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...

$65 Billion Effort to Train Afghan Army is Failing

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

The Afghan National Security Forces, which the U.S. has spent a decade and $65 billion training, are at their weakest point in years and will fall apart unless the U.S. can somehow turn around its...
Britain Hangs Back As the U.S. Pays $2.2 Billion to Fight ISIS

By Eric Pianin

Two things can be said with certainty about the U.S.-led coalition’s nine-month campaign to crush the powerful and resilient ISIS jihadists in Iraq and Syria: President Obama was right in predicting...
U.S. Officials Ramp Up Terror Warnings

By Rob Garver

Federal officials said the U.S. is “in a new environment” when it comes to the potential for domestic terrorist attacks, particularly of the “lone wolf” variety.
Pentagon’s $90 Billion ‘Slush Fund’ Comes Under Attack

By Eric Pianin

An obscure Pentagon account that has powered the U.S. war effort in the Middle East since shortly after the 9-11 attacks is at the center of a growing political controversy over the use of budgetary...
Is State Dept. Trying to Muzzle Afghanistan Watchdog?

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

A battle for independence seems to be breaking out between the State Department and the federal watchdog in charge of keeping tabs on the entire $110 billion reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan...

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