Science & Tech

Meet the 17-Year-Old Who Hacked the Air Force

The winner of the service's latest bug-bounty contest says government security gets tighter every time they invite the public to help.

Science & Tech

The Russians Just Test-Fired an ICBM

Both Washington and Moscow are modernizing their nuclear arsenals, but military leaders worry that Russia is ahead.

Science & Tech

Defense Firms to Air Force: Want Your Planes’ Data? Pay Up

It may be years before Air Force leaders can scrounge up the funds to turn on diagnostic gear they already own.

Science & Tech

Syria is a ‘Laboratory’ for the Air War of the Future

U.S. airmen are rapidly developing and remixing new technologies and techniques in the fight against ISIS, but sometimes you can’t beat the tried and true.

Ideas

No, We Cannot Shoot Down North Korea’s Missiles

It's time national leaders speak realistically about missile defense.

Science & Tech

Can the US Military Re-Invent the Microchip for the AI Era?

As conventional microchip design reaches its limits, DARPA is pouring money into the specialty chips that might power tomorrow’s autonomous machines.

Science & Tech

Trump's Tech Crackdown on China Has Begun

The White House just blocked a $1.3 billion plan to sell an Oregon-based semiconductor company to a Chinese equity firm, citing possible technology risks to national security.

Science & Tech

Energy Dept Spends $33M to Harden Grid Against Network, Kinetic Attack

The grants focus on improving grid resiliency during a cyberattack and speeding recovery.

Science & Tech

Analysts Are Quitting the State Department’s Anti-Propaganda Team

The Global Engagement Center is struggling to keep up with its missions: countering ISIS recruitment and Russian disinformation.

Science & Tech

DARPA Wants to MacGyver the Internet Using Only What's in Troops' Pockets

The research agency wants to tap the computer power of the devices warfighters already have to network anywhere.

Science & Tech

What the CIA’s Tech Director Wants from AI

Dawn Meyerriecks says staying ahead of Russia and China isn’t as hard as getting U.S. leaders to listen to their own artificial intelligence analysis.

Science & Tech

Future Spy Satellites Just Got Exponentially Smaller

By changing the way microchips measure light, researchers are shrinking the size of space-based telescopes.

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.

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.

Science & Tech

DARPA Wants Bots To Protect Us From Cyber Adversaries

The military research unit is looking for technology and software that can identify networks that have been infiltrated—and neutralize them.

Science & Tech

3 Questions: Artificial Intelligence and the Military

AI has moved from the movies to the laboratory, and governments around the world want it in their arsenals. We asked how militaries define it, and how they intend to keep it under control.

Science & Tech

No, USS McCain Probably Wasn't Hacked. But What If It Was?

Amid the wild speculation that a foreign nation might have hacked a U.S. warship, it's worth looking at the implications for international law.

Science & Tech

The Army’s Space Force Has Doubled in Six Years, and Demand Is Still Going Up

As the service hastens to mint new orbital operators, its leaders are watching the debate over a separate Air Force space corps — and just maybe a new service branch.