UP FRONT.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew

Hyten: Regrets, He's Had a Few

Weeks before his retirement after serving for 40 years in the Air Force and retiring as the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. John Hyten told reporters he had a few regrets.

"I wish we did achieve a resilient space architecture before I left because we've talked about it for over a decade," he told the Defense Writers Group.

Because the military has traditionally relied on a few expensive, highly capable satellites, it is more vulnerable than it would be with a fleet of less expensive spacecraft, he said. He described the U.S. military's satellites as "fat, juicy targets" compared to adversaries' "little targets that are difficult to get after."

Also, without him advocating at the Pentagon for more robust electronic warfare capabilities "momentum could be lost," he lamented.

"We used to be the best in the world of electronic warfare," he said. "Now, we don't train it. We don't educate it. We don't equip it."

Gilday Seeks Harmony in Indo-Pacific

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday traveled to India to foster better relations between the navies of the world's two largest democracies.

After a thinly veiled swipe at China--which he didn't call out by name--he said the United States and India could promote peace and freedom in the region through cooperation.

But first, they need better interoperability. "Platforms, sensors and weapons must all be able to operate in different spectrums and at different ranges, but still be able to work together as one cohesive, integrated team," he said in speech in Mumbai.

"In many ways it resembles an orchestra. Different instruments, different players and different sheet music. Each musician plays their own part... but all of it works together in harmony," he said.

For more on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, see this month's special report beginning on page 22.

Air Force Focused on Hardening Bases

"We need airbase hardening. We need active and passive...