Policy

Pentagon Calls Trump’s Muslim Ban 'Counter to National Security'

GOP frontrunner draws extraordinary rebuke from Department of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Congress, and Republican Party leaders.

Threats

Why Do People Join ISIS? Here’s What They Say When You Ask Them

A marketing communications company gets the Pentagon’s attention by identifying nine reasons.

Threats

The Number of Foreign Fighters in Iraq and Syria Has Doubled

A study says up to 31,000 people from 80-plus countries have joined the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

Science & Tech

Kazakhstan's New Encryption Law Could Be a Preview of US Policy

The Central Asian country will require 'back doors' that will allow the government to surveil and censor Internet traffic.

Defense Systems

JUPITR integrates all threats into one early warning system

An Army team puts chemical-biological and force protection sensors into one operational picture for base protection, which saves time in analyzing and responding to threats.

Defense Systems

Army rolls out online crypto storefront for tactical communications

The Web-based Key Management Infrastructure replaces a manual system that involved carrying keys to soldiers, even those on the battlefield.

Threats

Russian Strikes Killed Syrian Soldiers, Pentagon Says

Accused of airstrikes on government forces, U.S. officials point the finger at Moscow.

Business

Putting Civilians in US Troop Support Jobs Could Save Billions, Report Says

Converting 80,000 active-duty jobs to civilian positions could save as much as $5.7B per year, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis.

Policy

On Terrorism, Obama's Break from Bush-Era Thinking Unsettles GOP

Republicans believe defeating ISIS requires some dramatic, if vaguely defined, new military and ideological battle. Obama, by contrast, thinks America simply needs to not screw up.

Business

Obama Administration to Announce New Terrorism Alert System

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says the president will soon announce a new terrorism threat alert system to address what he called intermediate-level threats to the United States.

Threats

Obama's Dog Whistle on Encryption

By linking encryption with terrorism, the president seemed to hint at a policy shift.

Defense Systems

Program would improve 3D imaging by going flat

A new DARPA program would replace the heavy telescopes used in LIDAR systems with lightweight, inexpensive flat optics.

Defense Systems

For the military, cyber world, real world are the same thing

DOD officials describe how the network is now a weapon in the cyber domain akin to bullets in the physical domain.

Science & Tech

JLENS Supporters: Never Mind the Blimp, Save the Radar

The super-sophisticated sensor remains America’s best near-term defense against Russian cruise missiles, retired brass argue.

Ideas

Access to Talent: Why Shattering the Military's Glass Ceiling Matters

Future wars will be won far more by out-thinking enemies than by out-muscling them, and including women in every part of the U.S. military makes America’s defenses stronger.

Ideas

Why is Obama Letting China Beat the US at Global Drone Sales?

Blocking Jordan’s purchase of Reaper UAVs is just one example of unwise reticence to sell more arms abroad.

Ideas

Don’t Prolong America’s Dependence on Russian Rockets

United Launch Alliance is trying to escape the requirement to phase out the RD-180 engine, SpaceX advisors say.

Science & Tech

DHS Wants Silicon Valley to Help It Secure the Internet of Things

The agency is dangling grant money to small business and big investors in the backyard of American tech giants like Facebook and Google.