"The NATO summit has ended, pledges of assistance for Ukraine abound, but execution still lags." That's how starts my recent essay for the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), where I recently came aboard as a non-resident senior fellow (NRSF). If you're not from around Washington DC, NRSF is a exalted but unpaid gig for people with PhDs to try to effect political change, one erudite essay at a time. CEPA is a great platform for that.
As I argue in the essay, there's a military-technical revolution, as the Russians used to say, continuing to unfold in Ukraine, as it has been unfolding slowly for some years now. The lessons to be drawn may be more or less radical. Defense ministries and industries could conclude that everything must change, and totally overhaul their equipment purchasing and marketing. Or, they might conclude that combined arms warfare is still a thing, and that their armor and aircraft need serious upgrading to stay relevant. Either way, to make a difference on the battlefield, they need responsive procurement—something at which the US Department of Defense really does not excel. After alluding to my recent book on the marketing of the MRAP, I conclude with explanations why.
Anyway, you can read all about it here: "Battlefield Lessons for the Arsenals of Democracy" (CEPA).
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