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...

Putin Isn’t Reviving the USSR, He’s Creating a Fascist State

By Rob Garver

Many have suggested that Vladimir Putin wants to revive the old USSR, but the new Russia he’s building looks less like a Communist state than it does an updated totalitarian society from Europe’s...
U.S. Strategy in Iraq: More of the Same, and 'Hope'

By Rob Garver

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, the Obama administration’s top defense official blamed the Iraqi Army for fleeing from an ISIS attack on Ramadi. In an interview aired on CNN Sunday, and said he hopes...
5 Things Americans Should Remember on Memorial Day

By Robert L. Dilenschneider

As we enjoy the first taste of summer, entertaining friends and family or just relaxing this Memorial Day, we should take a moment to reflect on what the weekend is all about. Here are five facts to...
New U.S. Embassy in Kabul $150M Over Budget, Years Behind Schedule

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

In 2002 the State Department began making plans to expand its U.S. Embassy in Kabul to create room for the influx of staffers expected amid the war and reconstruction efforts. Now, more than a decade...
The Case for Punishing Incorrigible Generals for Wasting Another $36 Million

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

Nearly every week, the watchdog tasked with overseeing reconstruction in Afghanistan releases reports detailing new projects or programs that are potentially wasting millions, sometimes billions of...

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