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...

Why Does the VA Own a 5-Star Luxury Hotel in Paris?

By Martin Matishak

Congress thinks it’s time the scandal-plagued Veterans Affairs Department got out of the Parisian luxury hotel business.
How Terrorists Are Using Cheap Credit to Fund Their Attacks

By Rob Garver

The news about a $28,500 loan for the terrorists who killed 14 and wounded more than 20 in San Bernardino last week may or may not shed light on how the two killers financed their plot, but it does...
An Easy Way the Pentagon Could Save $5 Billion a Year

By Kellie Lunney, Government Executive

Replacing military personnel in Defense Department support jobs with civilian employees could eventually save the federal government billions annually, according to a new Congressional Budget Office...
ISIS Is Winning the Recruitment War as Foreign Fighters Flow into Syria

By Martin Matishak

The international effort to stem the flow of would-be extremists to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS appears to be a bust. According to a new private intelligence report, the number of foreign fighters in...
With Domestic Terror in a New Phase, the U.S. Scrambles to Respond

By Martin Matishak

Roughly a week after the terror attack in San Bernardino, Calif., that killed 14 people, Washington is preparing a slew of proposals aimed at reducing the odds of a similar incident happening again...

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