Colin Clark
Contributing Editor (At Large)
Colin Clark, the founding editor of Breaking Defense, is now our Indo-Pacific Bureau Chief, based in Sydney, Australia. In addition to his foundational efforts at Breaking Defense, Colin also started DoDBuzz.com, the world’s first all-online defense news website. He’s covered Congress, intelligence and regulatory affairs for Space News; founded and edited the Washington Aerospace Briefing, a newsletter for the space industry; covered national security issues for Congressional Quarterly; and was editor of Defense News. Colin is an avid fisherman, grill genius and wine drinker, all of which are only part of the reason he relishes the opportunity to live in Australia. cclark@breakingmedia.comStories by Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: The complexities of the United States diplomatic and military relationships with the People’s Republic of China were on full view today as the U.S. Navy’s leader said he does not need a bigger force to manage our presence in the western Pacific. Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, told several hundred people that…
By Colin Clark
CORRECTED. We reported that Andrew Krepinevich serves on the Defense Policy Board, which provides advice to the Defense Secretary. He did, but left the board in October. PENTAGON: Sometimes politico-diplomatic announcements are just plain hard to decipher, even when you know they convey significant news. That may be the case with this nugget sent out…
By Colin Clark
PENTAGON: The United States will police the globe, respond to disasters and shape the international environment much as it has –though our sharpest focus will be on China and the western Pacific — but it will do all that with a significantly smaller land force than it currently has. That was the essential message offered…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon appears to be moving beyond watching and reporting results from the Joint Strike Fighter program to standing in the room and telling Lockheed Martin when they think the company isn’t doing the right thing. This comes from an August briefing by the program’s director of engineering about the most expensive conventional weapons…
By Colin Clark
Japan, one of America’s staunchest allies, is expected to announce late next week that it will buy an initial squadron of Joint Strike Fighters, the beginning of what should be a purchase of perhaps 100 aircraft. The initial order’s price tag is pegged at something like $8 billion. Apparently, a senior Japanese defense official leaked…
By Colin Clark
The most senior woman ever appointed to a military job is leaving the Pentagon. Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy, announced today that she was leaving to “rebalance” her life. It has been an extremely busy life for the woman occupying what is generally regarded as the Pentagon’s number three position. On top of…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: A former senior Pentagon official with extensive knowledge of unmanned aerial vehicles expressed great skepticism of the aircraft supposed to be a stealthy RQ-170 shown on Iranian television today. We asked one of Washington’s most experienced UAV experts to have a look at the Iranian TV footage today. They say it’s a stealthy RQ-170…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: Worried that proposed cuts to the multi-billion commercial satellite imagery budget may be too deep, the White House has ordered a study to determine how much can or should be cut. The study is being led by Roger Mason, associate director for systems and resource analyses in the Office of Director of National Intelligence,…
By Colin Clark
CAPITOL HILL: The House named its conferees to handle negotiations over H.R. 1540, as this year’s defense authorization act is fondly known, and lawmakers from the opposite sides of the Capitol met this afternoon to hammer out a final bill. One Hill source said the discussions were, “moving quickly. We hope to have the language…
By Colin Clark
UPDATED — LRIP 5 Contract Agreement Reached CAPITOL HILL: Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor this afternoon to criticize Lockheed Martin’s handling of the Joint Strike Fighter program and pressed for the company “to assume an increased share of any cost overruns.” McCain, who cited Breaking Defense’s interview last week with F-35 program…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: One of the most entertaining, compelling and raucous battles ever to rock the Pentagon and Capitol Hill is officially over. General Electric and Rolls Royce today formally declared dead the F-136 engine program for the Joint Strike Fighter. Those who supported the “alternate” or “second” engine will never shy sway from pledging their troth,…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: President Obama’s defense budget for 2013 implements the start of the $500 billion in budget cuts required by the Budget Control Act but does not address the additional $600 billion in cuts triggered by the Super Committee’s failure. The most important implication deduced from the chart above would be that the administration has begun…
By Colin Clark
CAPITOL HILL: The dynamic duo who run the House Intelligence Committee unveiled an interesting bill today designed to curb the wholesale online theft of America’s ideas and inventions by China, Russia and other countries. Gen. Keith Alexander, head of Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, has estimated that the U.S. has lost $1 trillion…
By Colin Clark
The United States is the greatest nation in the world. Its national security should not be beholden to the whims of unstable regimes that happen to control faraway sea-lanes. It is time for America to wrest its national security back from the chokehold that oil has on our economy and our national security. Brigade General…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: The complexities of the United States diplomatic and military relationships with the People’s Republic of China were on full view today as the U.S. Navy’s leader said he does not need a bigger force to manage our presence in the western Pacific. Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, told several hundred people that…
By Colin ClarkCORRECTED. We reported that Andrew Krepinevich serves on the Defense Policy Board, which provides advice to the Defense Secretary. He did, but left the board in October. PENTAGON: Sometimes politico-diplomatic announcements are just plain hard to decipher, even when you know they convey significant news. That may be the case with this nugget sent out…
By Colin ClarkPENTAGON: The United States will police the globe, respond to disasters and shape the international environment much as it has –though our sharpest focus will be on China and the western Pacific — but it will do all that with a significantly smaller land force than it currently has. That was the essential message offered…
By Colin ClarkWASHINGTON: The Pentagon appears to be moving beyond watching and reporting results from the Joint Strike Fighter program to standing in the room and telling Lockheed Martin when they think the company isn’t doing the right thing. This comes from an August briefing by the program’s director of engineering about the most expensive conventional weapons…
By Colin ClarkJapan, one of America’s staunchest allies, is expected to announce late next week that it will buy an initial squadron of Joint Strike Fighters, the beginning of what should be a purchase of perhaps 100 aircraft. The initial order’s price tag is pegged at something like $8 billion. Apparently, a senior Japanese defense official leaked…
By Colin ClarkThe most senior woman ever appointed to a military job is leaving the Pentagon. Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy, announced today that she was leaving to “rebalance” her life. It has been an extremely busy life for the woman occupying what is generally regarded as the Pentagon’s number three position. On top of…
By Colin ClarkWASHINGTON: A former senior Pentagon official with extensive knowledge of unmanned aerial vehicles expressed great skepticism of the aircraft supposed to be a stealthy RQ-170 shown on Iranian television today. We asked one of Washington’s most experienced UAV experts to have a look at the Iranian TV footage today. They say it’s a stealthy RQ-170…
By Colin ClarkWASHINGTON: Worried that proposed cuts to the multi-billion commercial satellite imagery budget may be too deep, the White House has ordered a study to determine how much can or should be cut. The study is being led by Roger Mason, associate director for systems and resource analyses in the Office of Director of National Intelligence,…
By Colin ClarkCAPITOL HILL: The House named its conferees to handle negotiations over H.R. 1540, as this year’s defense authorization act is fondly known, and lawmakers from the opposite sides of the Capitol met this afternoon to hammer out a final bill. One Hill source said the discussions were, “moving quickly. We hope to have the language…
By Colin ClarkUPDATED — LRIP 5 Contract Agreement Reached CAPITOL HILL: Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor this afternoon to criticize Lockheed Martin’s handling of the Joint Strike Fighter program and pressed for the company “to assume an increased share of any cost overruns.” McCain, who cited Breaking Defense’s interview last week with F-35 program…
By Colin ClarkWASHINGTON: One of the most entertaining, compelling and raucous battles ever to rock the Pentagon and Capitol Hill is officially over. General Electric and Rolls Royce today formally declared dead the F-136 engine program for the Joint Strike Fighter. Those who supported the “alternate” or “second” engine will never shy sway from pledging their troth,…
By Colin ClarkWASHINGTON: President Obama’s defense budget for 2013 implements the start of the $500 billion in budget cuts required by the Budget Control Act but does not address the additional $600 billion in cuts triggered by the Super Committee’s failure. The most important implication deduced from the chart above would be that the administration has begun…
By Colin ClarkCAPITOL HILL: The dynamic duo who run the House Intelligence Committee unveiled an interesting bill today designed to curb the wholesale online theft of America’s ideas and inventions by China, Russia and other countries. Gen. Keith Alexander, head of Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, has estimated that the U.S. has lost $1 trillion…
By Colin ClarkThe United States is the greatest nation in the world. Its national security should not be beholden to the whims of unstable regimes that happen to control faraway sea-lanes. It is time for America to wrest its national security back from the chokehold that oil has on our economy and our national security. Brigade General…
By Colin Clark
