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...

The $43 Million Afghan Gas Station Scandal Blows the Lid Off Pentagon Waste

By Martin Matishak

A top Republican senator wants to know if the Defense Department is punishing the Army colonel who blew the whistle on the task force responsible for building a $43 million gas station in Afghanistan.
3 Reasons Americans Are Losing Confidence in Obama’s Fight Against ISIS

By Martin Matishak

In the wake of the ISIS attacks in Paris, President Obama and his efforts to defeat the extremist group have come under withering criticism in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail,...
With Billions on the Line, the F-35 May Get Another Chance in Canada

By Martin Matishak

When it comes to the future of its involvement with the multibillion dollar F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, Canada’s new government seems to want it both ways: remaining a partner in the costly...
Why the Pentagon Might Fund Putin’s Russia with Rocket Engine Buys

By Martin Matishak

Weeks before a critical deadline to fund the federal government, a fight is brewing on Capitol Hill over the kind of rocket engine the Defense Department can use to send its military satellites into...
Why Allies and Adversaries Should Unite to Defeat ISIS

By Patrick Smith

Suddenly, the civilized world has one thing on its mind -- an alliance among key nations to fight ISIS. No one is talking about containment anymore. The topic is decisive defeat on Syrian and Iraqi...

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