Philip Sheers

In a new @CNASdc piece on U.S. strikes in Iran, @StaciePettyjohn and I add some nuance to the ongoing munitions debate, raise several ways this conflict can still change, and put the campaign in broader strategic context: cnas.org/publications/c…

Iran is targeting key U.S. airpower infrastructure. Radars, SATCOM, KC-135s, and AWACS. New analysis on what it means for US operational readiness today and in the future. Grateful to @ka_grieco, @Joe_m_costa, and @PhilSheers for their expert insights. defensenews.com/global/mideast…

Glad to share some thoughts with @defense_news on the ABM fleet. "There is very little slack remaining for flexibility and adjustment... that places a huge burden on the remaining fleet as well as other systems to fill in the gaps, potentially at the expense of other priorities"

@BreakingDefense @CNASdc Looking at the next budget, DoD needs to invest in its ABM fleet. It should do so with a sober appreciation for what alternatives can and cannot do, and with an honest re-assessment of what is needed for DoD’s actual priority scenarios.

@BreakingDefense @CNASdc A summary table from the report captures many of these tradeoffs, as well as how ABM operations can consider mitigating some of these challenges in DoD’s priority scenarios:

The loss of an E-3 aircraft this weekend has cast the spotlight back on airborne battle management. Today in @BreakingDefense, I wrote about the crisis facing the U.S. ABM fleet, and why DoD needs to soberly reinterrogate the way it resources this critical part of the force🧵

This is an interesting piece on the role critical minerals play in U.S. supply chains and implications for defense. @becca_wasser and I discussed this in our @CNASdc DIB report last year—charts below. You can dig into more of the analysis here: cnas.org/publications/r…

@CNASdc You can read more, including on operational challenges, mitigation, and enduring roles for ABM and their complements, here: cnas.org/publications/r….

@CNASdc 3️⃣ “Alternative” sensing and communications systems are valuable complements, but not substitutes. ABM aircraft generate a combination of sensor resolution, threat responsiveness, geographic coverage, and live communication that other platforms struggle to match and keep up with.

Earlier this week, I was glad to publish my first solo-authored report at CNAS on air battle management (ABM) aircraft. Given ongoing, high-intensity air operations, it has an unexpected timeliness. You can read the report online @CNASdc website, but a few quick takeaways—🧵