Defense Systems

Navy awards $60M contract for UCLASS drone assessment

UCLASS system would provide ocean intelligence collection, strike capabilities at sea.

Defense Systems

Modern tradecraft moves in parallel with cyber operations

A free wireless network at Starbucks might be the medium for passing along intelligence.

Threats

The Arab World Is on the Brink of Radicalizing

The violence in Egypt only underlines the threat faced by governments being overrun by religious extremism. By Michael Hirsh

Ideas

What the NSA’s Massive Org Chart (Probably) Looks Like

Amid public cries for greater transparency into the intelligence world, here’s a look at the National Security Agency’s organizational chart -- as far as we know it. By Marc Ambinder

Business

Pentagon To Provide Same-Sex Benefits Starting Next Month

The military will also allow troops to take leave to get married if they are stationed more than 100 miles from a state where same-sex marriage is legal. By Amelia Gruber

Policy

Egypt's Military Cracks Down on Protesters

The army began breaking up protests staged by supporters of former President Mohammad Morsi. Unconfirmed reports from Cairo are suggesting a high death toll so far. By Dashiell Bennett

Defense Systems

Streamlined satellite acquisition advances, but challenges remain

While cutting costs through competition, FCSA is threatened by high demand, lagging supply, security shortfalls.

Defense Systems

DARPA funds research to boost sensors

Squeezed light can generate more precise measurements when applied to sensor technology.

Ideas

Forget the Second Carrier, It's Time to Rethink the Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf

It’s not the size of the fleet, it’s how you use it, and PC ships are smaller, more agile and better for Mideast allies. By Bilal Y. Saab and Joseph Singh

Ideas

The Filmmaker Behind the Edward Snowden Leaks

A new <em>New York Times</em> magazine profile describes how far Laura Poitras has gone to protect her privacy, while also reporting on the government's surveillance programs. By Philip Bump

Ideas

This is How Benjamin Franklin Made America a Superpower

Founding father's grand strategy was predicated on economic growth driven by population expansion and immigration. By Miles Kimball

Defense Systems

DOD weighing cuts to combatant commands

Up to 5,000 military and civilian positions may be eliminated if sequestration forces the Pentagon to realign its commands.

Business

How To Reduce the Growing Number of Bid Protests

The number of bid protests has ballooned in the past several years. But for most contractors, protesting a bid is a ‘high-stakes game of poker’ they'd rather not play. By William Keating and Peter McDonald

Business

The Military's Graduate Programs Aren't Really Training the Nation's Future Cyberwarriors

A new report recommends that the Pentagon's graduate programs revise their curricula to include cyber-specific training. By Brittany Ballenstedt

Science & Tech

The Anti-Snowden? Ex-SEAL’s Firm Caught Between Security and Privacy

Former Navy commando Mike Janke is a spy-turned-privacy advocate, but don’t compare him to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. By Aliya Sternstein

Ideas

Obama's Embassy Closures Just 'Free Advertising' for Al Qaeda

Obama's disjointed response to terrorism has left the U.S. in a 'defensive crouch'. Closing embassies so far from Yemen, however, was little more than 'free advertising' for Al Qaeda. By Joshua Foust

Policy

Military Sexual Assault Victims Are Closely Watching Reform Efforts

Proposed legislation to take sexual assault reporting out of the chain of command is a start, but survivors say that more needs to be done to combat the ongoing crisis. By Stacy Kaper

Policy

Obama Should Scrap that Russian Helicopter Contract, Too

The U.S. government is buying arms from the same dealer that supplies Bashar Assad's regime in Syria. By Sonni Efron

Defense Systems

Air Force awards $20M for drone training

CAE USA will provide aircrew training to 1,500 Predator and Reaper operators.

Defense Systems

Army integrates new simulation technology into combat training

The Dismounted Solider Training System offers a cost- and time-saving supplement to field training.