Ideas
What's the Purpose of President Trump's Navy?
Does the president's specified goal of 350 ships meet the needs of the nation in the 21st century? The answer is not yet clear.
Ideas
The Military Value of the Defense Department’s Energy Efforts
As the Trump administration reviews climate and energy policies, they should do it with a key goal in mind.
Ideas
I Ran Intel at the Pentagon. Here’s My Advice on Insider Threats
If I were still in government, this is what I would be telling Defense Secretary Mattis and the DNI.
Ideas
When the Generals Become Democracy's Guardians
Military officers have checked some of the president’s uglier populist impulses. But what does that mean for liberal values?
Ideas
Corruption Helped ISIS Take Mosul. Victory Cannot Last While It Persists
Without reducing the corruption that plagues the country's government, terrorism will be impossible to defeat.
Ideas
What If Intelligence Agencies Can’t Secure Their Own Hacking Tools?
The Wikileaks dump makes it harder to argue that concealing vulnerabilities keeps us safer.
Ideas
Pick Up the Pace on Missile Defense
Five steps to keep U.S. defenses ahead of North Korea’s efforts to make weapons that can threaten American cities.
Ideas
Calm Down About North Korea’s Nukes
History shows that nuclear states don’t behave more aggressively or coercively.
Ideas
Cocktails & Conversation: Space and Satellites in the New Administration
Tech Editor Patrick Tucker spoke with DoD's acting space-policy chief and CSIS' Todd Harrison.
Ideas
Killing Free Trade Will Rob the World of a Highly Effective Deterrent to War
Trade agreements are rarely about economics alone.
Ideas
America Is Facing a Dangerous Enemy. We Just Can’t Agree Who It Is
Our ideological adversary is powerful, authoritarian, and spreading. And it is completely different depending on which government officials you’re talking to.
Ideas
Russia Has Deployed a Treaty-Violating Missile. Here’s What the US Should Do About It
Hint: it’s not what we would have done in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s.
Ideas
A US-Based Army Can’t Get to the Fight Fast Enough
We need to rebuild our forward-based troop strength, get serious about strategic lift, and more.
Ideas
Want to Win Wars? Fund Soft Power, Trump’s Generals Say
The president’s proposal to boost military spending at the expense of diplomacy and foreign aid won't lead to victory.
Ideas
Watch: The Future of War and the US Navy
How does the Navy's cyber requirements chief keep up with the lightning-fast evolution of network tools and threats? Rear Adm. Nancy Norton explains.
Policy
'Winning' or Not, Trump Doesn't Seem to Be Listening To His Generals
Based on what he says, Trump already is defying his generals. The real test is what he actually does.
Ideas
Sell India F-16s — and Build Them Abroad
It’s the right move for the United States, even if it makes the Trump administration uncomfortable.
Ideas