Ideas
The quantum curtain
What if citizens get unbreakable encryption? Welcome to the latest edition of Fictional Intelligence.
The Pentagon moves into the era of affordable mass
Even as cheap drones deplete expensive air defenses near Iran, the U.S. military is working to turn the tables.
Why the US went to war without a plan to evacuate DOD civilians, contractors, and others
A diplomatic veteran cites operational secrecy—and describes how things might have gone better.
The US built up its missile defenses—and will need to do it again
The war against Iran has depleted stocks of vital interceptors.
Why the US attack on Iran is unlikely to produce regime change in Tehran
A conversation with veteran diplomat Donald Heflin, a leader at Tufts University's Fletcher School.
Expect Iranian regime to respond to US‑Israeli strikes as existential threats
The response to last year's strikes on nuclear sites was muted. Don't expect this one to be the same.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 204: “Until the Last Gun Is Silent” by Matthew Delmont
A historian explores patriotism, U.S. foreign policy, and the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 203: Fictional intelligence
The authors of a new series discuss how they're exploring the future of conflict through short stories.
Men lie, strategies lie—numbers don’t
The word counts of the new National Defense Strategy.
'Mission ahead, heavens above'
Welcome to Fictional Intelligence, the first of a monthly series that explores the future through short stories.
Pakistan’s burgeoning arms industry is a strategic opportunity for the US
A defense-industrial partnership could benefit the Pentagon while mitigating Chinese influence.
Space-based interceptors make even less sense now
The Pentagon and its Golden Dome contractors are proposing to replace one showstopping problem with another.
Our allies passed your test, Mr. President. Would we?
A former U.S. infantryman responds to Trump’s amnesiac take on Afghanistan.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 202: The known perils of regime change
A scholar of civil wars warns against repeating the past mistakes from U.S. military interventions abroad.
Bombing Iran would shore up its regime
External attacks stir up nationalism and redirect public anger outward, a “rally-around-the-flag” effect long documented by political scientists.
Trump’s Greenland threat has already hurt US security—but far worse may come
A hostile takeover would shatter America’s key alliance, limit its military’s global reach, and invite economic reprisal.
Trump’s Greenland ambitions could wreck alliances that underpin the modern world order
A former diplomat looks at the president's latest ally-shaking outburst.
Featured eBooks
Ukraine’s future may turn on upcoming votes in Congress
As lawmakers sprint to fund the U.S. government, America’s support for Kyiv hangs in the balance—and could determine how the conflict ends.
Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy
Trump is the latest to reach for a military solution of the kind that rarely produces durable peace.
