Science & Tech
Don’t Put the Pentagon in Charge of Private Industry’s Cybersecurity
There are few ways that the military could intervene effectively without doing more harm than good.
Ideas
The US Military Has a Pretty Good Plan to Keep Its Advantage. Trump Shouldn’t Mess With It
The Third Offset needs help, not replacement, to secure the long-term competitive advantage of the U.S. armed forces.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon’s New Background Check System Won’t Be Ready for Nearly Two More Years
Though it could be completed as early as 18 months, the director of the new agency that manages the clearance process said Thursday.
Business
Obama’s Final Arms-Export Tally More than Doubles Bush’s
Most of the $278 billion in approved sales have gone to Saudi Arabia and other Mideast allies.
Ideas
Enough, America. Stop Talking About Election Day Revolution.
America's pretend soldiers are threatening to cross the line from dissent to insurrection on Tuesday. America's military is not.
Science & Tech
Here’s How the Pentagon Wants to Use Social Media On the Battlefield
Artificial intelligence will weave open-source and satellite data into useful intelligence in real time, the Pentagon’s No. 2 says.
Business
The US Military Is Shedding Civilian Jobs. It Has No Idea How Much Money It’s Actually Saving
The Government Accountability Office wants to make sure the military isn’t letting employees go without a true accounting of the costs.
Ideas
Getting Past Grudging Precautions: How the Next President Should Address Climate Change
The U.S. Navy’s former weatherman-in-chief says gradual progress must turn into serious high-level action.
Science & Tech
The Military’s Supermarket Goes Shopping for Better Encryption
Computer-generated passwords are stored beside personal and financial data. Security should be tighter than that, a report from the Defense Commissary Agency says.
Ideas
Three Takeaways from Carter’s Recent Meeting with His Indian Counterpart
A long-awaited agreement finally clears the way for logistics cooperation. Just don’t call it 'basing.’
Science & Tech
The US Military Will ‘Be Left Behind’ If It Doesn’t Embrace Open-Source Software, Report Says
Amid a rising China and Russia, the Pentagon’s slow pace on the software front could cost it tactically for years to come.
Ideas
‘Autonomy’: A Smart Overview of the Pentagon’s Robotic Plans
But the long-awaited Defense Science Board study tiptoes around the question of armed autonomous systems.
Science & Tech
There’s a Big Loophole in the Pentagon’s Guide to Eavesdropping
The new rules reflect a shift in intel-gathering from phone-tapping to capturing conversations on the internet.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Wants to Automate Social-Media Checks on Clearance Holders
The program would analyze public posts to help determine an employee's suitability for Defense Intelligence Agency classified work.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon’s Massive IT Consolidation Plan Is In Trouble
Defense officials can’t project the program's cost because of its complexity, and because officials can’t even agree what is or isn’t included.
Science & Tech
After Delay, New Air Force Tanker Successfully Refuels C-17
The Boeing-made plane, with some new hardware, successfully refueled a C-17 during a test Tuesday night.
Ideas
Obama Asked the Military For A Plan to Protect Civilians. Here’s One.
We learned through experience the importance of preventing civilian casualties in today’s wars.
Science & Tech
Check Out The US Military's Sandbox of Silly-Putty That Predicts Disasters and War
Analysts are using what they call a ’tangible landscape' to predict the path of everything from forest fires and floods to movement of adversaries in war games.
Policy
The Pentagon Will End Its Ban on Transgender Americans
A formal announcement is expected some time in July.
Science & Tech