Ideas

Americans Are Seeing Threats in the Wrong Places

Security means teaching the public which dangers are real and which are not. Trump’s rhetoric isn’t helping.

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A Nuclear Treaty the Trump Administration Can Support

The U.S. should help advance international proposals to tighten security around nuclear material that terrorists might use.

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Russia Is Turning Up Its Nuclear Rhetoric. That’s a Problem

U.S. and NATO officials have an interest in steering Russian bluster away from its rising focus on nuclear weapons.

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A Technological Path Out of the Missile-Defense Security Dilemma

As boost-phase defenses become viable, they could reduce the destabilizing effects of longer-ranged defenses on great-power relationships.

Ideas

The USAF Shouldn’t Narrow Competition for Its Satellite Launches

The service’s plan to reduce launch-contract eligibility from three providers to two would reduce incentives to innovate and keep costs down.

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The US and North Korea Are Back to Talking Tough

Pyongyang’s latest threats don’t necessarily mean diplomacy is dead. But they are a sign of just how deadlocked nuclear talks have become.

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Who Are the Private Contractors Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan?

An inside look at this invisible military force.

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Trump’s Budget Harms National Security

How the plan would make America less safe.

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‘Cost Plus 50’: Welcome to the US Mercenary Force

All the ways Trump’s proposed allied-protection scheme would undermine our national security.

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Is the Pentagon Truly Committed to the National Defense Strategy?

Various warning signs say "no." The 2020 budget will tell. Congress must scrutinize it carefully.

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How the White House Is Spinning the North Korea Summit Collapse

The administration no longer thinks Trump alone can reach a deal with Kim Jong Un.

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Does USS Truman’s Early Retirement Herald a New War on Carriers?

Whatever the promise of emerging technologies, combatant commanders still want more floating mobile airfields.

Ideas

India’s and Pakistan’s Lies Thwarted a War—For Now

Lying about facts to de-escalate tension in Kashmir is a playbook they’ve both used before.

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‘Chaos Serves Putin’s Interest’: A Veteran Diplomat Takes Stock

A 3-decade Foreign Service officer weighs in on Russia, Trump, and America’s place on the world stage.

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The US Army Is Trying to Bury the Lessons of the Iraq War

By scuttling plans to help its leaders understand what went wrong, the service is turning a blind eye to insights of enduring relevance.

Ideas

Ep. 40: Cruise Missiles, Missile Defense and 21st-Century Hybrid War

Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Ideas

Don’t Call It an ‘Arms Race’: US-China AI Competition Is Not Winner-Takes-All

The most common framing of the two countries’ artificial-intelligence development is dangerous.

Ideas

The Pentagon Could Lead the Green New Deal to Victory

Defense leaders have long braced for the impacts of climate change. Working with climate advocates could ward off those threats.