Defense Systems

Navy NGEN-R will help merge U.S. and global IT networks

Navy developers hope to foster a globally integrated global service delivery model by connecting domestic and internationally-based data bases and IT systems.

Ideas

Take Off the Pentagon’s Gloves in the ISIS War? Not So Fast.

Policies intended to reduce civilian harm didn’t arise out of elite Washington think tanks or academia; they arose from the military’s own lessons learned.

Policy

Trump’s Empty Ultimatum to NATO

Defense Secretary Mattis just called for Europe to increase defense spending or else...what exactly?

Business

Charted: Here’s How the Cost of the F-35 is Changing

The per-plane cost for the Navy and Marine Corps variants both rose before falling.

Business

It's About to Cost a Lot More Money to Launch a Nuclear Bomb

New estimates predict the Pentagon's first new nuclear bombers, missiles, and subs in decades will be more expensive than thought.

Ideas

One Nuclear Step to Settle an Unsettled Age

The single most symbolic and practical move that states possessing nuclear weapons could make would be to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Ideas

What Does Trump Want from Netanyahu?

It’s clear enough what the Israeli prime minister expects. But the Americans are in a position to make their own demands.

Defense Systems

DARPA Discovers "GPS-Like" undersea drone connectivity

Emerging DARPA technology connects undersea drones with low-frequency sonar.

Policy

Five Questions Raised by Michael Flynn's Abrupt Departure

Who in the White House knew that the national security adviser had misled Mike Pence, and when? Who will replace him? And what will be the next bombshell?

Ideas

When Netanyahu and Trump Meet, Russia Should Top the Agenda

Moscow’s intervention in Syria is one of the most significant strategic shifts facing Israel in nearly two decades.

Ideas

The US and Iran Are Not Yet on a Course to War

Despite bellicose words, both sides have also demonstrated elements of restraint.

Ideas

There's No One At the Helm of White House Foreign Policy

Flynn’s departure won’t solve the Trump administration’s central dysfunction.

Defense Systems

Faster computer processing and cybersecurity upgrades improve Army drone controls

An Army hardware and software obsolescence effort is now updating the service’s Universal Ground Control Station.

Ideas

President Trump, Viewed through NATO’s Guide to Russian Information Warfare

Russia uses theft, narratives, lies, trolls, and bots to weaken Western governments. The U.S. president is playing into its hands.

Policy

Will Trump Repeal Sanctions on Russia? A Conversation with an NSC Planner

We asked Kevin Harrington, deputy assistant to the president for strategic planning, whether he could square the mixed signals coming from the White House.

Ideas

Beyond Yemen, the Ghost of Anwar al-Awlaki Will Long Haunt US Forces

The enduring propaganda value of a martyr.

Policy

Michael Flynn's Disaster

Trump’s national security adviser’s potentially false statements about his pre-inauguration contacts with Russian officials are a major problem.