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...

How Big Contractors Mooch on Federal Subsidies

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

Some of the government’s largest contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which rake in billions of federal dollars each year, are also receiving tax credits, bailouts and federal grants—all at...
Republicans in Mad Scramble to Placate Defense Hawks

By Eric Pianin

Republican leaders are in a mad scramble to shower tens of billions of dollars more on the Defense Department to persuade defense hawks to back the House and Senate budget blue prints next week and...
Iran Nuclear Talks: 10 Key Sticking Points

By Parisa Hafezi, Reuters

Iran and six major powers are intensifying negotiations in the Swiss city of Lausanne ahead of an end-March deadline for a historic framework agreement that would curb Tehran's nuclear program in...
How to Degrade ISIS on Twitter

By Patrick Tucker, Defense One

AUSTIN, Texas – For the Islamic State, or ISIS, the social media site Twitter, with its 2.7 million users, remains core to the group’s recruiting, messaging and communication. A new report estimates...
House and Senate Duke It Out Over Defense Spending

By Eric Pianin

House and Senate GOP budget leaders remained at odds Wednesday over the best scheme for boosting defense spending to combat the rising threat of ISIS and other terrorist organizations. Whatever...

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