Science & Tech
Three-Star General Wants AI in Every New Weapon System
The department's Project Maven uses machine learning to go through drone video feeds but that's just the beginning, Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan said.
Ideas
Building an H-Bomb in Plain Sight
Usually countries build nuclear weapons in secret—but not North Korea.
Threats
Here’s What the US Could Sell South Korea and Japan to Counter North Korea
Trump doubles the allowable size of Seoul’s warheads and promises to transfer more sophisticated weapons to Asian allies.
Ideas
Lower-Yield Weapons Will Raise, Not Lower, the Threshold for Nuclear Use
Giving the U.S. president more flexible options will improve deterrence.
Policy
Pentagon Tightens Rules After Fake Cops Buy $1.2M in Weapons
A sting operation run by the Government Accountability Office revealed a number of loopholes that bad actors could use to buy excess military arms and equipment through the 1033 program.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Accelerates Work on Multi-Warhead Interceptor
Officials won’t say it’s because of North Korea. But experts say Pyongyang’s planned ICBMs will almost certainly release decoys to cloak their nukes.
Ideas
The Saudi Deal Shows Just How Broken the US Arms Export Process Has Become
A system meant to keep weapons sales from undermining U.S. national security has become a sham.
Threats
Kim Jong Un Plans to Mass Produce Ballistic Missiles
After a successful test launch on Sunday, the North Korean leader approved the deployment of medium-range ballistic missiles.
Business
What Really Matters in Trump’s $110B Saudi Arms Package
It’s still a lot of talk and no final sales, but long-stalled deals worth billions just got moving again.
Business
State Department Greenlights Nearly $5B in Arms Exports
That includes prospective, not final, sales to allies from March to May.
Business
Defense Firms Score in 2017 Budget Deal
Arms procurement goes from a requested cut under Obama to a plus-up under Trump.
Ideas
Letting Bahrain Buy F-16s Won’t Make It a More Stable Ally
The Trump administration discarded human-rights criteria in approving the sale — and that’s not going to help things.
Threats
Syria’s War Has Been a ‘Goldmine’ for North Korea—and Don’t Expect It to Change Anytime Soon
Weapons from North Korea have ended up in Syria, ultimately enriching the Kim regime and prolonging Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power.
Ideas
The Trouble With Brazil's Expanding Arms Trade
With weapons appearing in Yemen and transferring to repressive regimes, Brazil's arms policies are outdated and out of step with its peaceful aims.
Ideas
Here’s What 71 Years of US Presidential ‘Red Lines’ Have Taught Us
The country has walked to the brink of war or beyond with Iran, North Korea, Iraq, and Syria to prevent or stop them.
Ideas
The Case Against Trump Selling Planes to Nigeria for War with Boko Haram
Some in Washington say that the sign of ‘goodwill’ between the two governments is really a vanity project for Nigeria.
Ideas
Is Assad Using Sarin Gas?
If so, Tuesday's atrocity in Syria was only the fourth time the poison has been used as a weapon — so far.
Science & Tech