Ideas
The US needs more than troops at a Syrian airbase to constrain ISIS, Iran
Continued support for the SDF, plus more burden-sharing, is necessary to protect U.S. interests.
The awful arithmetic of our wars
If we don't figure out a way to fight far more cheaply, we won’t be able to afford to win a single battle.
More is needed to turn the Marine Corps' aspirations into reality
If the force is truly to have balanced lethality and battlefield resiliency, it will need more ships, missiles, and money.
As we await the Pentagon’s posture review, here’s one country we should keep troops in
Lithuania is geographically vulnerable and strategically important—for several reasons.
Our nation requires three ARG/MEUs
The Marine Corps commandant underscores the necessity of the Amphibious Ready Group/Marine Expeditionary Unit for projecting American strength and sustaining deterrence.
The Pentagon chooses learning over losing
The secretary’s reforms reveal a revolution: the recognition that adaptability trumps performance.
The Pentagon must activate this powerful, underused approach to acquisition
The modular open systems approach is already encouraged. It’s just not used enough.
What ‘House of Dynamite’ gets right and wrong about nuclear command and control
The Netflix film is good on process and tech, but has one major flaw.
Don’t give up the shipyards
Trump’s first shipbuilding deal must not derail America’s bipartisan strategy to revive the foundations of its seapower.
Now is not the time for new US commitments to the Middle East
President Trump should follow his instincts and tell the Gulf states to take on more of their own security burden.
How to foster a warrior ethos in the workforce
Invest in educating future acquisition professionals.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 196: “The Wounded Generation” by David Nasaw
A celebrated historian shares years of research into the quiet and not-so-quiet struggles of millions of American veterans returning home from World War II.
It’s time to return Turkey to the F-35 fold, even if we have to get creative
It's a sticking point that is blocking deeper US-NATO-Turkish defense cooperation.
Federal shutdown deals blow to already-hobbled cybersecurity agency
Two-thirds of the staff at the nation’s cybersecurity agency are sidelined, opening opportunities for malicious hackers.
Hamas has run out of options
The group's survival now rests on accepting Trump’s plan and political reform.
Venezuela, US edge toward war footing—but the White House may blink first
The Trump administration is increasing the pressure, but domestic concerns, international risks may hold it back.
Featured eBooks
'Shadow economies' are growing. Military planners and operators must take them into account
Black markets prolong wars, defang sanctions, fray alliances, and help rogue governments and groups survive and thrive.
Don’t let the ‘unequal dialogue’ become a partisan one
Secretary Hegseth's short-notice summoning of flag officers evinces a dangerous lack of respect.
Military AI needs guardrails—not to slow it down, but to keep it useful
Modifying commercial models isn’t as easy as removing the parts that discourage users from killing people.
