Acquisition and Resources - Related

The Real Issues in Afghanistan: Looking Beyond Undefined Policy Statements and Slogans

ian — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Secretary’s Panetta’s comment about ending the US combat role in Afghanistan in 2013, and focusing on building up Afghan forces, have triggered a predictable firestorm of criticism, guesswork, and speculation.

The “New” US Defense Strategy and the FY2013 US Defense Budget: The Details of What the Department Has Said to Date

ian — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

During the last month, the US Department of Defense has issued a series of announcements, and two white papers summarizing its “new” approach to strategy and the decisions it is making in its FY2013 budget submission to cut the size and cost of US military forces.

DIIG Current Issues No. 27: Internal R&D Productivity in Aerospace and Defense

gsanders — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In an environment of declining defense spending by what have traditionally been the largest customers on both sides of the Atlantic, aerospace and defense companies face difficult decisions on how to deploy their cash.

The FY2013 Defense Budget Submission: Strategy is Easy (and Usually Vacuous); Money is Hard (And Only Meaningful if Used Wisely)

ian — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The Obama Administration announced a new strategy early this month, but one in which it failed to provide meaningful details as to changes in deployments, force levels and plans, procurement plans, and spending.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Super Committee Fallout and the Implications for Defense

ian — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The “Super Committee” did not produce any plan for deficit reduction, setting in motion mandated cuts under sequestration. How did we get here? What happens next? What does it mean for the Department of Defense?

Q1: How did we get here?

Structure and Dynamics of the U.S. Federal Services Industrial Base, 2000-2010

gsanders — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has a permanent and, until recently, growing reliance on contracts with the private sector for a wide range of services. For the past six years, the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group (DIIG) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has tracked the trends driving the services industry.

Keeping Faith

jdunton — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

As budgetary pressures rise across the government, leaders at every level are reexamining every expenditure. This is particularly true for leaders in the Department of Defense (DoD), which represents the single greatest share of the government’s discretionary spending—over $670 billion in 2012.

Defense Budget Cuts and Non-Traditional Threats to US Strategy: An Update

ian — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The deadline for the “Super Committee” to reach a deficit deal is rapidly approaching, with the cost of failure being devastating cuts in national security funding.

U.S. Ground Force Capabilities through 2020

jdunton — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As an era of greater austerity rushes in, policymakers face numerous difficult choices about how to prioritize shrinking resources. This study is an effort to inform those choices in the particular area of U.S. ground force capabilities, based on an examination of how well current plans align with potential future challenges ground forces might be called upon to address.

Strategic Defense Reviews

jdunton — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On August 3 and 4, 2011, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted approximately 65 participants at a conference and workshop to consider how to best guide partner states through the strategic defense review (SDR) process.

DIIG Current Issues No. 25: ASEAN Defense Industry Collaboration

gsanders — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In February 2011 the defense ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to promote five areas of security cooperation: maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, counter terrorism, and military medicine.

“Fools, Liars, Political Posturers, and Deficit Reducers”: Budget Cuts and National Security

ian — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

There is good reason why anyone who care about the current legislation on the budget deficit should care about its near term impact on national security:

DHS Contract Spending and the Supporting Industrial Base

jdunton — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) examines the contracting practices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the contractor base that supports it.

PacNet #32A - The Kachin Conflict: Are Chinese Dams to Blame?

bMizuno — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

More than 10 days have passed since the breakout of armed conflict between the Burmese military (tatmadaw) and the Kachin rebel group – the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Many believe the fighting directly resulted from their struggle over the area where the Dapein dam is built, and blame the Chinese project for triggering the fight.

Defense Spending and Deficit Reductions: Funding the Future

ian — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

It is common wisdom that the federal budget defi cit is the biggest challenge facing the U.S. government today, but the debate rages over how to reduce that defi cit and bring under control the growing debt burden.

The 2011 Unified Command Plan—A Missed Opportunity?

mentman — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Last month President Obama signed the Unified Command Plan (UCP). The UCP establishes responsibilities and geographic boundaries for the U.S. military’s six regional and four functional four-star combatant commands (COCOMs).

DoD Workforce Cost Realism Assessment

jdunton — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Over the past decade, federal spending on service contracts more than doubled in constant terms, from $164 billion in 2000 to $343 billion in 2010. Policymakers have recently attempted to reduce or even reverse this increase, emphasizing instead what is now called the “insourcing” of services contracts.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2011)

gsanders — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups. According to the GAO, the 98 MDAPs from FY2010 collectively ran $402 billion over budget and were an average of 22 months behind schedule since their first full estimate.

Defense Industry Access to Capital Markets

gsanders — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Private companies rely on cash raised from capital markets to finance their operations, including expenditures on long-term assets (such as facilities and equipment), independent research and development (IRAD), and retirement of old debt. Capital markets play a role in shaping the depth and breadth of the U.S.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2011)

rlivergood — Wed, 11 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups.

These are the summary data tables for MDAPs which will be presented at the May 2011 Naval Post Graduate School annual Acquisition Symposium.

Defense Contract Trends

ian — Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In DoD contracting overall, services grew at a much faster pace in the past 20 years than did products and R&D, and were it not for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan would possibly have continued to receive the lion’s share of DoD contract awards.

A Diminishing Transatlantic Partnership?

jdunton — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Over the past five decades, the United States, its NATO allies, and other European Union countries have been partners in maintaining transatlantic security and leading contributors to international stability and economic development.

DIIG Current Issues No. 24: India's Defense Spending and Military Modernization

gsanders — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Photo left: INDIA (Jan. 20, 2010) - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates receives a tour of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison)

Rethinking a Resource-Based Strategy

ian — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The United States faces a wide range of resource pressures in shaping its national security strategy. The Burke Chair has developed a new briefing that provides an overview of both the trends in defense spending, and how they interact with such resource constraints, entitled Shaping a Budget and Resource-Oriented Strategy for US National Security.

DIIG Current Issues No. 23: U.S. Military Aid and Sales to Egypt

gsanders — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The recent popular protests in Egypt, and the concurrent images of U.S.-made tanks and tear gas canisters, have brought scrutiny upon the historical and remarkably constant U.S. military assistance to Egypt.

Risk Management in Non-DoD U.S. Government Agencies and the International Community

jdunton — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As part of ongoing efforts by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to develop an enterprise-wide risk management framework to guide Department of Defense (DoD) decisionmaking, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy contracted a CSIS study team to identify risk management lessons learned and best practices among non-DoD U.S.

Tough Choices

jdunton — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Leed and Moody identify a broader construct for how to more accurately evaluate the true cost and operational risks associated with capability reductions—in this instance, for amphibious capabilities. Their report focuses on the often-overlooked but strategically important impact of capability reductions on strategic-shaping—that is, preventative—defense missions as a complement to traditional decisionmaking that emphasizes the impact on combat missions.

Defense Contract Trends

ian — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

A new edition of this publication became available on May 11, 2011.

Private Security Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq: The Potential Impact of the Montreux Document

ian — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The role of private security companies has been a constant source of concern and trouble in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Such forces are essential in nations which do not yet have adequate security forces or a rule of law but can quickly become a “necessary evil” -- or an “evil necessity” – if they do not have the proper controls.

A Human Capital Crisis in Cybersecurity

ecurran — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

"The cyber threat to the United States affects all aspects of society, business, and government, but there is neither a broad cadre of cyber experts nor an established cyber career field to build upon, particularly within the Federal government."

Structure and Dynamics of the U.S. Federal Professional Services Industrial Base, 1995-2009

gsanders — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. government has a permanent and growing reliance on contracts with the private sector for a wide range of professional and support services. For the past five years, the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group has tracked the trends driving the professional services industry since 1995.

“Unplanning” for Uncertainty: Reshaping Future Defense Plans

ian — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The US faces growing pressure on its defense spending. The US needs to make fundamental changes in the way it develops its strategy, and its long term defense planning, programming and budgeting. The need for these changes is analyzed in a new study by the Burke Chair:

The Macroeconomics of US Defense Spending

ian — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The US faces growing pressures on its defense spending. The US is still dealing with two ongoing wars and has a very different role in global power projection than its allies. So far, it has not made realistic efforts to project the cost of these wars in its defense budget, and the Afghan war is almost certain to put major new pressure on the defense budget in FY2012 and beyond.

European Defense Trends

jdunton — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The international security challenges facing European governments are more complex than ever. In parallel, the economic recession has forced governments to make difficult choices in their defense budgets that will greatly affect their near- and long-term military capabilities.

Doing Less with Less? Assessing the Impact of the UK Strategic Defense and Security Review

ian — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Today, the UK government released its much anticipated Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR), which sets priorities for national security spending over the coming decade in light of constrained resources and continuing debate over Britain’s role in the world.

The Growing Challenges in Defense Spending and the Defense Budget: An Overview

mentman — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The US is scarcely alone in facing growing pressure on defense spending. Virtually all of its allies face equal or greater pressure. The US is, however, still dealing with two ongoing wars, and has a very different role in global power projection than its allies.

The Uncertain Cost of War(s)

amausner — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The US must make hard choices over the coming year. One will be whether to try turn largely tactical victories in the Iraq War into lasting grand strategic gains by supporting an enduring strategic partnership with Iraq after US forces withdraw at the end of 2011.

DIIG Current Issues No. 22: Rare Earth Elements

gsanders — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

On 23rd September 2010, exports of rare earth elements (REEs) from China to Japan apparently stopped due to a dispute over maritime boundaries. This use of economic leverage to influence policy raised concerns about the impact of China’s strategic hold on these precious metals.

The Military Balance in Asia, 1990-2010

amausner — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Burke Chair has developed a new analysis of the military balance in Asia. This report traces developments in the balance since 1990, and provides a detailed comparison of military forces as of 2010.

"Unplanning" for Uncertainty

amausner — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This brief is a part of series prepared by the Burke Chair in Strategy on current issues in defense budgeting and strategy. The full breif can be downloaded at: http://csis.org/files/publication/100805_Unplanning_for_Uncertainty.pdf

Other briefs within this series include:

The Uncertain Cost Of War(s)

ian — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This brief is a part of series prepared by the Burke Chair in Strategy on current issues in defense budgeting and strategy. Other briefs within this series include,

A Few Thoughts on the National Security Implications of the U.S. And Global Commercial Space Launch Industry

ian — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Administration recently released the President’s new National Space Policy. CSIS subsequently hosted senior Administration officials, who noted that the new policy builds on and only slightly modifies the space policies of previous Administrations. Administration officials, however, clearly stated that without the commercial space industry, America would have no space capabilities.

The Macroeconomics of US Defense Spending

amausner — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This brief is a part of series prepared by the Burke Chair in Strategy on current issues in defense budgeting and strategy. Other briefs within this series include,

The Coming Challenges in Defense Planning, Programming and Budgeting

amausner — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This brief is a part of series prepared by the Burke Chair in Strategy on current issues in defense budgeting and strategy. Other briefs within this series include,

National Security and the Commercial Space Sector

ian — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

This report examines the relationship between U.S. national security and the commercial space sector, with specific focus on the current state of the space launch industry and launch market. Building on a CSIS annotated briefing released in 2008, entitled “Health of the U.S.

US Defense Planning

amausner — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There is no doubt that the US is capable of conceptual thinking about national security. What is far less clear is that the US is capable of efficiently translating such concepts into practice: The need to effectively manage defense programs and budgets, and deal with immediate and near term needs.

Surprise Is Inevitable; Vulnerability Is Not

jdunton — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) mission to protect the nation necessitates its leaders’ concern about the military’s readiness for a vast and expanding range of missions. These concerns are heightened in the midst of two ongoing campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and within the context of a world that is increasingly complex.

Final Report on Lessons Learned

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

In May 2009, CSIS was chartered by the Department of Defense to determine lessons learned from the activities in Iraq by the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations to support military missions.

Cost and Time Overruns for Major Defense Acquisition Programs (2010)

gsanders — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Cost and time overruns in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) have become a high-profile problem attracting the interest of Congress, government and watchdog groups. According to the GAO, the 96 MDAPs from FY2008 collectively ran $296 billion over budget and were an average of 22 months behind schedule.