Science & Tech
DARPA-Funded Radar Lets Planes See Through Smoke and Clouds
A promising approach to a decades-old quandary: how to get a clear field of view to the ground?
Science & Tech
The Folly of Tactical Nuclear Weapons
Some soothsayers say they boost deterrence. But the point of deterrence is to have no mushroom clouds, not new, tailor-made ones.
Science & Tech
Soon, DHS Will Have Eyes on Computer Vulnerabilities Across the Government
A governmentwide software dashboard is launching this month.
Science & Tech
Social Media is ‘First Tool’ of 21st-Century Warfare, US Lawmaker Says
And buying Facebook ads is much cheaper than an F-35 fighter jet, said Sen. Mark Warner.
Threats
If North Korea Fires an ICBM, the US Might Have to Shoot It Down Over Russia
Missile-defense physics may require interceptors to fly into ‘the teeth of the Russian early warning net.’
Science & Tech
3 Questions: America’s Next Nuclear-Missile Submarine
Built to deter America's enemies for the next 60 years, the Navy's new missile sub is slated to be the U.S. military’s third most-expensive program — ever.
Science & Tech
The Future the US Military is Constructing: a Giant, Armed Nervous System
Service chiefs are converging on a single strategy for military dominance: connect everything to everything.
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
Swiss Researchers Invent Way to Let Mini Drones See in the Dark
Future drones will see as the human eye does, helping to navigate dark rooms.
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
You Can Protest, But You Can't Hide From Government Facial Recognition (For Much Longer)
Artificial intelligence is giving rise to unprecedented capabilities for surveillance.
Science & Tech