The U.S. Army has just published the 2013 edition of its annual Weapon Systems Handbook, which is filled with updated information on dozens of weapon systems, the military contractors who produce them, and the foreign countries that purchase them.
So one learns, for example, that the RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft System is marketed to Denmark, Estonia, Lebanon, and Uganda, while the United States sells artillery ammunition both to Israel and to Lebanon.
An appendix provides an informative breakdown of military industry contractors by weapon system and by the state where the contractor is located.
“The systems listed in this book are not isolated, individual products. Rather, they are part of an integrated Army system of systems designed to equip the Army of the future to successfully face any challenges,” according to the Handbook introduction.
“After 10 years of combat, today’s Army is significantly more capable than the Army of 2001. As we draw down from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must remain flexible, adaptable, and agile enough to respond and meet the needs of the combatant commanders.”
“Our objective is to equip and maintain an Army with the latest most advanced weaponry to win and return home quickly.”
One month of a government shutdown is in the books, but how many more months will (or can) it go? Congress is paralyzed, but there are a few spasms of activity around healthcare and the prospects of a continuing resolution to punt this fight out until January or later.
At a period where the federal government is undergoing significant changes in how it hires, buys, collects and organizes data, and delivers, deeper exploration of trust in these facets as worthwhile.
Moving postsecondary education data collection to the states is the best way to ensure that the U.S. Department of Education can meet its legislative mandates in an era of constrained federal resources.
Supporting children’s development through health, nutrition, education, and protection programs helps the U.S. achieve its national security and economic interests, including the Administration’s priorities to make America “safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”