2021 Year in review / The look ahead to 2022

What you may have missed from the last year, and what you need to read as 2022 kicks off, from Breaking Defense.

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Welcome to 2022. 
We have prepared a roundup of stories you may have missed from the last year, and what you need to read as 2022 kicks off.

Enjoy and thank you for reading.

FIVE STORIES OF NOTE:

The underrated Navy topics you might have missed: 5 Stories From 2021

Sealift, unmanned maintenance and some interesting comments by the top Marine are on the list.

Hunting vulns, from cars to drones: 5 Stories From 2021

From the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan to cyber threats posed by cars on military bases, networks and cyber had another interesting year.

Defense aviation stories as Taylor Swift songs: 5 Stories From 2021

The only year end list about warplanes that also includes Taylor Swift song recommendations. You're welcome.

I got to leave my house and have fun with the Army: 5 Stories From 2021

The US Army is in the midst of a generational modernization effort, a budget crunch and pivoting away from the Middle East to focus on threats in China and Russia. But that'll be the focus of a different end of year piece. For this one, we can just have fun.

Space was the place, including for starry-eyed optimism: 5 Stories From 2021

Among all the space action over the past year, AFRL's push to expand military space operations to cislunar space — the vast volume of space between the Earth's outer orbit and that of the Moon — and beyond has been a gift that keeps on giving.

2021 IN REVIEW:

Air Force got a new leader, a new fighter plan and can ditch old planes: 2021 in Review

In 2021, Air Force laid a path for big changes coming down the line in 2022 and beyond.

The Army fought to balance new capabilities with tight budgets: 2021 In Review

New capabilities that will transform an Army balancing tight budgets in 2021.

Hacks raised questions about Pentagon's role in securing cyber and networks: 2021 In Review

The military focused its efforts on networked warfare and the US government responded to cyberattacks.

Letting the subs go by, letting the budget hold me down: 2021 In Review

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was / Same as it ever was, same as it ever was / Same as it ever was, same as it ever was etc.

For national security space, running to stand still: 2021 In Review

US leaders this year faced difficult decisions against a backdrop of rapidly growing challenges from potential adversaries, and a booming commercial space sector that innovation-wise is leaving the Defense Department and the Intelligence Community in the dust.

2022 PREVIEW:

For the Army, looming budgets and multi-domain everything: 2022 Preview

Here's the key Army storylines we'll be tracking at Breaking Defense next year.

The Pentagon's new strategy might already be behind the times: 2022 Preview

A Russian invasion of Ukraine could derail the Defense Department's planning.

For Space Force, it's acquisition, acquisition, acquisition: 2022 Preview

In 2022, the Pentagon will need to see real movement on acquisition reform to reduce long understood vulnerabilities that have been essentially ignored for many years.

Watching the Navy's words vs its actions in the Indo-Pacific: 2022 Preview Preview

The Pentagon has long talked up its pivot to the Indo-Pacific. What does that actually look like?

It's 'delivery time' on JADC2: 2022 Preview

It's unclear how much the Pentagon is spending on JADC2 and it needs to provide examples of progress next year.

Managing China, whether through threats or talk: 2022 Preview

Expect the political battle over the island nations like Fiji or the Solomons to be a big part of Chinese-American geopolitics in the new year.

POPULAR IN DEFENSE:

China's J-35 carrier fighter appears; Step to 'most powerful navy'?

"The J-35 may well represent another significant milestone in the Chinese long-term pursuit of a blue-water carrier based naval aviation capability", said retired US naval intelligence officer, Capt. James Fanell.

Exclusive: Pentagon poised to unveil, demonstrate classified space weapon

The push to declassify an existing space weapon is being spearheaded by Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

SOCOM to test anti-aging pill next year

"These efforts are not about creating physical traits that don't already exist naturally. This is about enhancing the mission readiness of our forces by improving performance characteristics that typically decline with age," Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, SOCOM spokesperson, said.

Roper hints NGAD could replace F-35; Why? Life-cycle costs

The NGAD program "represents a chance to design an airplane that is more sustainable than the F-35, if in fact the F-35 cannot get its cost-per-flying-hour down," said outgoing AF acquisition head Will Roper.

It's a FOBS, Space Force's Saltzman confirms amid Chinese weapons test confusion

China's recent test of a FOBS/HGV hybrid is "a very forward-edge technology capability," said Space Force's Lt. Gen. Chance (Salty) Saltzman.

Aussies to pick 'mature' nuke sub design; Is UK's Astute class frontrunner?

Analyst Tim Walton thinks it'd be wise for Australia to field other, complementary undersea warfare capabilities such as "the Transformational Reliable Acoustic Path System and mobile sensors such as Wave Gliders with towed arrays to inexpensively monitor straits and ocean areas."

DARPA's aerial turducken, the LongShot, still cooking towards 2022 milestone

Preliminary designs reviews for the mothership drone, to be launched from an aircraft before firing its own missiles, are planned for mid-2022.

Future Tank: Beyond the M1 Abrams

Manned armored vehicles will have a place even in a world of killer drones, experts agreed. But will they engage the enemy directly with big guns, or stay hidden and send out armed robots instead?

The US Air Force Just Inched Closer To Buying Boeing's E-7A Wedgetail

The upcoming sole source contract to Boeing for more data on the Wedgetail suggests that the service may seek to eschew a competition.

US Air Force will buy E-7 Wedgetail in 2022, Boeing exec claims

"I'm very confident that the Air Force is choosing the E-7 to replace its E-3 fleet," Mike Manazir, Boeing's vice president for defense business development, said during a news conference ahead of the Dubai Airshow.

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