On ChinaTalk, @clarkdefense, @jordanschneider, and Justin McIntosh interview Travis Metz, acting director of @DIU_x. They discuss: — How the DIU's Gauntlet competition is using real orders, competition, and falling prices to build a drone industry capable of producing at scale — What American drone makers can learn from Ukraine's battlefield laboratory — Why the US drone industry is "wide but not deep" — Why the future of drone warfare depends on systems that can operate autonomously under electronic attack Listen to the full conversation: youtube.com/watch?v=17Pg6Mkq…

Following the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the US is providing logistical support to Riyadh. However, Washington is being careful to preserve its ceasefire with the Houthis. If either side breaks the agreement, the Iran war could expand to a new front in the Red Sea, @clarkdefense explains.

China will build three of every four large cargo ships ordered this year. America will build fewer than one in 100. In a Pacific conflict, America won't have enough ships to keep its troops supplied. But there is a way to address this critical security risk: the Strategic Commercial Fleet program. The SCF would triple the American fleet and use market economics to reduce costs for taxpayers. Hudson Senior Fellow Michael Roberts breaks down how Section 401 of the SHIPS Act could help rebuild America's maritime industrial base.

With the advent of drone warfare, even bases thousands of miles away from active conflict are vulnerable to terrorist or proxy attacks. On @DeutscheWelle, @clarkdefense discusses America's decision to remove its B1 bombers from a UK airbase.

This week, Iran captured a US ​military underwater drone. Iran will almost certainly try to pry open the drone's hardware, but the drone's software carries built-in defenses, @clarkdefense told @Reuters. Iranian engineers "could definitely reverse-engineer the ⁠mechanical systems," Clark said, pointing to Tehran's track record with captured American aircraft. Read Mike Stone and @DavidJeans2's full reporting: reuters.com/world/middle-eas…

The US military is preparing to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln with the USS George Washington. The USS George Washington has been operating in the South China Sea, working to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific. The Washington's movement to the Middle East will leave a temporary void in the Pacific. "Normally, the George Washington would do its patrol and go and show the flag and demonstrate our resolve and our support to countries like the Philippines and Japan," @clarkdefense told @shelbyholliday and @Kubota_Yoko. "We're going to forgo all these strategic opportunities to influence the relationships with the neighbors there." wsj.com/politics/national-se…

Yesterday, Trump ordered the Navy to return to steam catapults on Ford-class carriers. But replacing the electromagnetic catapults with steam will be a complex endeavor that will likely cost billions of dollars, @clarkdefense told @MarcusReports. "Electric is more reliable. If I can turn these components to be electric instead of steam, it eliminates all the steam related mechanical parts." The maintenance on the electrical systems is also cheaper, Clark said. There are 500 fewer sailors on the Ford than the Nimitz, in part because fewer technicians are needed to work on the ship's existing steam equipment. Early data from the Navy shows that the Ford costs about $100 million less a year to operate compared to the older, steam powered Nimitz-class ship. Read @WSJ's full article on Trump's national security memorandum ⬇️

As the US Navy fixes and modernizes the USS Gerald R Ford, the White House and the Pentagon are considering reverting Ford-class carriers back to steam-powered catapults. @clarkdefense warned @JanesINTEL that the Navy would have to entirely redesign the ship to accommodate for steam piping. Read his full comments: s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/m…

Tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have continue to escalate, and the IRGC has flown equipment for missiles and drones as well as military advisors into Yemen. "I think the Houthis need Iranian materials to assemble their weapons, but the Houthis are now experts at employing drones and conducting counter-shipping campaigns," @clarkdefense told @The_NewArab. "I suspect the Iranian advisors are there in large part to coordinate operations between Iran and the group and provide any lessons learned from Iran's recent campaign against US forces." newarab.com/analysis/houthi-…

"If you can be targeted, you can be engaged." Commercial technology enables any actor to field capable precision weapons, @clarkdefense explains. The military needs to adapt to the changing nature of warfare, not only defending troops but fielding offensive advantages.

The US and Iran are moving negotiations onto the battlefield. Each side hopes that they will return to the negotiating table having improved their position, @clarkdefense told @jimsciutto.

Hudson Institute recently ran a series of war games based around a scenario in which China attacks Japan as part of a Taiwan invasion. Read in @Bloomberg about how the war games highlight the pivotal role of sea drones in high-stakes conflicts. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

US–China competition necessitates a renewal of the defense sector. On China Talk, @clarkdefense argues that the military should rethink its force design and help drive US reindustrialization by incorporating commercially available technologies.

The MOU does not solve the underlying problems that drove the US and Israel to go to war against Iran, @clarkdefense told @CBC. The US is looking to "reinject" topics like Iran's ballistic missile program and proxy network into negotiations.