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...

Corker Says Obama May Be Too Eager to Sign Iran Nuke Deal

By Eric Pianin

Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee displayed remarkable cohesion last week in forcing President Obama to go along with a measure to give Congress an important say in...
How ISIS Regained Its Momentum in Iraq

By Riyadh Mohammed

As Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was meeting President Obama and his cabinet in Washington, D.C. this week to ask for more U.S. military aid, ISIS was regaining its momentum and recapturing...
3D-Printed Guns Are Big. They’re Getting Bigger.

By Michelle Fox, CNBC

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson is up almost 60 percent so far this year, but one strategist thinks long term it could go the way of Blockbuster thanks to 3-D printing. "I feel like in the future...
Putin Denies Any Russian Conflict in Ukraine

By Rob Garver

In his semi-annual marathon call-in show with the Russian people, President Vladimir Putin continued to insist that no Russian troops are in Ukraine. He was also asked how much sleep he gets, whether...
The F-35 May Be the Last Manned Fighter Plane the U.S. Ever Flies

By Rob Garver

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may have problems, but according to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, it’s probably the last manned fighter aircraft the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will ever buy.

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