Ideas
The military must remain nonpartisan. America depends on it
The soldiers who cheered partisan applause lines at Fort Bragg, and their leaders, erred in a spectacular way.
Ideas
Is gun violence depressing military recruiting?
Perhaps the problem is not that young people are insufficiently patriotic, but that they have been fighting a war, daily, for their entire lives.
Threats
Mossad agents sabotaged Iranian defenses as airstrikes began, Israeli official says
Covert units inside Iran used precision-guided weapons and vehicle-mounted systems to suppress air defenses, an Israeli security official said in remarks distributed to press.
Sponsor Content
GovExec TV: Five Questions with Henry Brooks
In this episode, we sit down with Henry Brooks to discuss how agencies can accelerate mission readiness by leveraging commercial technology.
Science & Tech
How drone warfare fares in the 2026 budget
The president’s proposal leans heavily on one-time reconciliation dollars.
Policy
Hegseth says chief of naval operations nomination is coming ‘in due time’
Lawmakers question firings of, and lack of replacements for, senior military leadership.
Sponsor Content
Optimizing Individual Health Readiness for the National Guard and Reserve
Optum Serve supports National Guard and Reserve forces, recognizing their medical readiness is vital to national security and mission readiness.
Policy
Lawmakers rip into defense secretary over flat Pentagon budget
The Pentagon is counting on one-time funds from a reconciliation bill to fund investments in shipbuilding and missile defense.
Policy
USAF slashes F-35 buy, boosts next-gen fighter in unconventional 2026 budget proposal
The Pentagon’s spending request includes not just the usual appropriations, but also the still-under-debate reconciliation bill.
Voices
Science & Tech
Uncrewed battle groups? DARPA, admirals offer glimpses of the Navy’s robotic future
The pace of technology—and the realities of industrial capacity—are opening naval minds to the possibilities.
Policy
Meet DOGE's team inside the Defense Department
ProPublica has identified four men installed by defense contractor Elon Musk at the Pentagon—and 100 more across the federal government.
Policy
US spy chief wants intel community to move away from building its own tech
Gabbard says industry can provide more tools, citing AI systems that are already helping analysts with major tasks.
Policy
US Air Force’s nascent radar plane faces the axe
Hegseth says the E-7 Wedgetail may be discarded to fund Pentagon shift toward space-based ISR.
Ideas
SecDef wants to insource work—but doesn't understand why it was outsourced
The Pentagon has been hemorrhaging internal talent for years. Fixing acquisition starts by fixing that.
Threats
Comcast among firms likely hit by China's Salt Typhoon hackers, sources say
Such intrusions into the world's network infrastructure could mean the hackers have a deeper foothold than previously known.
Science & Tech
Defense One Radio, Ep. 183: The future of NATO, with retired French Gen. Philippe Lavigne
An alliance preview ahead of this year's GLOBSEC Forum and NATO's summit in The Hague.
Policy
Trump limits use of cyber rules to punish US hackers, election meddlers
A Friday executive order echoes unproven claims that cyber and surveillance authorities were politicized to target Trump and his allies.
Threats
Move faster, share things: A former NATO transformation chief previews the summit
The alliance is ‘stronger’ than it was, but strike, space, AI, and more require urgent attention.
Business
Naval drone startup HavocAI hopes to build 100-foot robot boat by year’s end
The company is on track to deliver a 42-foot uncrewed vessel this summer, says CEO Paul Lwin.
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