Ideas
The Army is too top-heavy
Surplus generals, swollen staffs, and excess headquarters drain headcount and resources from warfighting units.
Will Assad’s defeat be Putin’s Waterloo?
The narrative of Russia's ascendancy in 2024 is beginning to look like more fiction than fact.
Can Syria's triumphant rebel coalition unite the country?
And what should the U.S. do about this potentially "catastrophic success"?
Want ‘government efficiency'? Help change agencies from within
DOGE leaders talk a lot about slashing headcount. They should foster better decision-making instead.
How a director of national intelligence helps a president stay on top of threats from around the world
A former chairman of the National Intelligence Council offers an explainer.
What game theory says about a MAGA military
A thought experiment based on Trump’s desire for officers who obey without question.
How did Hayat Tahrir al-Sham come to prominence in Syria’s civil war?
The Islamist group, which spearheaded of the surprise rebel advance into Aleppo, is an offshoot of al-Qaida in Syria.
What the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire means for the region—and US involvement
A conversation with a professor of history and peace studies at Notre Dame.
Will Musk’s ‘Algorithm’ reduce military inefficiency—or increase risk?
It's good to question Pentagon requirements. But many exist for deadly serious reasons that may not be obvious in a hasty review.
How might Trump 2.0 approach Sub-Saharan Africa policy?
The new administration may have some radical ideas for the continent.
To improve recruiting, make medical standards match retention ones
Many of the assumptions that undergird the recruiting standards are outdated or simply wrong.
Why Ukrainian soldiers came to Idaho to study nuclear forensics
Hint: It’s an essential element of U.S. deterrence strategy.
What Ukraine can now do with longer-range US missiles
Q&A with a Marine Corps University professor.
Is Europe prepared for the U.S. election outcome?
The result will affect defense, but also other forces currently at work in the continent.
China’s chip chokepoints
The U.S. and its allies have leverage in the competition to build advanced microchips.
Heed the generals who call Trump unfit to lead
The former commander-in-chief understands nothing of military service, duty, or a cause greater than himself.
What would Harris, Trump do about Russia's invasion of Ukraine?
Harris says support for Kyiv is in the U.S.'s strategic interest. Trump says he'd accept a deal from the strongman he admires.
Featured eBooks
How to do autonomous flight right
Too many companies are trying to take shortcuts. The Pentagon needs to push back.
How the Pentagon’s financial audit will help win wars
The cultural and technological drive toward transparency will ultimately make U.S. forces more effective.
The X-Men and Avengers have lessons for international defense cooperation
We train as we fight, but we don’t buy as we fight.
