In a report to be released Wednesday, retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston and retired German Gen. Klaus Naumann condemn European leaders for a lack of determination to improve their collective military capabilities. According to the London Financial Times, which obtained a copy of the 97-page report, the two generals plan to brief European defense officials within the next two weeks and Washington in November. The conclusion of the report is that the situation is dire unless Europeans work together and provide additional defense funding—with at least 25 percent going to research and acquisition. Remaining on the present course “is not an option—indeed it is a recipe for disaster,” states the report. Ralston was Supreme Allied Commander Europe (2000-2003) and Naumann was Germany’s chief of defense and head of NATO’s military committee.
ABMS Goes to the Pacific in ‘Valiant Shield’
Sept. 25, 2020
American military forces used a large-scale training exercise in the Pacific this month to experiment with new ways of commanding troops as part of the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System effort. The Air Force’s third ABMS demonstration, known as an “on-ramp,” quietly unfolded Sept. 14-25 within the biennial “Valiant…