Defense Systems

Air Force to outsource Middle East communications

Citing the strain on personnel from ongoing operations, the service looks to hire some help.

Policy

It’s Too Soon to Cut Funding for A-10s, Lawmakers Say

The A-10’s capabilities are too great to pass off to jets and too cheap for the Pentagon to turn its back on the fleet just yet, according to eight senators. By Ben Watson

Ideas

What To Do About Syria

Several leading experts gathered at the Council on Foreign Relations to discuss what options the United States has to help end the civil war in Syria.

Policy

Why the U.S. Needs an Ambassador to the North Pole

The country is about to gain a whole lot more responsibility in the Arctic region that Russia, China, and others are vying to control. By Marina Koren

Policy

The U.S. Doesn't Need to Prove Itself in Ukraine

War hawks claim America's policies abroad will embolden enemies and undermine allies. They're wrong. By Peter Beinart

Defense Systems

Piloting a Black Hawk is optional with experimental system

The Army and Sikorsky Aircraft demonstrate an "optional piloting" system for the fabled helicopter.

Defense Systems

SpaceX protest halts Air Force satellite launches

A federal court ruling blocks an Air Force contractor from buying Russian rocket engines.

Science & Tech

We’re Saved! Experts Show How to Fix U.S. Cybersecurity

The four-hour experiment that showed how to fix our nation’s infrastructure from cyberattack. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

Congress’s Chance to Fix Aircraft Carrier Drones

The Navy could have the drone the U.S. needs to protect carriers, if Congress steps up this week. By Shawn Brimley

Threats

NATO Chief Says Russia Could Take Ukraine Without Invading

Gen. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe, said Russia could churn up enough unrest without sending any troops further into Ukraine. By Sara Sorcher

Threats

Veteran Unemployment Rate Drops, But Still Outpaces the Rest of the Country

Despite an overall jobless rate decline of nearly half a percentage point in April, recent vets are still having a harder time finding work than the general public. By Ben Watson

Policy

Obama: ‘We Do Not Have a Blanket No-Spy Agreement With Any Country’

During a much-anticipated visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the two leaders admitted there are still ‘difficulties yet to overcome.’ By Dustin Volz

Policy

For Hillary Clinton, Benghazi Will Never Go Away

As much as she would like to escape the attack's long shadow, it will continue to dog Hillary Clinton. By Alex Seitz-Wald

Threats

Hagel Wants Finance Ministers To Attend NATO Meeting on Defense Spending

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has a new idea to get NATO to spend more on defense. By Stephanie Gaskell

Defense Systems

The potential benefits of a laser-based interplanetary Internet

NASA’s successful laser communications demonstration in lunar orbit could pave the way for expanding bandwidth on Earth.

Defense Systems

DISA exercises option on C2 modernization

The agency awards Northrop Grumman $53 million to continue work to support joint and multinational operations.

Science & Tech

White House Looks Toward a Big Data Future

The Obama administration wades into the growing debate on big data. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

D.C. ‘Insiders’ Are Wrong, NATO Could Beat Russia

Don’t believe the hype. Russia’s military is a shadow of its Cold War self, but Washington pundits sound as alarmist as always. By Michael Cohen

Science & Tech

Want More Renewable Energy? Send in the Drones

Out in the desert it's hard to know when one solar panel among millions has failed. Unless you're a drone. By Todd Woody

Business

West Coast Missile Defense System Remains on Hold

Following a failed test last year, the Pentagon still has not convinced Congress a California- and Alaska-based defense system is ready for prime time. By Rachel Oswald