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...

U.S. Spent $2B on 'Hearts and Minds' in Afghanistan

By Megan McCloskey and Mike Tigas and Ryann Grochowski Jones and Sisi Wei and Jeff Larson and Ingrid Burrington, Pro Publica

The military’s mantra for Afghanistan was “winning hearts and minds.” And a key part of that strategy was cold, hard cash. During a decade of war, the Pentagon gave more than $2 billion to commanders...
U.S. Air Strikes Target Hidden ISIS Forces

By Eric Pianin

After directing most of its fire power to blowing up buildings in Iraq and Syria in pursuit of ISIS terrorists, the U.S and allied forces more recently have altered their tactics by going after...
US Invests $560 M in Afghan Civil Aviation that Can’t Get Off the Ground

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

Since 2002 the United States has paid for and managed much of the Afghan airspace, pouring more than $500 million into building, training and equipping Afghanistan with a sustainable civil aviation...
What’s Pushing Russia and China into Each Other’s Arms

By Rob Garver

Despite his country’s growing relationship with Russia, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un skipped the Victory Day parade in Moscow last week. Probably because he didn’t want to be publicly treated like...
VA Spent $6 Billion Improperly in ‘Culture of Lawlessness and Chaos’

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

The embattled Department of Veterans Affairs is under new scrutiny after an internal document surfaced accusing the agency of spending $6 billion a year on contracts for medical treatment and...

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