, education, and criminal history. Initiatives to increase the pool of availability are underway across each service.
The Air Force and Space Force are allowing waivers for candidates who test positive for THC. The Army’s Future Soldiers Program provides opportunities to those who would not pass the physical or educational requirements. And the Navy raised the maximum enlistment age to 41 years old and is accepting lower scores on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.
The above initiatives by each service are meant to expand that 23% eligibility, but they are still recruiting along the same uniform standards for frontline warfighting jobs.
https://www.cnas.org/publications/commentary/stop-holding-recruits-to-one-size-fits-all-standards
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Feb 9, 2023 18:53
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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they should fill the ranks of the engineering corps with laid-off software engineers whose expertise lies in making metaverse demos and GitHub Actions
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Feb 9, 2023 21:16
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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both of these are amazing tanks
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Feb 13, 2023 00:27
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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here's some interesting poo poo about blimps
Pilot Manual for a 1940's U.S. Navy Blimp
www.beautifulpublicdata.com posted:
This 122 page manual contains all of the operating instructions and technical details to pilot this sleek, silver 250 foot long weaponized anti-submarine dirigible.
Excerpts from "UNITED STATES NAVY K-TYPE AIRSHIPS: PILOT MANUAL"
The national discussion surrounding surveillance balloons offers up the perfect opportunity to share one of the more unusual public records I found while poking around deep in the Federal Aviation Administration’s website a while back (yes, this is a thing I do).
Listed on an FAA page titled “Aviation Handbooks & Manuals”, which includes links to a wide variety of recent pilot handbooks for weather, instrumentation, safety as well as guides for operating helicopters, gliders, hot air balloons and gyroplanes, there is one document that is significantly older than the others, and it kind of jumped out at me. The title is listed as “Airship Pilot Manual” with a publication date of 1942.
The actual title of the document is “UNITED STATES NAVY K-TYPE AIRSHIPS: PILOT MANUAL”. This 122 page manual contains all of the operating instructions and technical details one would need to pilot this 250 foot long, 79 foot high, silver, weaponized anti-submarine dirigible. This manual is incredibly detailed and surprisingly readable.
This blimp (they seem to prefer “airship”) had the ability to lift just over 26,000 pounds and was powered by two 425 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines, which could spin the three bladed, 12 foot long propellers at 1,775 rpm[1]. Depending on the model of this K class airship, the vehicle could cruise along at an average of between 40-67.5 knots (40-77 mph). One of the things that made these blimps essential for anti-submarine warfare, is that at normal cruising speed they could go on 26 hour long missions. 134 of this class of airship were built for the Navy by the Goodyear Aircraft Corporation.
1. K-9 and later models ↩︎
The volume of the blimp envelope was 425,000 cubic feet[1], and was filled with helium.
1. K-14 and later models ↩︎
This was no leisure craft. It carried a turret-mounted 50 caliber Browning machine gun and had racks that could carry up four torpex-filled MK-47 depth bombs (350 lbs. each). These airships were deployed by the Navy to help search for and destroy enemy submarines. The airship included a ASG-type radar system capable of detecting objects at 90 miles and sonobuoys used to probe for submerged submarines.
Footage of a K-Class airship dropping depth charges on suspected submarines at sea on December 14, 1943.
On July 31, 1943, The New York Times reported that airship K-74 was shot down over the Atlantic, after a U-boat it had been hunting with depth charges surfaced, and shot it down. All but one member of the crew survived the splashdown in the ocean.
The 40-foot long cabin, which sat nestled below the envelope could carry a crew of ten, and as weight was a key constraint, the manual listed the exact weight of each piece of equipment aboard, including the 85 lbs of canned and fresh food, 35 lbs of water and 16 lbs of rescue rations. A table of the electrical load analysis lists a “GE Grill - Stove - Oven” and a Manning Bowman #494 coffee percolator and an Everhot “roasterette”. Reading such hilariously specific data like this, I reassure myself that were I to ever acquire a time machine, and find myself piloting this blimp while hunting U-boats over the Atlantic in World War II, I’d know the exact amperage being drawn from the coffee maker (3 amps) if I needed to reduce power consumption in a pinch.
The manual contains some beautifully executed cutaway diagrams with every single feature carefully annotated. When looking through this manual with its exquisitely drafted schematics, I thought about a used book I found a few years ago, “Illustrator Draftsman 3 & 2” published by the U.S. Navy Training Command in 1972, which was an instruction manual for the kinds of artists and draftsmen in the Navy who probably worked on this blimp manual. This draftsman manual deserves a post of its own in the future.
The National Archives has some incredible footage of these K-Class airships in action. One clip is from December 14, 1943 and shows a crew aboard one of these blimps actually dropping depth charges on suspected submarines. There is also some incredible color footage from 1944 showing one of these silver beasts taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier.
Seeing the crew members flying this behemoth really helped make these blimps come to life for me in a way I had not expected.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3bCOiF4kcqc
Some amazing color footage from February 1944 showing a K-Class airship taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier.
mawarannahr has issued a correction as of 19:39 on Feb 13, 2023
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Feb 13, 2023 19:35
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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the gently caress is this graphic lol
a fucjed up Pie Chart
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Feb 20, 2023 18:45
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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lol didn’t they ban Russian women from OnlyFans or something?
Just harebrained lashing out.
he asking cause he know
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Feb 21, 2023 22:16
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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with leadership like this, you're always winning
DOD Officials Testify About Homeland Defense Before House Panel
www.defense.gov posted:
. . .Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, commander of U.S. Southern Command, described the challenges confronting the nations of the hemisphere, which range from actions by China and Russia and run all the way to transnational criminal syndicates.
Richardson emphasized the closeness of ties among the nations of the Western Hemisphere when she addressed the panel. She said the region is still under assault from a host of crosscutting transnational challenges that directly threaten the United States. "In the past year, I've traveled in the region, meeting with leaders to better understand these challenges and the threat they pose to our mutual interests," she said. "The world is at an inflection point: Our partners in the Western Hemisphere with whom we are bonded by trade, shared values, democratic traditions, family ties are feeling the impacts of external interference and coercion."
China continues to expand its economic, diplomatic, technological, informational and military influence in Latin America and the Caribbean, she said. China has the capability and intent to overturn international norms to advance "its brand of authoritarianism and amass power and influence at the expense of these democracies."
China has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish ports, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices and build potential dual-use space facilities, she said.
"Russia — an acute threat — bolsters authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela and continues its extensive disinformation campaign," the general said. "These activities undermine democracies and challenge our credibility."
She said both China and Russia exploit the presence of transnational criminal organizations and work to amplify their destabilizing impact on democratic governments, spreading violence and corruption throughout the region and beyond.
"Their fentanyl-laced cocaine contributes to the deaths of Americans in cities and towns across the country," she said. "The good news is that working with our very willing partners leads to the best defense, and we must use all available levers to strengthen our partnerships with the 28, like-minded democracies in this hemisphere, who understand the power of working together to counter these shared challenges."
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Mar 9, 2023 02:48
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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The failsons of the failsons of the failsons are in charge of the massive empire machine, they have no idea how to use it and think it works the same way their personal lives have. The original architects are all dead and anyone who still knows how it works is prevented from reaching any position of power or influence by the system itself. They are literally unable to join the dots between war with china and the end of the consumer economy because nobody who thinks like that is in charge of anything.
they are accusing china of the above fwiw 
Press Briefing: Previewing China’s 14th National People's Congress
www.csis.org posted:
The other side of this is going to be on the appointment side, because you don’t have – once you announce policies, they have to be carried out. And I think one of the things that is going to be most important to watch are – is who gets the top jobs on the – in the econ bureaucracy. For the last 30-plus years, China’s economic performance has depended on very smart, wise, economic bureaucrats who have given political space to implement a whole variety of economic policies that are pragmatic. And it – there’s a worry that this era is coming to an end, certainly because of the overall direction and trajectory Xi Jinping wants to take the country, his emphasis on political loyalty above expertise. And so there is the question about whether this new team will have the capacity and space to be smart, pragmatic governors of the – stewards of the economy.
And I think everyone knows that as Li Keqiang steps down as premier, his likely replacement is Li Qiang, who has been party secretary of Shanghai, been very loyal to Xi Jinping, perhaps got the job because he implemented the Shanghai lockdown exactly as Beijing wanted, not as the people of Shanghai wanted.
In addition, the most likely replacement for Liu He, who has been the vice premier in charge of the economy, is He Lifeng. And He Lifeng goes back a very long way with Xi Jinping, to Fujian, which is where He Lifeng is from. He has most recently been the head of the National Development Reform Commission, China’s planning agency, and also has experience in Tianjin, where he spent a ton of money on infrastructure. And he’s not considered a(n) economic reformer.
The folks that run the financial bureaucracy – the central bank, the Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, China’s security markets – all of those people are slated for retirement or moving to other positions. And their backers, from Zhou Xiaochuan to others, are retiring. And their replacements who have not been named yet, may understand math, but they may not understand economies, and they may understand who their boss is even more.
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Mar 10, 2023 02:43
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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they're rehashing an old campaign from the 80s that some middle aged troops are nostalgic for.
Army looks to popular ’80s slogan to help recruiting | Federal News Network
federalnewsnetwork.com posted:
After a year where the Army failed to meet its recruiting numbers by a wide gap, it relaunched its brand Tuesday and brought back “Be All You Can Be,” its highly successful slogan from the 1980s. The slogan features in a new ad campaign meant to appeal to Generation Z and their parents.
In an effort to improve recruiting numbers, the Army spent a year developing the new ad campaign, and it has made policy changes designed to cast a wider net for new recruits.
Last year, the Army missed its recruiting goal of 60,000 new soldiers by 15,000 recruits.
“The Army, and frankly, all of the military services are facing the most challenging recruiting landscape in decades. So it is a perfect time to be launching our new brand, launching our reinvented tagline ‘be all you can be.’” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth at launch event in Washington. And as a child of the 80s, I am super excited that we are bringing back a reinvented version of ‘be all you can be.’”
The new ads feature actor Jonathon Majors walking through historic Army battles talking about the benefits of joining the Army and overcoming obstacles. The Army planned to debut the ad campaign in August, but moved their timeline to March in hopes of affecting recruiting earlier in the year. It also changed its iconic star logo by eliminating the box around it.
Unfortunately they don't have much to work with beyond that:
quote:
The Army names a series of different issues that caused its recruiting shortfalls. Only 23% of the population between ages 17 to 24, that are eligible for recruiting, can actually meet Army entrance standards.
“For shrinking eligibility, right now we have weight, drug use and medical and physical conditions being the largest disqualifiers. And on the ROTC side, only 39% of undergraduate students even meet the requirements to enlist in or to contract in ROTC,” said Raechel Melling, a management analyst at Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), at a recent Facebook seminar on recruiting.
Some potential recruits also fail to pass the aptitude test required to join the Army, called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, or ASVAB. Last fall, Army leadership said post-pandemic only about one-third of applicants passed the ASVAB, down from about two-thirds pre-pandemic.
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Mar 11, 2023 00:03
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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lol as was being discussed...
Aukus: the industrial challenges of delivering a new defence pact
The deal to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines will test the countries’ abilities to share technology
www.ft.com posted:
The last time the US came together with Britain and Australia to combat aggression in the Pacific was more than 70 years ago when the three nations fought against Japan.
When US President Joe Biden meets British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, at a naval base in San Diego on Monday they will do so with a new potential foe in mind: China.
The three leaders will unveil the results of an 18-month negotiation under the Aukus defence pact to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines as part of a wider push to counter Beijing’s growing military might.
## The submarine deal
Australia, which currently operates a fleet of six Collins class boats powered by diesel-electric generators, will become only the seventh nation in the world to operate nuclear submarines.
The plan, which will have three main stages, will try to bridge a capability gap for Australia in the 2030s after its Collins boats come out of service and before the deployment of the Aukus boats around 2040.
The agreement promises jobs and technology-sharing across the three countries over several decades. Independent estimates put the costs of building and supplying at least eight submarines over 30 years as high as A$125bn.
Yet the industrial and operational challenges to deliver on the pact are immense.
## Production capacity
All three countries will need to invest heavily to upgrade their defence industrial base. US and British shipyards are already working flat out on domestic orders. Worker shortages and strained capacity is a big concern for Aukus.
“It’s not about any nation buying more weapons platforms off another, it’s about building the industrial capability of all three countries,” Pat Conroy, Australia’s minister for procurement, told the Financial Times last month after visiting Britain’s Barrow-in-Furness shipyard where BAE Systems builds Royal Navy submarines.
Britain is already investing heavily in its submarine business just to meet existing demands. The Barrow workforce is increasing from 10,000 to 17,000 to fulfil both the Dreadnought programme, which carries the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and the next generation of attack submarines.
In the US, General Dynamics Electric Boat, which makes the nuclear-powered Columbia- and Virginia-class subs, employs just less than 20,000 people. The US group has 17 Virginia-class submarines in a delivery backlog stretching out to 2032.
## Submarine design and propulsion
The next-generation Aukus submarines will be jointly developed and built between the UK and Australia, according to people familiar with the agreement.
This would be a “hybrid platform” with a “pragmatic design” based on a variant of the UK’s next generation of nuclear submarines, called the SSN (R), that is due to replace Britain’s current Astute-class submarines.
British industry’s design work remains at a stage where it can still include Australian input in developing the vessel. The Aukus variant has been nicknamed SSN Aukus.
BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, which builds the reactors for all Royal Navy submarines, have been involved in the talks on the UK side, while General Dynamics and Westinghouse have been involved from the US.
Rolls-Royce is seen in prime position to provide the propulsion system. The company is building the advanced PWR3 reactor to be deployed on Britain’s Dreadnought submarines, which carry the nuclear deterrent.
US content in the form of weapons and combat systems will be extensive, including Lockheed Martin-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and MK48 torpedoes.
## Investment costs
Estimates by analysts at London consultancy Agency Partners suggest that if Aukus is based on a modified Astute- or Virginia-class submarine, the average cost of each new boat could be between A$5.5bn and A$7bn.
Adding the cost of weapons and combat systems, through-life support and training, as well as the necessary investment in production facilities in Australia, could see the total cost of the programme rise to A$125bn.
A “big part of the cost of Australia building this boat themselves, alongside the investment in production facilities, is the learning curve”, said Nick Cunningham, analyst at Agency Partners.
Given the long lead times, analysts said any potential bonanza for defence contractors will be some way off, with much depending on which company secures lead positions.
Nevertheless, Aukus could offer a lifeline for Britain’s submarine enterprise, which has historically been dogged by cost overruns and delays. Some experts believe it could have as big an impact as the UK’s agreement with Italy and Japan to build the Tempest fighter jet. “It gives you 25-plus years of visibility,” said Francis Tusa, editor at Defence Analysis.
## Technology transfer issues
America’s closely guarded nuclear-propulsion secrets are at the heart of Aukus’s first pillar, which governs the submarine deal. US officials are optimistic that a way has been found to share these with Australia.
But concerns remain over Aukus’s second pillar — which envisages co-operation on artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons and undersea capabilities.
These hurdles relate to technology transfer requirements under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and a classification called NoForn that bars information sharing with non-US nationals.
## Australia’s capability gap
With Aukus not likely to enter service before 2040, the three nations have agreed on a two-stage process to bridge the capability gap.
Washington has agreed to deploy several of its Virginia-class submarines to Australia, manned with an American crew, to help with training.
The US will also sell Canberra as many as five Virginia-class submarines as a stop-gap. Concerns remain about the capacity of US yards to take on the extra work.
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Mar 11, 2023 19:56
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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Mar 12, 2023 01:07
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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he learned from the best... general vilerat
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Mar 13, 2023 07:21
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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Can't post for 25 hours!
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lmao
Space Force Focuses on Partnerships, Spirit, Combat Readiness
www.defense.gov posted:
The U.S. Space Force's $30 billion budget request for Fiscal Year 2024 is about $3.9 billion over what was enacted for the service in FY2023. More than 60% of the Space Force budget, about $19.2 billion worth, is aimed at research, development, testing and evaluation.
Testifying yesterday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman explained the challenges he sees in a contested space domain and how the Space Force aims to ready itself to meet those challenges.
"When describing space threats, it is important to account for two kinds: first, threats from space assets and second, threats to space assets," Saltzman said.
Threats from space, the general said, include both China's and Russia's robust space-based capabilities which allow them to find, target, and attack U.S. military forces on land, at sea and in the air.
The U.S. also has assets in space — satellites that it relies on for communications and navigation, for instance — that are put at risk by the nation's adversaries.
"Both China and Russia continue to develop, field and deploy a range of weapons aimed at U.S. space capabilities," the general said. "The spectrum of threats to U.S. space capabilities includes cyber warfare activities, electronic attack platforms, directed energy lasers designed to blind or damage satellite sensors, ground-to-orbit missiles to destroy satellites and space-to-space orbital engagement systems that can attack U.S. satellites in space."
To meet the challenges posed by adversaries, Saltzman told lawmakers that Space Force efforts in FY2024 will focus on fielding combat-ready forces, amplifying the Guardian spirit and strengthening the partnerships the Space Force relies on to accomplish its mission.
"My first priority is to build resilient, ready, combat-credible space forces," Saltzman told lawmakers. "To do this, we are accelerating the pivot towards resilient satellite constellations, ground stations, networks and data links."
The general said the Space Development Agency's "Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture," or PWSA — previously called the "National Defense Space Architecture" — is a prime example of that effort.
The PWSA includes hundreds of satellites, delivered in "tranches" every two years, with each tranche providing more capability than the last. That total system involves a "mesh network" of hundreds of optically interconnected satellites in orbit that make up its "transport" layer. The PWSA also includes six additional layers: tracking, custody, deterrence, navigation, battle management and support.
Also part of building a resilient, ready and combat-credible force, Saltzman said, is emphasizing cybersecurity and preparing Space Force Guardians to detect and defeat cyber-attacks against networks, systems, ground stations, datalinks and satellites.
The U.S. Space Force stood up in December 2019, just over 3 years ago. Developing talent to staff the new service is a priority, Saltzman said.
"My second priority is to amplify the Guardian spirit by embracing a modern talent management process that recruits the best talent, develops and retains an elite workforce and empowers Guardians to succeed," he said.
An example of that is the service's constructive service credit program which allows experienced professionals from key fields to directly commission into the Space Force at ranks appropriate to their civilian experience.
"Over the last year we have also deployed space-centric curriculum for basic military training, Reserve Officer Training Corps and Officer Training School," the general said.
The Space Force is also looking to a concept that allows personnel to more easily move between full-time and part-time military service — without causing damage to their careers — so that they can pursue enriching opportunities outside full-time military service. This concept is something Congress can help the service accomplish, Saltzman said.
Since taking over as chief of space operations, just four months ago, Saltzman said he has visited multiple combatant commands and also met with space chiefs in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
"U.S. allies and international partners are eager for expanded collaboration with the Space Force, especially in areas that strengthen the effectiveness of coalition space operations and reinforce norms of responsible behavior," Saltzman said.
Strengthen partnerships, he said, is the third priority for Space Force, Saltzman said.
"The Space Force will strive to eliminate barriers to collaboration, including overclassification, so we can build enduring advantages with our partners," he said. "To date, personnel from over 50 countries have participated in training, education and exercise events hosted by the Space Force. We are also leveraging allies and partners to expand our warfighting capability."
Saltzman also said that commercial partners and the technologies developed there, such as advanced power and propulsion, artificial intelligence and machine learning and in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing, are also a focus for increased partnerships for Space Force.
"The Space Force is the preeminent military space organization in the world," Saltzman told senators. "Our adversaries seek to surpass the United States and challenge our advantage. We cannot and will not allow this to happen. Our Guardians will out work, out innovate and out compete our adversaries to ensure that we succeed."
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Mar 15, 2023 19:29
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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Can't post for 25 hours!
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there is still a great deal of industrial capacity, but it doesn’t really employ a lot of folks. it does very much still exist however.
I’ve never hid what I am and the ideas I still participate in.
yeah? i don't know about this stuff at all but dod sounds shook beyond hamming it up for budget. these issues aren't going away, but what do I know? maybe you do though. Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains - Feb 2022 (pdf).
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The Military Services have experienced casting and forging capability and capacity challenges that can be attributed in part to the impacts of offshoring and waves of industry consolidation since the mid- 20th century. For example, the United States has only one foundry that can produce the large titanium castings required for some key systems. The Army has also identified shortfalls in production and heat treatment of specialty alloys that are mission critical. The Navy has documented C&F capacity and quality issues affecting many facets of shipbuilding. The Air Force has identified needs for the ability to cast single crystal turbine blades and large thin-wall titanium components, an additional source for an extrusion press used for powder nickel super alloy billets, and downstream post-processing capacities and capabilities—including heat treating, coating, hole drilling, machining, and hot isostatic pressing to help eliminate unwanted voids and provide increased strength in cast products. Although some suppliers have updated equipment over time in an attempt to meet the Services’ needs, many commercial and OIB C&F plants have aging equipment or are limited by existing facilities, infrastructure, and, for commercial firms, state and federal operating permits.
U.S. supply chains currently involve significant materials and products from foreign manufacturers. Multiple U.S. sources report that China and other foreign suppliers can often deliver a completed item for the same cost that a U.S. forge will pay for the raw materials needed to produce the parts of an item. As shown above in Figure 4, China is the world’s leading producer of cast products by a wide margin. DoD counts on foreign countries, including China, for very large cast and forged products used in the production of some defense systems and many machine tools and manufacturing systems in which the DoD is reliant.
As domestic capacity and overall market share erode, fewer U.S. and allied firms can afford improvements to equipment and processes. Limited access to capital for America’s small and medium size producers has hindered their ability to invest in the necessary technologies. This includes the adoption of innovative processes and complementary technologies such as additive manufacturing, robotic automation, and digital engineering to support reverse engineering of aging parts.
Low-volume work driven by U.S. Government and DoD procurement practices incurs high startup costs and produces limited profits. Many small and medium sized manufacturers find it challenging to create sustainable businesses or production lines in this space. Although many trade policy actions are conducted pursuant to specific authorities and designed to remedy injury to domestic industry and respond to unfair or unreasonable foreign trade practices, participants in DoD industry listening sessions reported that tariffs on raw materials used in U.S.-made C&F parts made U.S. products significantly more expensive than parts made in China, driving U.S. suppliers out of business. Other challenges included traditional concerns about non-standard technical data packages, complex contracting process, burdensome accounting system requirements, small and unreliable demand, and a slow Government sales cycle.
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The nearly 30 million small businesses in the United States account for over 40 percent of U.S.
GDP and provide critical goods, services, and technologies for the manufacturing industry and defense supply chains. The DoD has a strategic interest in leveraging small business innovation and capabilities to address global challenges and ensure mission success. A strong, dynamic, and robust small business industrial base is vital to national security and is an important pillar in the DoD’s ability to utilize the most cutting-edge technologies and advanced capabilities. The DoD has spent over $80 billion in prime contracts to small businesses over the past two fiscal years, and the DoD recognizes small businesses are key to ensuring U.S. technical dominance.
Despite their importance, small businesses face an uphill battle in participating in defense procurements. Government business practices can create barriers and reduce incentives for the most innovative businesses that may be able to supply the DoD with goods and services critical to national security. Some of these practices include having multiple or ambiguous points of entry into the defense marketplace, unclear communication of opportunities for small businesses, lack of access to information on requirements for bids and the complexity of Federal contracting requirements. Over time, this leads to a deterioration in capabilities and innovation to the detriment of the small business sector and the DIB.
Furthermore, the broader industrial and supply chain challenges faced by the United States disproportionately impact small business suppliers. An erosion of industrial capabilities over the last several decades has diminished critical prime contractor suppliers and impacted the sub-tiers of domestic supply chains. These vulnerabilities mainly impact small businesses, which represent a majority of prime and sub-tier defense suppliers. By recognizing these vulnerabilities now, DoD can respond by leveraging a diverse set of small business suppliers to strengthen domestic supply chains, reduce reliance on sole-source supply, and ensure the United States continues to lead in innovation.
The United States’ most innovative small businesses are under increasing threat from attempts by foreign actors to influence or disrupt them through adversarial capital, cyberespionage, or a direct cyberattack. DoD is working to develop additional self-assessment and training resources for small businesses to support cyber compliance.
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Diminished Domestic Manufacturing Capacity
During the period of 2010 to 2019, the U.S. trade deficit in manufactured goods more than doubled, reaching $833 billion, and productivity in the manufacturing sector fell by 4 percent over the same period. Today there are 25 percent fewer U.S. manufacturing firms and plants than there were in 1997, reflecting not only closures but also fewer manufacturing startups. Loss of domestic manufacturing capacity can have a deleterious effect on defense capabilities, resulting in the DoD securing more components from foreign sources. The increased dependence on imports has inflated the size and complexity of supply chains, and created more opportunities for supply chain disruptions and potential threats.
Over the past few decades, the United States has moved from a manufacturing economy to largely becoming a service economy. One reason is consumer’s preference—including Government consumers—for lowest cost items, which has driven labor-intensive manufacturing to low-wage countries. This offshoring has reduced SMM’s capacity by more than 50 percent since the 1990s. Also, increasingly complex technology is often contingent upon advanced manufacturing and compelling specialization, which is often capital intensive and out of reach or difficult for new entrants. By the beginning of this decade—and driven home by the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic—it became abundantly clear that the United States is not able to support a wide spectrum of demand with our domestic manufacturing capacity.
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Uneven Access to Investment Capital
Annual manufacturing investment growth averages 1–2 percent. This is lower than the overall GDP growth rate, indicating that society is underinvesting in manufacturing. Some of the contributing factors to this low investment growth are: limited venture capital interest, high cost of capital compared to Europe and Asia, and the outsourcing of manufacturing to other countries using the strategy “Invent here, and Manufacture there.” This strategy captures increased margins by manufacturing in lowwage countries, but lowers the incentive to invest in manufacturing domestically.
Low venture capital interest is attributed to the fact that venture capitalists seek large and quick returns on investment and the manufacturing sector requires longer than average times to yield returns. In addition, investments in manufacturing require larger amounts of investment capital for facilities, equipment, and materials. As such, the key metric of return on assets is not as favorable for the manufacturing sector as for software or services.
As noted in other specific supply chain sectors, manufacturing and supply chain resiliency is greatly impacted by intrinsic aspects of the acquisition policy for DoD product procurement. The cyclical demand and the low-volume nature of DoD procurement, when compared to commercial products, creates volatility in the manufacturing supply chain. These factors limit the ability of companies to invest in new manufacturing technologies and capital equipment, and creates a disincentive for new entrants to the DoD supply chain, particularly from nontraditional companies.
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Mar 17, 2023 08:41
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- mawarannahr
- May 21, 2019
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Can't post for 25 hours!
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It is an interesting phenomenon that even with the high profit margins on military equipment, an active conflict we are expending military equipment in, and compete capture of the government by the MIC we still don’t see them massively increasing production of military equipment in the US.
Is it because we can’t actually scale the production even though it would boost corporate profits? Is government support for war too fickle even with the MIC lobby, and the MIC doesn’t want to risk the investments not paying off? Are we so far down the neocapitalist rabbit hole that the MIC can’t make the numbers on “make more product to make more profits” look good on paper versus “stock buybacks”?
Not profitable enough, according to DoD
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Low-volume work driven by US Government and DoD procurement practices incurs high startup costs and produces limited profits. Many small and medium sized manufacturers find it challenging to create sustainable businesses or production lines in this space. Although many trade policy actions are con- ducted pursuant to specific authorities and designed to remedy injury to domestic industry and respond to unfair or unreasonable foreign trade practices, participants in DoD industry listening sessions reported that tariffs on raw materials used in U.S.-made C&F parts made U.S. products significantly more expen- sive than parts made in China, driving US suppliers out of business. Other challenges included tradi- tional concerns about non-standard technical data packages, complex contracting process, burdensome accounting system requirements, small and unreliable demand, and a slow Government sales cycle.
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