http://www.rusi.org/ web@rusi.org en-us Copyright 2010 http://www.rusi.org/publications/newsbrief/ref:A4BA0C71B1D9C1/ The 2009 Major Projects Report may be more comprehensive than previous versions, but its worrying picture is familiar 2010-03-17 12:12:21 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8FA0F5F035B/ Lean thinking even in an uncertain environment can lead to a doubling of efficiency and a significant reduction in resources 2010-03-04 12:05:00 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F9EE61A0E2/ The US Army has renewed its focus on the whole life cycle from research and development through in-service support to disposal, asset visibility, ramping up and scaling down as necessary, and investing wisely in logistic facilities 2010-03-04 11:54:23 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F9B0F5022C/ Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is al about building a better picture - and then using the picture better 2010-03-04 11:37:53 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F97322CA36/ There is much more work to be done in order for UK forces to integrate air and land assets better 2010-03-04 11:23:44 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F945C9F14D/ When the A400M eventually becomes available, it will be more expensive, delayed and less capable than contractually agreed. The willingness of European Governments, and especially the UK’s, to bail out the programme is troubling. 2010-03-04 11:09:58 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F916DCA2F4/ The Urgent Operations Requirements (UOR) process has delivered excellent equipment, saving lives, but is neither truly sustainable nor does it provide integrated ‘through life’ capability 2010-03-04 10:57:40 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8F8F665F346/ Timescales of capability delivery need to be shortened in a rapidly changing defence environment 2010-03-04 10:48:40 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E94DE027AB/ India’s emergence as a significant participant in global commercial markets contrasts with the sluggish development of the country’s defence industrial sectors. 2010-03-03 17:01:07 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E69D5403CB/ Sir Stephen Dalton was appointed Chief of the Air Staff, UK in July 2009. A fast-jet pilot, he was UK Director of the Eurofighter Programme and later Director General Typhoon. Until his current post, he was Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Personnel. He talked to Bill Kincaid on 5 January 2010. 2010-03-03 13:54:49 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E64B0DE008/ Two recent books on robots and robotics raise the issue of whether we are as wired for war as robots 2010-03-03 13:32:08 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E53E08C1B0/ The Gray Report ignores the Treasury view that analysis of past experience is the optimum way to realistically assess risk 2010-03-03 12:19:50 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E4F7175B4C/ An in-coming Government would do well to learn the lessons of the previous SDR. UK security would not be well served by the Treasury dictating the terms 2010-03-03 12:01:35 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E44F1B0E70/ Public pessimism over Britain's global counter-insurgency role not only must be tackled successfully, but can be, and a framework for acquisition reform needs to be constructed for implementation after the election 2010-03-03 11:16:09 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E40576A6F8/ The Ministry of Defence is in increasing financial difficulty as the financial needs of the MoD's Equipment Procurement Plan exceeds the potential financial resources. What are the likely solutions in the forthcoming Defence Review? 2010-03-03 11:05:56 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4B8E394810745/ Manufacturing plays a vital role in any national economy but requires leadership, vision, professional knowledge and integrity. 2010-03-03 10:27:33 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B6C43B6DB9DD/ Since the Government announced a Defence Green Paper in July 2009, and the undertaking of a Strategic Defence Review after the next General Election, RUSI has consistently delivered insightful analysis and commentary which has helped frame the national debate. The series of working papers addressing the Future Defence Review have received widespread media attention and praise from within the defence community. 2010-02-05 16:14:17 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B6C2E49D19B4/ The Defence Green Paper hints at more cooperation with Europeans as the way forward, but a need for short-term cuts may damage the coherence of defence outputs before the defence review is completed. 2010-02-05 14:44:03 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B685819CE68C/ The latest Quadrennial Defense Review, presented by the US Department of Defense, outlines a five-year programme until 2015 that sees the US playing a 'global role' in 'a complex environment'. It could pave the way for big changes as it accomodates itself to adjusting military capability so as to be able to do more with its allies. 2010-02-02 17:13:46 http://www.rusi.org/news/ref:N4B4C60CD6E4DE/ The growing costs of UK defence capabilities, combined with cuts in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget as a result of the nation's fiscal crisis, will make it impossible to preserve current numbers of service personnel and front-line capabilities. 2010-01-12 11:45:51 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF16F583D391/ Amidst ongoing economic woes, defence has emerged as one of the most challenging policy areas for the Labour government. 2010-01-04 12:00:00 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B2BA21424302/ The most arresting point made by the latest report from the National Audit Office concerns the slippage of major projects. It reveals that the majority of the increase in project costs is due 'to deliberate decisions to slip projects, taken corporately by the Department as part of a wider package designed to address a gap between estimated funding and the cost of the Defence budget over the next ten years'. 2009-12-18 15:43:59 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B28B2C882CF9/ Bring on new Chinooks. But the defence budget can't cover the needs of a long-term occupation 2009-12-16 10:15:47 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:C4B28AC1602813/ Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, has announced deep cuts in military personnel and equipment to fund a £900 million boost for the Afghanistan campaign. However the figures may not stack up. Something is going to give and in a big way. Defence is living through a slow motion road accident while it waits for the political wheel to turn and give it some strategic direction. 2009-12-16 09:48:04 http://www.rusi.org/publications/newsbrief/ref:A4B0BC4738718B/ The Gray Report offers one of the most revealing takes on the workings of the MoD available to the public, and expands in detail upon acknowledged problems 2009-11-24 11:34:05 http://www.rusi.org/publications/newsbrief/ref:C4AF850322FE64/ The review of the government's acquisition programme should be welcomed by all who care about equipping our Armed Forces with the right equipment, at the right time, within an affordable programme - and it is to be hoped that this includes both present defence ministers and their successors after the next election. 2009-11-09 17:37:51 http://www.rusi.org/publications/newsbrief/ref:C4AF2BCEC6F087/ While both the Gray report on defence acquisition and the Haddon-Cave report on the Nimrod disaster cover a similar subject, they offer very different visions for future reform in the Ministry of Defence. 2009-11-05 12:11:08 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A93900371/ How the German government's plan to replace fossil fuels with renewables will affect the German military sector 2009-11-04 16:19:04 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A82F8B082/ How the MoD can lower its carbon emissions in the near, medium and long terms 2009-11-04 16:14:35 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A7751FBD1/ How is energy currently used in defence, and how could it be used in the future? 2009-11-04 16:11:49 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A6A285191/ The UK's MoD is not alone in its effort to become green - US forces are also developing the efficiency and security of their energy supplies 2009-11-04 16:08:17 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A5C8AAB7E/ The military's operational dependency on fossil fuels needs to be reduced - how can the MoD tackle this problem in the medium and long term? 2009-11-04 16:03:36 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A3967E027/ 2009-11-04 15:54:25 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A26BDFEE4/ How do India, China, Israel and Japan handle defence spending and co-ordination compared to the UK? 2009-11-04 15:49:20 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A18799CB8/ What needs to be done to improve the process of setting operational requirements and altering them when the defence environment changes? 2009-11-04 15:46:31 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1A065ED0EE/ The MoD needs industry that can understand the military potential of new technologies, and industry needs the MoD in order to understand how to balance financial risks with early deployment 2009-11-04 15:41:00 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF19DEB33694/ We need vision and courage to bring about a sea change in defence procurement - in which project alliancing should play a key role 2009-11-04 15:30:09 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF19CF309D4F/ Significant new approaches to manufacturing the F-35 fighter have yet to be appreciated by the US authorities 2009-11-04 15:26:25 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF19BBD54954/ Major increases in China's procurement spending are changing the country's defence industry 2009-11-04 15:21:43 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF198C5A4F5C/ The most effective methods for dealing with acquisition problems are not traditional analytical approaches, but something more agile and human 2009-11-04 15:09:58 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF19687D80D8/ The implementation of the Bowman programme has caused much pain - largely because the programme has been underpinned by several false assumptions 2009-11-04 14:59:04 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF194EEB83DF/ Dr Storr has hit many nails on the head - and the digitisation geeks must explain to senior management the true benefits and risks of the programme 2009-11-04 14:53:29 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF19329C5B38/ Dr Storr is wrong - neither digitisation nor the organistations that have steered it have failed 2009-11-04 14:43:56 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1917B490E4/ The British Army's Digitisation programme has failed - not for financial reasons, but because of a combination of organisational and technological issues 2009-11-04 14:37:08 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF17387A9998/ Analysis of planned defence expenditure in both the UK and the US shows that defence spending has peaked - and is likely to decline sharply 2009-11-04 12:29:07 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF1728DE409D/ Why Britain's defence industry has decided to take a higher profile in the public debate 2009-11-04 12:25:12 http://www.rusi.org/publications/defencesystems/ref:A4AF17089BFE59/ Evidence is emerging from many quarters of a deepening crisis in the MoD. 2009-11-04 12:16:11 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:A4AEB0E6CCF2C1/ The UK Ministry of Defence's acquisition organisation has an unfair reputation. It delivers first-class equipment to the right place at the right time argues its chief operating officer 2009-10-30 16:04:11 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:A4A955F53C97AD/ Strategic nuclear deterrence may have worked well during the Cold War, but the proliferation of small power arsenals means a re-think is required about the future role of nuclear weapons. 2009-08-26 17:14:18 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:A4A955A761D39A/ What should the UK’s role be in the growing political tussles over the Arctic? Important strategic choices need to be made in the rapidly changing polar region. 2009-08-26 16:53:29 http://www.rusi.org/publications/newsbrief/ref:A4A5733CE5557C/ The announcement of the next Future Defence Review to be carried out by a new Parliament marks the official beginning of a long process of discussions about the state of the Armed Forces, but the review of strategy has been going on for a long time before. 2009-07-10 13:29:57 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:A49F880D743DC2/ To counter the threats of strategic overstretch, financial squeeze and battle fatigue, the UK must take the lead in developing and promoting European defence capability. 2009-04-29 17:31:25 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:A494A877BD9F6A/ The forthcoming defence review will have to respond to pressures on resources, acknowledge the need to build public understanding of defence, and consider the best means to conceive of effects-based operations. 2008-12-18 17:26:10 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:C492D7CC824145/ In preparation for its 'Defence in the Round: The United Kingdom’s Needs, Priorities and Resources' conference, RUSI releases a discussion paper posing twenty key questions about the UK's national military strategy. 2008-11-26 17:13:39 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:C48F4AFA229132/ Depending on the severity of the global economic consequences of the current financial crisis, Britain's Ministry of Defence may have fewer resources to face more dangers in a radically-changed geopolitical environment. 2008-10-14 15:43:22 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:C4738298C88C99/ There is an absolute need for a further, and significant, increase in the defence budget. 2007-11-12 10:30:33 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f7c899b7b/ Alex Tucker examines whether there is a need for a new vision for Britian’s Reserve Forces, by comparing and contrasting Haldane's Defence Review with the SDR in order to identify the fundamental principles that a new Vision Statement. might encompass. 2004-06-18 12:23:45 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f7b879fab/ The war in Afghanistan is the most recent example of an asymmetric war between the ostensibly milita 2004-06-18 12:23:44 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f79ad1deb/ 2004-06-18 12:23:43 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f76fafb0b/ Political and public debate of ballistic missile defence remains patchy and often ill-informed. A greater awareness of the evolution of it in Britain may go some way towards promoting a more balanced and considered approach to the subject. 2004-06-18 12:23:41 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f755cf6db/ 2004-06-18 12:23:40 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f74c555bb/ 2004-06-18 12:23:40 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:J40c1f754ad3fc/ 2004-06-18 12:23:40 http://www.rusi.org/publications/journal/ref:P407563BCE74F1/ This article describes ten major changes to American military planning and strategy to address the current geopolitical situation. 2004-02-08 15:00:00