China
Before SpaceX IPO, investors in China secretly acquired stakes
One previously unreported SpaceX investor has ties to Chinese military contractors. The information was revealed only after ProPublica went to court to obtain it.
China used websites to target security-clearance holders, officials say
Prosecutors said fake consulting companies persuaded U.S. officials to sell sensitive government information.
Space Force needs to prepare for an ‘in-person’ moon conflict with China, new report argues
Guardians need a human spaceflight program for future lunar missions, Mitchell Institute says.
Taiwan is a ‘model ally,’ not trade bait
Trading the island’s security for rhetoric from Beijing would be a strategic blunder of historic proportions.
Marines will update land warfare doctrine as they prep for near-peer, drone-driven fight
Officials previewed Ground Combat Element 2040 plan at the Modern Day Marine conference.
Exclusive
Experts call for halt of AI chip exports to China after White House distillation warning
An AI policy group argues the move is necessary after the White House warned that Beijing is attempting to use U.S. AI systems to build similar capabilities.
China has ‘deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns’ to steal US AI models, White House says
Administration officials said they would be working with the private sector to counter foreign-led distillation campaigns.
Space Force’s 2040 vision: a larger force to contend with larger Chinese, Russian threats
Officials speculate there could be 30,000 US satellites—more than twice as many as today.
4 ways the war in Iran has weakened the US in the great power game
Trump further strains U.S. alliances while enabling China and Russia to advance regional influence.
‘Everyone wants a spaceplane’: More countries eye on-orbit protection for satellites
New report says France, Germany, India, and Japan aim to emulate U.S., Chinese capabilities.
Ex-NSA leaders say Americans are becoming ‘numb’ to cyber threats
A serious cyberattack hasn’t prompted a strong enough policy or public reaction, one former director said.
How the Pentagon is working to wriggle out of China’s rare-earths grip
At a conference in Honolulu, the assistant defense secretary for industrial base policy detailed the challenge.
The US built up its missile defenses—and will need to do it again
The war against Iran has depleted stocks of vital interceptors.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 203: Fictional intelligence
The authors of a new series discuss how they're exploring the future of conflict through short stories.
All eyes on Air Force leaders after a year of chaos and change
Experts say service leaders ought to pitch a clear vision at upcoming conference.
Featured eBooks
Men lie, strategies lie—numbers don’t
The word counts of the new National Defense Strategy.
With an eye on China, Air Force hones its hub-and-spoke approach to basing
“The strategic attention is here in this theater,” undersecretary says during a visit to the Indo-Pacific.
