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...

Carter Hints Sending Even More US Special Ops to Syria

By Eric Pianin

Amid mounting criticism and public skepticism of President Obama’s strategy in the war against ISIS, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Sunday signaled that more U.S. troops could be sent to Syria...
After a Long Chill, Obama and Netanyahu Plan to Meet About the Iran Deal

By Steve Mufson, The Washington Post

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet in Washington on Monday, both seeking to move beyond the nasty public clash over the Iran nuclear deal and to restore a more...
Why Computer Code Is the Lethal Weapon of the Future

By Aliya Sternstein, Defense One

Under a forthcoming nearly half-billion-dollar military contract, computer code capable of killing adversaries is expected to be developed and deployed if necessary, according to contractors vying...
Trump Can’t Keep His Multibillion Dollar Pentagon Programs Straight

By Martin Matishak

Donald Trump didn’t serve in the military, but he has repeatedly boasted he’s the only Republican presidential candidate who can transform how the Defense Department does business and revamp the...
Putin Moves Anti-Aircraft Missiles into Syria: Why?

By Rob Garver

A Russian military officer on Thursday told the domestic media that President Vladimir Putin’s effort to support the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad had expanded to include not just...

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