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...

As Obama Stumps for Cash, National Guard Goes Broke

By David Francis

As Obama stumps for cash from NATO allies, the National Guard has been forced to cancel training exercises because of a budget shortfall.
Three Wise Ways NATO Can Make the World Safer

By Joseph Cirincione, Defense One

It will be impossible for the NATO summit to live up to the expectations set for it. But there are steps that NATO can and likely will take beyond strongly-worded proclamations. Here are three...
Don’t Expect NATO to Ante Up the Money for Ukraine

By David Francis

German officials have already dashed hopes of the 2 percent of GDP defense spending requirement the United States and Britain are expected to push at today’s NATO meeting.
Car bomb in Shi'ite area of Baghdad kills 12, wounds 30: police

By Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 12 people and wounded 30 in Baghdad's mainly Shi'ite Muslim Kadhamiya neighbourhood on Thursday evening, police said. The explosion was the fourth attack in Shi'...
Afghan candidates' unity pledge eases NATO's worries

By Phil Stewart and Sanjeev Miglani, Reuters

NEWPORT Wales/KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's rival presidential candidates pledged to NATO leaders on Thursday that they would form a government of national unity and sign legal agreements allowing...

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