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...

Nuclear Treaty with Russia May Be Breaking Down

By Rob Garver

A high-level Russian official on Wednesday asserted again that the Kremlin has the right to move nuclear weapons into the disputed Crimean peninsula, which Russian troops invaded last year — and...
Rubio Suggests Obama Is Letting Iran Dictate US War Policy

By Eric Pianin

Republicans on Wednesday kept up their drum beat against President Obama’s negotiations with Iran over that country’s nuclear program. This time, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) suggested that President...
Iran’s Nuclear Power May Be the Least of Our Worries

By Jackie Leo, The Fiscal Times

It’s possible the world has its eye on the wrong ball when it comes to Iran. Last month, Iranian television released footage of a missile from below the surface of the water, courtesy of the naval...
U.S. Still Giving a Corrupt Afghanistan a Blank Check

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

The U.S. has poured more than $ 104 billion into rebuilding Afghanistan – investing in projects and programs that were meant to boost its economy and bolster its security. But as American troops pack...
Putin Pulls Out of Post-Cold War Arms Treaty

By Rob Garver

Russia on Tuesday announced that it would completely withdraw from all participation in a treaty drawn up at the end of the Cold War that was meant to limit the size of ground forces in Europe.

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