Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) wanted to know what exactly differentiates Global Strike from Prompt Global Strike. Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, head of US Strategic Command, explained at a Senate strategic forces subcommittee hearing this week that the key difference is timing. He said that the premise behind PGS is that the US should be able to deliver a non-nuclear strike on a time-sensitive target in “one hour, any place” in the world. Cartwright noted that some high-value targets could have been eliminated during the initial stages of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan had the capability—and a simplified chain of command approval process—been in place.
This year’s Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting buzzed with talk of countering the rapidly evolving drone threat facing the entire U.S. military, including the Air Force. Leaders and defense industry officials discussed the need for new approaches to procurement and employment of a new class of these…
