Competitive Technologies for National Security
Remaining competitive is important for America to endure the Long War. New technologies are emerging that will have long term effects on America’s national security. It is imperative, therefore, to examine what steps America needs to take in order to continue to promote the development of new technology and what role funding should play in support of technological competitiveness.
U.S. Competitiveness in Science and Technology
Many have expressed a concern that the United States is losing its lead in Science and Technology, a problem that could hurt national security among other things. The National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) at the RAND Corporation has published a paper addressing these concerns and their possible policy implications.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: The Pentagon's Robots: Arming the Future
America's capability to seize and maintain a strategic advantage in robotic national security applications could be lost without sustained and focused commitment from the Administration and Congress. Congress should provide adequate funding, encourage increased coordination, and craft policies that encourage prudent investment in robotic technology.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: Competitive Nuclear Energy Investment: Avoiding Past Policy Mistakes
Nuclear power is a proven, safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels that can offset America's growing dependence on foreign energy. Federal, state, and local governments will have a role to play, especially in building confidence with investors, but the best long-term subsidy that they could give the industry is the freedom to succeed.
The Heritage Foundation WebMemo: Grading Cybersecurity Initiatives: Six Necessary Components
Such initiatives should meet all of the nation's priorities: enhancing security, promoting economic growth, and preserving liberty and privacy.
The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder: Nanotechnology and National Security: Small Changes, Big Impact
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, leaders in both the legislative and executive branches essentially discarded public diplomacy as a Cold War relic. Since 9/11, the situation has improved only marginally if at all. To restore America's voice, government leaders should draw on the nation's Cold War legacy to lay the foundation for the next generation of public diplomacy.
The Heritage Foundation WebMemo: The Air Force's Cyber Command: Combating Electronic and Network Threats
Congress and the President must fully support the effort to thwart America's adversaries in the cyber domain.
GAO Report: Comparison of U.S. and Recently Enacted European Union Approaches to Protect Against the Risks of Toxic Chemicals
The EU has recently revised its chemical control policy through legislation known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) in order to better identify and mitigate risks from chemicals. GAO was asked to review the approaches used under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and REACH for (1) requiring chemical companies to develop information on chemicals’ effects, (2) controlling risks from chemicals, and (3) making information on chemicals available to the public.
AAAS Report: Research and Development FY 2008
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Report XXXII: Research and Development FY 2008 is a comprehensive look over President Bush’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2008. This year’s budget is a continuation of the previous years with proposed increases for agencies in the American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), increases for weapon and human spacecraft development, and declined funding for the R&D field. Overall, it is a proposed budget that continues to restrain domestic spending and increases defense spending.
A 21st Century Model for Communication in the Global War of Ideas: From Simplistic Influence to Pragmatic Complexity
In this paper, the Consortium for Strategic Communication (CSC) explains why message influence strategies fail and what must be done to break the cycle of communication dysfunction. Changing communication systems requires, first, understanding the dynamics at work; and, second, using communication as a strategy to disrupt and perturb existing systems such that they can begin to organize around new meaning-making frameworks. After describing a new pragmatic complexity model, CSC offers four principles of effective communication in the global war of ideas based on this model: (1) Deemphasize control and embrace complexity; (2) replace repetition with variation; (3) consider disruptive moves, and (4) expect and plan for failure.
“Breaching the Fortress Wall: Understanding Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies.”
Technical countermeasures are a key component to our nation’s ability to combat terrorism. However, terrorists have adapted capabilities to overcome these countermeasures and continue on with their plans. This document looks at a series of case studies on terrorist’s counterefforts, and how the United States can defeat such efforts.
Management of Middle East Broadcasting Services Could be Improved
The GAO made a review of the progress and problems of the start-up Middle East Broadcasting Network, Inc. (MBN). The results of this review revealed issues regarding long-term strategy, the need for stronger administrative control and lack of standardized program review and editorial procedures. These comments and recommendations by the GAO have been reported to the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ (BBG) for implementation.
The Army’s Future Combat Systems Program and Alternatives
This document contains the testimony of Army Assistant Director J. Michael Gilmore before the House Committee on Armed Services to discuss the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program and possible alternative approaches to modernizing the Army’s forces.
The Manufacturing Technology Program: A Key to Affordably Equipping the Future Force
This report underscores the longstanding concern of rising weapon systems costs and the need to reduce these costs in light of tighter economic constraints anticipated in the years ahead. The Task Force concluded that the Manufacturing Technology Program can address critical acquisition challenges associated with advanced weapon systems, and identified specific actions that will enhance and expand the impact of the ManTech program.
