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...

Iran Nuke Deal Could Explode in Town Halls in August

By Martin Matishak

Congressional lawmakers face at least another week of arm twisting by the Obama administration over the Iran nuclear deal but some are already looking to the month-long August recess to gin up...
The Future of War Belongs to the Bots

By Patrick Tucker, Defense One

In April, thought leaders from the Defense Department, the U.S. Army Research Lab, the Institute for Defense Analysis, and national security thinkers across academia met for a two-work workshop on...
Is Obama Tough Enough in Foreign Policy? Most Americans Don’t Think So

By Rob Garver

In a poll conducted between July 14 and July 20 by the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Americans said the president isn’t tough enough on the U.S.’s foreign adversaries, while only 37 percent said...
Things Are About to Get a Lot Hotter for ISIS

By Rob Garver

Turkey has been a reluctant ally in the fight against ISIS, but a deal to open Incirlik air base to U.S. fighters for strikes against ISIS could dramatically change the air campaign over Syria and...
Kasich's Defense Diet: Cut the Fat and Build Muscle

By Molly O'Toole, Defense One

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is straddling the fiscal and defense hawk line as he enters a crowded Republican field of presidential candidates whose strong-on-defense rhetoric has sought to tap into — and...

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