Ideas

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.

Ideas

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.

Ideas

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.

Ideas

How might Trump 2.0 approach Sub-Saharan Africa policy?

The new administration may have some radical ideas for the continent.

Ideas

To improve recruiting, make medical standards match retention ones

Many of the assumptions that undergird the recruiting standards are outdated or simply wrong.

Ideas

Why Ukrainian soldiers came to Idaho to study nuclear forensics

Hint: It’s an essential element of U.S. deterrence strategy.

Ideas

Is Europe prepared for the U.S. election outcome?

The result will affect defense, but also other forces currently at work in the continent.

Ideas

China’s chip chokepoints

The U.S. and its allies have leverage in the competition to build advanced microchips.

Ideas

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.

Ideas

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.

Ideas

How to do autonomous flight right

Too many companies are trying to take shortcuts. The Pentagon needs to push back.

Ideas

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.

Ideas

How Russia, China envision nuking US satellites: from above and below

As the Pentagon builds huge constellations to shrug off conventional ASAT weapons, potential adversaries are taking things to a terrifying new level.

Ideas

Navy places two new submarine contract modifications

The service is still trying to get up to two Virginia-class attack boats per year.

Ideas

The Middle East is in a new era of mass displacement

The situation in Gaza is structurally different from previous displacement crises in the region.

Ideas

Iran’s Oct. 1 strike on Israel had several meanings.

It was retaliatory–but it was also meant to save face and restore deterrence.

Ideas

The US military must prepare for a second Trump presidency

His re-election could have profound effects on civil-military relations.

Ideas

What reports got wrong about China’s ‘sunken nuclear submarine’

Western news organizations often miss crucial context—and even the real news—about Chinese military modernization.