Defense

Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...
The Mysterious Threat to Pilots That the Pentagon Can’t Solve

By Ciro Scotti

Episodes of oxygen deprivation affecting the pilots of F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet — and other military aircraft including the F-35 — are on the rise and remain an unsolved mystery.
What Game Theory Tells Us About Trump’s ‘Madman’ Approach to North Korea

By Rob Garver

Is Donald Trump out of his mind? Maybe he wants North Korea to think so.
Does the Army’s $580 Million Handgun Have a Fatal Flaw?

By Ciro Scotti

Last January, the Army made a $580 million decision: It would replace its longstanding sidearm, the M9 Beretta, with a new modular handgun made by the U.S. arm of the German-controlled gunsmith Sig...
Why the Escalating Threats Between Trump and Kim Won’t End in War

By Patrick Smith

The supercharged threats volleyed between President Trump and Kim Jong Un this week bring us closer to war with the North Korea than at any time since Pyongyang tested its first nuclear device in...

Here’s the Real State of the $1 Trillion U.S. Nuclear Upgrade

By David Francis

The American nuclear arsenal is just about the same as it was when Trump took office.
Here’s Why North Korea Put Guam in Its Crosshairs

By David Francis

Hours after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with fire and fury like the world has never known, Pyongyang announced it is "examining the operational plan" to attack Guam, a tiny U.S...
Why the Price of the F-35 Keeps Soaring

By Ciro Scotti

The most costly fighter ever built is getting even more expensive. A new General Accounting Office report says the Pentagon will spend an additional $3.9 billion over the next five years on “...
The Media Has to Stop Provoking Trump’s Worst Instincts

By Rob Garver

For a man constantly boasting about his extraordinary negotiating prowess, President Trump made a pretty obvious rookie mistake on Tuesday, with his apocalyptic-sounding promise to deliver “fire and...
Five Things You Need to Know About Plans to Privatize the Afghan War

By David Francis

The White House is actively considering a plan to turn a big chunk of the war in Afghanistan over to private contractors. That’s according to Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater security firm, who...

Kerry Slams Senate for Delays, Says They’re 'Hurting the Country'

By Rob Garver

In a Republican primary campaign in which candidates routinely condemn the Obama administration’s foreign policy, it might not be surprising to learn that two of the leading candidates, Sens. Ted...
The Benghazi Investigation Reaches a Dubious Milestone

By Martin Matishak

Democrats serving on the special committee examining the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, say the panel’s investigation has passed yet another milestone and has now taken longer than the...
The Navy Hunts for Its Next-Generation Nuclear Submarine

By Martin Matishak

The Defense Department has given the U.S. Navy the greenlight to begin entertaining proposals from industry for the service’s next ballistic missile submarine, an effort that could cost nearly $350...
Benghazi Panel Calls in Heavy Hitters to Start 2016

By Martin Matishak

The House panel investigating the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya, will start the New Year with a pair of high-profile interviews. The House Select Committee on Benghazi will hold a closed-...
From Mideast to Moscow, These 3 Crises Could Wreck Obama’s Foreign Policy

By Patrick Smith

What a start for the Obama administration’s final year. In the course of a few days, Russia declares the U.S. a threat to its security taking relations to a perilous new low, and Iran announces it...

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