Welcome to the Defense Download! This new round‐up is intended to highlight what we at the Cato Institute are keeping tabs on in the world of defense politics every week. The three‐to‐five trending stories will vary depending on the news cycle, what policymakers are talking about, and will pull from all sides of the political spectrum. If you would like to recieve more frequent updates on what I’m reading, writing, and listening to—you can follow me on Twitter via @CDDorminey.
- “Navy can’t build fast enough to reach 355 in time. So how will it get there?,” David Thornton. The Navy’s 30‐year shipbuilding plan calls for an increase to a 355‐ship force—but it seems that the plan misjudged the shipbuilding industry’s capacity to produce ships on the service’s desired timeline. Simply put, the 355‐ship Navy will either require an adjustment to the plan with a slower production model, or the government will have to expand shipbuilding capacity (which is neither cheap nor easy).
- “Nuclear modernization programs could face renewed scrutiny in Democrat‐controlled House,” Rachel Cohen. When the election on Tuesday flipping the House, it created a valuable opportunity for Democrats to exert influence on the defense budget—including the long‐term nuclear modernization program.
- Saudi Arabia’s War in Yemen. I want to bring your attention to this is upcoming event hosted by the Cato Institute featuring Rep. Ro Khanna, Kate Kizer from Win Without War, Scott Paul from Oxfam America, and myself—with John Glaser from Cato moderating. Register via the link to join us on December 7th.