The Government Accountability Office notes in a new report that US Strategic Command has successfully developed concepts of operations and obtained the proper resources and personnel to carry out its increased mission, however GAO faults its ability to gauge results for its new mission areas during exercises. GAO found, too, that STRATCOM has not “fully clarified roles and expectations of its service component organizations” and needed to improve working relationships with other commands. The Pentagon only agrees with three of seven GAO recommendations, noting, for instance, that STRATCOM has provided “specific guidance” to its components.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…

