But in today's world, strength doesn't always present itself in the form of armies or aircraft carriers. The means by which power manifests has expanded, growing more subtle, more layered and often more dangerous. As a result, it's no longer enough to talk about power in purely military or economic terms. Rather, we need to distinguish between three overlapping but distinct forms of power: hard, soft and sharp. These three concepts of power are more than just academic abstractions. They are real-world tools to, respectively, coerce, attract and manipulate the people and governments of other nations. They are used by governments to shape the choices of others. Sometimes they operate in concert; often, however, they collide. Hard power is likely the most familiar of the three powers ' and the one relied on by nations for much of history. It refers to the ability to coerce through force or economic pressure. It's the stuff of tanks, sanctions, warships and threats. When Russia bombs Kyiv, when the United States sends aircraft carriers through the Taiwan Strait or when China uses trade restrictions to punish foreign governments, that's hard power in action....

Every day, hundreds of chat messages flow between pilots, crew, and controllers of the Air Mobility Command's 618th Air Operations Center (AOC). These controllers direct a thousand-wide fleet of aircraft, juggling variables to determine which routes to fly, how much time fueling or loading supplies will take, or who can fly those missions. Their mission planning allows the U.S. Air Force to quickly respond to national security needs around the globe. "It takes a lot of work to get a missile defense system across the world, for example, and this coordination used to be done through phone and email. Now, we are using chat, which creates opportunities for artificial intelligence to enhance our workflows," says Colonel Joseph Monaco, the director of strategy at the 618th AOC, which is the Department of Defense's largest air operations center. During a visit to Lincoln Laboratory from the 618th AOC's headquarters at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Colonel Monaco, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Heaton, and Captain Laura Quitiquit met with laboratory researchers to discuss CAITT. CAITT is a part of a broader effort to transition AI technology into a major Air Force modernization initiative, called the Next Generation Information Technology for Mobility Readiness Enhancement (NITMRE)....

Atlantic Aviation operates more than 100 FBOs across the US, providing fueling, maintenance, deicing, hangar leasing, and concierge services for private aircraft. The business is seen as a stable, infrastructure-like asset class that continues to draw interest from global investors, including airport operators, aircraft lessors, and large infrastructure funds. Investor appetite for aviation infrastructure remains robust. In 2021, Blackstone and Global Infrastructure Partners jointly acquired Signature Aviation'the world's largest FBO operator'for $4.7bn. A similar level of interest could be expected for Atlantic, given its national scale and consistent cash flows. The process remains in early stages, and KKR may ultimately decide to retain the asset. However, the exploration comes amid an active M&A period for the firm. In April alone, KKR has executed or initiated over $8bn in deals, including its $3bn+ acquisition of OSTTRA and a move to acquire German IT services company Datagroup. Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge. Don't worry about the news anymore, through our newsletter you'll receive weekly access to what is happening. Join 120,000 other PE professionals today....

In 1949, the U.S. Air Force called upon MIT with an urgent need. Soviet aircraft carrying atomic bombs were capable of reaching the U.S. homeland, and the nation was defenseless. A dedicated center ' MIT Lincoln Laboratory ' was established. The brightest minds from MIT came together in service to the nation, making scientific and engineering leaps to prototype the first real-time air defense system. The commercial sector and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) then produced and deployed the system, called SAGE, continent-wide. The SAGE story still describes MIT Lincoln Laboratory's approach to national security innovation today. The laboratory works with DoD agencies to identify challenging national security gaps, determines if technology can contribute to a solution, and then executes an R&D program to advance critical technologies. The principal products of these programs are advanced technology prototypes, which are often rapidly fabricated and demonstrated through test and evaluation....