Ideas

Pentagon to Take Over All Security Clearances in Nine Months, Officials Say

The move will mean absorbing the National Background Investigations Bureau and its 2,000 employees.

Policy

From Small Wars to Great Power, Trump’s Africa Reset Could Change US Military’s Role

The U.S. is cutting 10 percent of its counterterrorism troops in Africa. Will China and Russia fill the gap?

Ideas

Trump’s New Vetting Center Just Opened. Will It Make Us Safer?

Too little is known about the visa and immigration center, including the extent of its authority and whether adding a bureaucratic layer will cause more problems than it solves.

Science & Tech

How DHS Is Trying to Sort Good Cyber Tools from Snake Oil

The department is investing in ways to do apples-to-apples comparisons of the many cyber products on the market.

Defense Systems

Second JEDI protest dismissed

Amazon Web Services moved to intervene in Oracle's lawsuit over the Defense Department's JEDI cloud buy, as the Government Accountability Office dismissed IBM's pre-award protest over the same procurement.

Defense Systems

Deasy: AI and big data are driving cloud push

In a congressional update on AI investments, Defense Department CIO Dana Deasy explains linkages to enterprise cloud.

Ideas

'I Am Proud to Shut Down the Government,' Trump Says During Fight with Democrats

The president made his position clear, saying he will “take the blame” if some federal agencies close.

Defense Systems

High-tech polymer could better protect against chemical weapons

To help alert troops to chemical attacks, researchers are working to incorporate sensors into clothing that can detect chemical agents in the air.

Ideas

Yes, the UN Is Still Necessary

In his dramatic Dec. 4 speech decrying the international body, Secretary of State Pompeo seems to have confused cause and correlation.

Ideas

Four Steps to Fix the Security Clearance Backlog

Clearance delays are hurting the aerospace industry — and national security.

Science & Tech

Russia’s New Arctic Drones Are Built to Spot Ships

Its maker says the two aircraft can ID vessels approaching oil and gas facilities from 100 kilometers away.

Threats

Does a New US Goal for Syrian Training Portend a Longer Mission?

The military’s top general raised expectations for the Syrian Democratic Forces — and lowered them for a quick exit for U.S. troops.

Defense Systems

New report shows challenges of modernizing DOD's supply chain management

Even as DOD seems to be full-steam ahead on modernization, sustainment spending continues to loom large for supply chain management and legacy market players do there as well.

Threats

As Exports of Surveillance Tech Rise, Freer Countries Face a Choice

How far will societies pursue security along paths paved by dictators?

Policy

Who Is Paying for the War in Yemen?

The Pentagon says that “errors in accounting” mean Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have not been properly charged for refueling.