Defense Systems
Cyber units get ready to take the field
Although the Cyber Command is still a couple years away from building its full complement, officials won’t wait to put current units into action.
Defense Systems
Services look for eyewear to protect against lasers
The Air Force awards a contract for protective glasses, while the Army seeks all-purpose goggles.
Threats
As Anti-ISIS Forces Close In on Mosul, Coalition Leaders Focus on What’s Next
At a closed-door meeting outside Washington, the multinational group called for more post-conflict planning.
Science & Tech
The Fight Over Consumer Encryption Is Moving Into a Strange New Phase
Law enforcement officials say it’s on the tech world and privacy advocates to prove that a backdoor would undermine data security.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Wants to Automate Social-Media Checks on Clearance Holders
The program would analyze public posts to help determine an employee's suitability for Defense Intelligence Agency classified work.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon’s Massive IT Consolidation Plan Is In Trouble
Defense officials can’t project the program's cost because of its complexity, and because officials can’t even agree what is or isn’t included.
Science & Tech
Is Your Network Acting Odd? DARPA’s Latest Tool Aims to Sound the Alarm
The system is intended to track activity across an entire network over long periods of time, seeking out deviations from normal activity.
Ideas
Inside the ISIS Enlistment Files: All Jihad is Local
I analyzed over 3,500 leaked ISIS enlistment forms. Here’s what I found.
Ideas
This Time, Post-War Iraq Needs a Real Plan With Real Money
A plan for reconciliation in Iraq should also come out of this week’s counter-ISIS coalition meeting in Washington.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Overview
From chlorine gas to Kalashnikovs, barrel bombs to cruise missiles, the Syrian conflict shows what 21st-century militaries and armed groups can bring to bear.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Small Arms
Small arms were already plentiful in Syria before the war, thanks to years of Soviet and Russian support. More flooded in after the conflict began.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Tanks
In April 2011, the appearance of heavy armor indicated that a violent crackdown had become a full-fledged war.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Artillery
Government forces have howitzers, rocket launchers, even SCUD missiles. Rebels have responded with the improvised weapons called Hell Cannons.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Airpower (Syrian)
The Syrian military began the war with more than 500 aircraft, almost all Russian-made jets, transport planes, and helicopters.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Airpower (Non-Syrian)
By May 2016, the counter-ISIS coalition had dropped more than 41,500 bombs, leading the Pentagon to borrow from stockpiles in other regions.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Cruise Missiles
In this conflict, cruise missiles have largely functioned to remind the world that both the U.S. and Russian militaries have them.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Suicide Bombers
The tactic is often used in offensive operations, just after an artillery barrage and before the advance of hundreds of foot soldiers.
Ideas
Weapons of the Syrian War: Advisors
Many governments have dispatched troops, trainers, and advisors to the Syrian warzone to help out their favored combatants.
Science & Tech