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.

Science & Tech

Drones Will Help Protect Guam From North Korean Missiles

A June 2016 test showed that drones can track missiles, promising better protection for forces and allies under threat of a North Korean missile strike.

Science & Tech

What the Announced NSA / Cyber Command Split Means

Cyberwar and cyber intelligence are diverging, as are Cyber Command and the NSA. Here’s what that means for the man who leads both entities, the future of signals intelligence collection, and cyberwarfare.

Science & Tech

State Department Has No Idea What It Costs to Give Security Clearances

Despite orders from Congress last year, Foggy Bottom can't say what clearances cost or how long they take.

Science & Tech

US Tech Firms Race to Hire Israeli Army Engineers

New offices and nonstop flights from Silicon Valley to Tel Aviv illustrate a talent rush for prized former military specialists.

Science & Tech

'Every Country Should Have a Cyber War': What Estonia Learned from Russian Hacking

Estonia’s steps have certainly been radical, and other countries can learn lessons from them about how to defend themselves.

Science & Tech

17-Year-Old Hacks US Air Force For The Biggest Bug Bounty

The Defense Department’s third vulnerability-finding contest invited international participants to attack USAF websites. They found the most bugs yet.

Threats

ISIS Says Secret Weapons Await Coalition Forces In Battle for Raqqa

The terror group makes some big claims about its homegrown arsenal in the latest issue of its online magazine.

Science & Tech

Here’s How the US Military Wants to Counter ISIS Drones and Roadside Bombs

Predictive algorithms, deep machine learning, directed energy, and more are all on the Pentagon’s shopping list.

Science & Tech

AI Will Make Fake News Video — and Fight It As Well

Just weeks after one research team appeared to put words in a leader’s mouth, here comes a new tool that can check questionable video for a pulse.

Science & Tech

The US Army Just Ordered Soldiers to Stop Using Drones from China’s DJI

An Aug. 2 memo cites 'increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities' with drones from China’s market-leading DJI.

Science & Tech

US Military Eyes New Mini-Nukes for 21st-Century Deterrence

The Joint Chiefs’ vice chair says smaller-yield weapons are needed to deter the use of same.

Science & Tech

The US Navy’s Railgun Breakthrough Could Change Energy Storage

New capacitors offer big power storage and transmission in a mini-package, with benefits beyond electro-cannons.

Science & Tech

The Pentagon is Funding Silicon Valley’s Space Industry to Watch North Korean Missiles

The U.S. military doesn’t have the information it needs to stop an attack by North Korea. But officials believe they know where to get it.