Ideas
It Takes a Village to Raze an Insurgency
As the Trump Administration reviews its counter-terrorism policies and strategies, it should apply the lessons of the Village Stability Operations program.
Defense Systems
Air Force Research Lab tests new radio tech for GPS-denied environments
A new handheld device for ground forces aggregates radio signals to provide force location data in combat, without GPS.
Threats
How Many US Troops in Afghanistan? Pentagon Changes How It Counts Them
A new accounting method ups the official total in Afghanistan from 8,400 to “approximately” 11,000.
Defense Systems
DARPA looks beyond Moore's Law
Chip effort targets reconfigurable devices as scaling runs out of steam.
Ideas
Congress Should Do Its Job, and Get Us Out of Yemen’s Civil War
American support for the Saudi-led coalition is getting us nowhere good.
Policy
Trump Directly Counters Mattis, Military, In Tweet on North Korea
‘Talking is not the answer!’ says president, after threatening ‘all options’ following North Korean missile-launch over Japan.
Ideas
Trump Doesn't Have the Authority to Attack North Korea Without Congress
The decision to engage in armed conflict rests with the legislative branch, a requirement that is neither a formality nor outdated.
Ideas
Our Navy is Broken, and That is a Bad Thing
The fleet’s problems stem from decades of flat acquisition budgets and declining ship numbers.
Science & Tech
Why Didn’t the US Shoot Down That North Korean Missile?
The military’s record of hitting intermediate-range missiles is less than perfect. That makes the decision to attempt an intercept much harder.
Ideas
Lower-Yield Weapons Will Raise, Not Lower, the Threshold for Nuclear Use
Giving the U.S. president more flexible options will improve deterrence.
Ideas
As Independence Vote Nears, Iraqi Kurds Play a Risky Game of Chicken
Kurdistan’s president called the referendum to extract concessions from Baghdad. What if it doesn’t work?
Ideas
The North Korean Threat Beyond ICBMs
Even without them, the Kim regime can menace its immediate neighborhood—or sell nuclear material to rogue states.
Threats
What Does It Mean for North Korea to Fly a Missile Over Japan?
This latest strike may be Pyongyang’s most provocative test this year.
Science & Tech
Look for Military Drones to Begin Replacing Police Helicopters by 2025
General Atomics is working hard to put a close cousin of its Reaper anti-terrorism drone in the hands of local law enforcement.
Defense Systems
Navy sailors get 19 official mobile apps
Sailors by the thousands are now conducting training exercises and learning service information through mobile apps.
Defense Systems
Army develops two-channel software defined radio for dismounted soldiers
Future RFP to outline requirements for a new, two-channel software-programmable radio.
Policy