Defense One

Air Force Airman 1st Class Richard Scott, a security forces installation entry controller, uses night vision binoculars during a night shift at the North Gate at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 7, 2020.

Personnel Pentagon

Security Clearance Backlog Hits Long-Awaited ‘Steady State’

About 200,000 people are waiting for background investigations, which lawmakers called a welcome, “sustainable” level.

The Global Business Brief Industry Air Force

Pre-merger spinoffs; V-22 COD flies; Gremlins drone crashes, and more…

Raytheon and United Technologies have agreed to sell two businesses to BAE Systems for $2.2 billion — if that deal helps them win U.S. government approval for their own merger. UTC is selling …

BY Marcus Weisgerber READ NOW»

The D Brief

Trump talks Afghanistan, Iraq, downplays troops’ injuries; Saudi phone hacking; Doomsday clock, more dire than ever; And a bit more.

There must be a “significant” reduction in violence across Afghanistan before the U.S. will support a ceasefire with the Taliban, President Donald Trump said Wednesday (al-Jazeera) during a …

BY Ben Watson Bradley Peniston READ NOW»

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump, right, arrive at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020.

Commentary White House Ukraine Congress

To Prove Trump’s Bad Faith, Don’t Argue Policy. Show He Subverted the Process. 

On Ukraine, the president dodged processes designed to ensure that U.S. foreign policy serves the public interest.

BY Scott R. Anderson READ NOW»

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Monday, June 24, 2019.

Commentary Cyber

Saudi Arabia’s Phone Hacking Shows We Need Better Encryption — Not Backdoors

End-to-end encryption isn’t good enough. Files and cloud backups need strong crypto as well.

BY Patrick Tucker READ NOW»

U.S. Soldiers walk past a site of Iranian bombing at Ain al-Asad air base, in Anbar, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 13, 2020

White House Personnel Iran Iraq

As Toll Mounts, Trump Downplays Injuries Suffered in Iranian Attack

The president’s dismissive statements about the brain trauma suffered by U.S. troops at Al Assad may reflect a considered attempt to de-escalate – or not.

BY Katie Bo Williams READ NOW»

Maintaining a Competitive Edge with an Architecture-First Approach

From ground sensors to satellites, software is the fabric that enables modern planning, weapons, and logistics systems to function. But these advancements are not without their challenges.

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Travelers move in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport , Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, in Atlanta.

Homeland Border Security C4ISR

Inside America’s First All-Biometric Airline Terminal

At Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, facial-recognition cameras and other ID systems plug into a data backbone installed by Customs and Border Patrol.

BY Brandi Vincent READ NOW»

The D Brief

More U.S. troops treated for Jan. 8 strike; Details emerge on deadly Kenya raid; DoD wants 1 new satellite per week; Mideast protests; And a bit more.

More U.S. troops are being treated for injuries after Iran’s Jan. 8 strikes on Iraqi bases, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. “U.S. military officials declined to say Tuesday how many more are …

BY Ben Watson Bradley Peniston READ NOW»