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...

The ‘Story’ of the Iran Deal Is Coming Back to Bite the Democrats

By Ciro Scotti

The Obama administration’s efforts to manage the narrative about the nuclear agreement with Tehran keep boomeranging and are now on the verge of becoming a full-blown PR disaster that is reigniting...
The VA Wants Taxpayers to Pick Up the Tab for Transgender Operations

By Martin Matishak

The Veterans Affairs Department recently unveiled a potentially controversial regulation that would eventually see taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries. The agency’s proposed rule , first reported...
Is the Navy Abandoning the Railgun?

By Patrick Tucker, Defense One

The Navy’s futuristic electric cannon, or railgun, received yet more hype this week for its ability to fire a shell at up to 5,600 miles per hour, and do it far more cheaply than a missile. But there...
Air Force May Penalize Boeing for Delays on Air Force’s New KC-46 Tanker

By Martin Matishak

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter isn’t the only major U.S. Air Force program that’s been snake bit with technical delays.
Clinton Finds Her Voice on Trump: Withering Criticism, With a Side of Mockery

By Martin Matishak

In perhaps the most important speech of her presidential campaign to date, Hillary Clinton on Thursday lambasted presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump for his views on foreign policy and...

Search form