Space Warfare: How the U.S. Can Stay Ahead in the Orbital Arms Race
The space domain has transformed in scale, scope, and strategic consequence. What once was a benign operational backdrop is now a contested warfighting domain. China and Russia continue to develop and demonstrate counterspace weapons—from direct-ascent ASATs and co-orbital platforms to jammers and directed energy systems—explicitly designed to undermine U.S. freedom of action in space.
Operating in a Contested Orbit: Why Culture and Doctrine Are Key Elements of Space Superiority
In 2008, the number of tracked objects in orbit was just over 9,500. Today, that number exceeds 47,000—and rising. Satellites, debris, and maneuverable platforms crowd every regime from LEO to GEO. “The space domain is now much more congested, populated by systems of various sizes, different orbital regimes, and operated by adversaries as well as ourselves,” explains Dave Meteyer, Group Lead
From Viable to Defendable: Designing Programs That Deliver
In defense acquisition, selecting the best technical solution is not enough. Success depends on how well that choice holds up under scrutiny—from oversight bodies, Congress, and operational users alike—while ensuring the program performs as intended. That’s where the traditional approach to Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) falls short.
Leadership Fundamentals Series: The Importance of Building Quality into Your Organization
Whether in national defense, advanced technology, or complex systems engineering, embedding quality into the DNA of your organization from the outset leads to safer outcomes, clearer communication, stronger compliance, and more resilient operations.
Rethinking Cybersecurity: A Strategic Shift for the DoD
As cyber threats escalate and evolve, the Department of Defense (DoD) faces the imperative of rethinking how cybersecurity is integrated into military operations. Cybersecurity must transition from being perceived as a peripheral concern—often relegated to technical support roles—to being treated as a fundamental component of strategic military operations.
Putting Force Design First – Logically
In a time of accelerating threats and rapid technological shifts, the U.S. military should reconsider how it approaches force design in its modernization process. Force design represents the logical first step in force modernization—and it should be performed concurrently with development and employment, not sequentially as current doctrine suggests.
