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...

Obama Says Russia Wants Out of Syria. Putin says, ‘Nyet’

By Rob Garver

On the same day that President Obama told reporters at the global climate change summit in Paris that he expects Russia to end its involvement in Syria in the near term, officials at the Pentagon are...
Why Can’t the Pentagon Audit Its Books? The Excuses Pile Up

By Martin Matishak

The Defense Department’s top financial officer has a good excuse for why the agency might not meet a deadline to be audit ready by 2017. In fact, he has quite a few of them.
How ‘Paris’ Changed the 2016 Election and Put ISIS in Voters' Crosshairs

By Molly O'Toole, Defense One

MANCHESTER, N.H.— Tracking Lindsey Graham and John McCain on the campaign trail means hearing the same jokes, anecdotes and threats several times over. There’s the joke about lawyers, which McCain...
Obama’s Job Now: Fight ISIS All-In as Turkey Plays Both Sides

By Patrick Smith

Turkey’s stunningly rash decision last week to down a Russian Su-24 fighter jet flying an anti-terrorist mission near the Turkish-Syrian border alters the calculus in the Syria crisis at least as...
Why the UK Is Going All In with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

By Martin Matishak

At a time when Canada is wishy-washy about its commitment to the pricey F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, the United Kingdom this week released a national security roadmap that goes all in on the...

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