Policy

Chief of Naval Operations Outlines Future for Drones, Minicarriers

The fleet may need fewer large aircraft carriers but more ships that can carry aircraft.

Ideas

The 20th Year of the Afghanistan War Should Be America’s Last

U.S. national security interests do not depend on the outcome of the peace talks. It’s time to come home.

Ideas

Esper’s Fantasy Fleet

The SecDef’s 500-ship plan is an exercise in wishful thinking that avoids hard choices.

Policy

Pentagon Leaders Reject Calls for Militarized Election Season

“We support law enforcement,” Army Secretary McCarthy said Tuesday. ”We don’t police American streets.”

Defense Systems

DHS confident on election cybersecurity

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's efforts to help state and local governments secure their election critical infrastructure are in an intense home stretch for 2020, according to the agency's top risk manager.

Ideas

Esper’s Reforms: An Interim Report Card

What progress has the defense secretary made on his ambitious goals to reorient the Defense Department?

Threats

North Korea Unveils ‘Very Destabilizing’ ICBM

Pyongyang’s new missile boosts the chance of conflict, even if it doesn’t work.

Science & Tech

The Army Is Working on Augmented Reality Goggles for Military Dogs

A prototype aims to help handlers see things from the dog's point of view, and give commands while staying out of sight.

Policy

Feds Have Cut Anti-COVID Workforce By More Than 60%

As cases tick up nationwide, administration officials say they have demobilized feds as missions are completed.

Science & Tech

The US Military Is About to Launch Its Largest 5G Experiments Yet

The “at-scale” tests could change defense networks, training, and logistics — and how Americans use the Internet.

Ideas

The Coming F-35 Fiasco

Now that Qatar is asking for the jet, it’s time to consider an entirely different approach to helping Gulf nations defend themselves.

Ideas

Harris and Pence Failed the Global Leadership Question

People vying to become, or stay, vice-president should be ready to explain their vision of America’s role in the world.

Policy

All US Troops In Afghanistan To Withdraw By Christmas, Trump Tweets

The bewildering message came just hours after his national security advisor said the United States would draw down to 2,500 by 2021.

Threats

Greece Joins the Turkey-Russia S-400 Saga, and Congress Wants Answers

Was Ankara using its Russian air-defense system to track a NATO ally?

Science & Tech

Space Force Eyes Orbiting 3D Printers, Satellite Tow Trucks

Instead of lifting heavier satellites into space, new technologies might expand their abilities on orbit.

Defense Systems

Space Force and cyber

Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center under the U.S. Space Force, said cybersecurity was increasingly integral to space missions and changes had to be made to infrastructure contracts.