Ideas
Ep. 26: The pipe-bomber and the presidency; More US troops at the border; Exiting the INF and more.
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Science & Tech
This Army Missile Might be the Pentagon’s First Post-INF Weapon
The U.S. has already held discussions with defense firms about extended-range modifications.
Ideas
Where Is the Arms Control Community on Russia’s Intermediate-Range Cruise Missile?
The kerfuffle over a U.S. diplomat’s words underscores a strange apathy toward a treaty-breaching weapon.
Ideas
A Missile-Defense Layer in Space Is Affordable and Makes Sense
Critics warn about sky-high price tags while blocking efforts to divine the actual cost.
Ideas
Is Nothing Better than Something? Trashing These Treaties Makes No Sense
The Open Skies, Intermediate Nuclear Forces, and New START agreements are important strands of the nuclear safety net.
Threats
Japan’s New Ship-Based Interceptor Shoots Down a Ballistic Missile in Test
It’s the fifth successful test of Japan’s ability to intercept ballistic missiles from warships.
Ideas
Congress Wants a Space-Based Missile Defense System. That’s a Colossally Bad Idea
A provision in the 2019 defense authorization act orders the Pentagon to start development.
Ideas
Deploy the Next-Gen Missile-Defense Network in Pieces
Instead of waiting for full deployment, the Pentagon should roll out parts of its new command-and-control systems as they become ready.
Ideas
Ep. 16: Hypersonic missiles; Black Hat/Defcon 2018; Q&A w/ Chris Lynch of Defense Digital Services.
Welcome to our podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Ideas
Congress Rushes to Spend Billions on Space Weapons—Even if They Don’t Work
Even a bare-bones system would be ridiculously costly, and more likely to foster war than prevent it.
Ideas
How America Protects Its Citizens and Allies from Ballistic Missiles
The U.S. military has four primary means of shooting down incoming missiles. But even together, they can’t promise to stop everything.
Ideas
The US May Seek Defenses Against Russian Missiles. We Need to Talk about That.
If the Trump administration goes down that path, it should boldly declare a change in strategy, not hide behind ambiguity.
Ideas
Moscow Has Little Reason to Return to the INF Treaty
The incentives that led Gorbachev to sign the pact are gone. The U.S. needs to prepare for a post-INF world.
Science & Tech
The US is Accelerating Development of Its Own 'Invincible' Hypersonic Weapons
Russia isn’t the only country looking to build invincible hypersonic weapons. Here’s the latest on the U.S. efforts to send missiles and even aircraft five times faster than sound.
Ideas
How to Keep US Missile Defense on the Right Track
Use the coming funding boost to smooth the development of a new kill vehicle and increase GMD testing in general.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Requesting $66M For Laser Drones to Shoot Down North Korean Missiles
The Missile Defense Agency is rushing to put more solutions in the field and trying to put past failures behind them.
Threats
Left-of-Launch Missile Defense: ‘You Don’t Want to Have Just One Solution to the Threat’
The 3-star commander of the US Army’s space and missile-defense efforts talks about the changing mix of ways to counter threats.
Ideas
Don’t Hold Missile-Defense Hostage to the Illusion of a Perfect Grade
How is North Korea improving its ICBMs so quickly? It’s not afraid of a test failure — or six.
Business
Congress Rushes Pentagon $4B for Missile Defense Improvements
The emergency bill is light on details, but it appears to fulfill the military’s wide-ranging November request.
Ideas