Policy

17 Sailors and Six Marines Died in Avoidable Accidents. Congress Asks: Are the Problems Fixed?

After ProPublica wrote about inadequate training and faulty equipment, lawmakers grilled Navy and Marine leaders about the accidents and whether America is ready for war.

Defense Systems

Army gets tactical with latest cloud pilot

The Army is in the last leg of a tactical cloud pilot that's experimenting with delivering capabilities and data to warfighters on the battlefield.

Defense Systems

A look at CMMC

The Defense Department issued the first version of its long-awaited cybersecurity standards for contractors.

Policy

What Do You Call the Troops of the US Space Force?

The Pentagon wants your input — and space cadets and spacemen are not under consideration.

Defense Systems

Navy seeks unmanned fleet, but Congress needs convincing

The Navy wants to add more unmanned surface and underwater vehicles to its future fleet, but faces skepticism on Capitol Hill.

Ideas

Trump’s Bid to Go Big on Nuclear Arms Looks Like a Fizzle

Russia has no interest in negotiating from scratch. China has no interest in negotiating at all.

Defense Systems

DARPA's plan for a US-friendly 5G network

Defense Advanced Research and Projects Agency aims to develop a secure, open-source, standards-compliant network stack for 5G networking.

Ideas

Don’t Blame Foreign Hackers for the Chaos in Iowa

Blame an ill-considered push for untested technology. Securing our elections means getting the simple things right.

Threats

New Counterintelligence Strategy to Boost Sharing on Cyber Threats

To be rolled out Monday, the strategy adds the private sector as a customer of the intelligence community.

Policy

Stunts, Stagecraft and National Security in Trump’s State of the Union

Sounding like a campaign kick-off, the president leaned into one of his as-yet unfulfilled promises from the 2016 election: ending America’s “endless wars.”

Science & Tech

One Step Closer to a Batsuit for Soldiers

Researchers announce new military funding in search for body armor skin that could be 300 percent stronger than anything we’ve seen before.

Ideas

Trump's Ban on Nigerian Immigrants Will Hurt His Defense Strategy

Expanding immigration bans while seeking closer economic ties with Africa to counter Russian and Chinese influence indicates policy incoherence.

Threats

Spotted: Ransomware That Targets Industrial Controls

EKANS is the first known malware made to freeze the systems that run electrical utilities and the like, says cyber firm Dragos, adding that there's no apparent link to Iran.

Threats

The Iraq War Has Cost the US Nearly $2 Trillion

The figure includes $838 billion in “emergency” and “overseas contingency operation” funding and $59 billion spent by the State Department and USAID on Iraq and Syria.

Ideas

Under Trump, US Is Less Ready for Infectious Disease Outbreaks Like Coronavirus

The administration has cut CDC funding and disbanded the White House's own global health security team.

Science & Tech

The Pentagon Is Spending Millions on Hunter Drones With Nets

Shooting drones down over cities isn’t ideal. Nabbing them in midair is an intriguing alternative.

Ideas

Iraq Is the One War Zone Trump Doesn’t Want to Leave

The president’s resistance to withdrawing from the country boils down to three of his main enemies: ISIS, Iran, and Obama.