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...

An Unprecedented Loss for the Obama Administration in Court

By Rob Garver

The Federal Appeals Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday struck down the Obama administration’s effort to protect the nation from four sets of wind turbines deployed on the semi-arid plains...
U.S. Policy Failures Come Full Circle in Libya

By David Francis

Three years ago, the United States intervened to stop Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. It remains to be seen if Washington will act now that the country is on the verge of falling apart.
Iraqi army retreats from Tikrit after assault stalls

By Raheem Salman and Maggie Fick, Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have withdrawn from the militant-held city of Tikrit after their new offensive met heavy resistance, in a blow to the government effort to push back Sunni insurgents...
$26 Million Worth of U.S. Weapons Now in ISIS’s Hands

By Jeremy Bender, Business Insider

ISIS militants may be in a position to strike Baghdad due to American-made weapons the group seized from the Iraqi military, Mitchell Prothero reports for McClatchy DC . During ISIS's blitz across...
The F-35 Can (Almost) Fly Again

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

U.S. military officials have approved limited flights for Lockheed Martin's ( LMT.N ) F-35 fighter jets, improving the chances of the newest U.S. combat jet making its international debut before...

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