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The quantum curtain
What if citizens get unbreakable encryption? Welcome to the latest edition of Fictional Intelligence.
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The Pentagon moves into the era of affordable mass
Even as cheap drones deplete expensive air defenses near Iran, the U.S. military is working to turn the tables.
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Why the US went to war without a plan to evacuate DOD civilians, contractors, and others
A diplomatic veteran cites operational secrecy—and describes how things might have gone better.
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The US built up its missile defenses—and will need to do it again
The war against Iran has depleted stocks of vital interceptors.
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Why the US attack on Iran is unlikely to produce regime change in Tehran
A conversation with veteran diplomat Donald Heflin, a leader at Tufts University's Fletcher School.
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Expect Iranian regime to respond to US‑Israeli strikes as existential threats
The response to last year's strikes on nuclear sites was muted. Don't expect this one to be the same.
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Defense One Radio, Ep. 204: “Until the Last Gun Is Silent” by Matthew Delmont
A historian explores patriotism, U.S. foreign policy, and the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era.
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Defense One Radio, Ep. 203: Fictional intelligence
The authors of a new series discuss how they're exploring the future of conflict through short stories.
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'Mission ahead, heavens above'
Welcome to Fictional Intelligence, the first of a monthly series that explores the future through short stories.
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Pakistan’s burgeoning arms industry is a strategic opportunity for the US
A defense-industrial partnership could benefit the Pentagon while mitigating Chinese influence.
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Space-based interceptors make even less sense now
The Pentagon and its Golden Dome contractors are proposing to replace one showstopping problem with another.
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Our allies passed your test, Mr. President. Would we?
A former U.S. infantryman responds to Trump’s amnesiac take on Afghanistan.
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Defense One Radio, Ep. 202: The known perils of regime change
A scholar of civil wars warns against repeating the past mistakes from U.S. military interventions abroad.
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Bombing Iran would shore up its regime
External attacks stir up nationalism and redirect public anger outward, a “rally-around-the-flag” effect long documented by political scientists.
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Trump’s Greenland threat has already hurt US security—but far worse may come
A hostile takeover would shatter America’s key alliance, limit its military’s global reach, and invite economic reprisal.
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Trump’s Greenland ambitions could wreck alliances that underpin the modern world order
A former diplomat looks at the president's latest ally-shaking outburst.
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Ukraine’s future may turn on upcoming votes in Congress
As lawmakers sprint to fund the U.S. government, America’s support for Kyiv hangs in the balance—and could determine how the conflict ends.
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