Threats

Nuclear Command Network Would See Comprehensive Upgrade Under Trump Plan

While the ICBMs, bombers, submarines and cruise missiles get lots of attention, the network connecting them also needs updating.

Threats

North Korea-Bound Ships Could Soon Be Routinely Intercepted by the US and Allies

Foreign ministers from the U.S. and about 20 other countries will weigh the measures as part of new pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programs.

Policy

The Pentagon’s Secrecy Is Undermining Its Quest for a Bigger Budget

Last year, U.S. Navy and defense leaders warned their people to watch what they say. Lawmakers say that’s made it harder to argue for spending bumps on Capitol Hill.

Business

US Navy: More Ships, Tech, Training, Could Help Prevent Collisions at Sea

The comments come as the Pentagon prepares to submit a budget plan expected to call for increases in the size of the military.

Threats

A Holiday Spike in Russian Vessels Near UK Waters

A pair of late-December incidents near Britain's territorial waters are just the latest approaches by Russian maritime forces over the past few years.

Business

Boeing May Lose Canada’s Super Hornet Order, Yet Jet’s Outlook is Bright

The past year has brought a trade dispute with Ottawa, a big deal with the U.S. Navy, and improved prospects elsewhere.

Ideas

It Took Comfort 39 Days to Get Pierside in Puerto Rico. That's a National-Security Problem.

The hospital ship's poor utilization suggests that the US military's biomedical support doctrine needs shoring up.

Threats

US Army, Navy Cyber Commands Ready Far Ahead of Schedule

The components bring more than half of the 6,200 cyber troops that will make up a fully operational U.S. Cyber Command next year.

Ideas

Should the US 'Send In the Marines' After Hurricanes?

The military can make a big difference right away but humanitarian deployments should generally be rare and brief.

Science & Tech

3 Questions: America’s Next Nuclear-Missile Submarine

Built to deter America's enemies for the next 60 years, the Navy's new missile sub is slated to be the U.S. military’s third most-expensive program — ever.

Ideas

Marine National Monuments Are Defense Assets

If the Trump administration removes federal protections from these giant swaths of ocean, it will make it easier for enemies to hunt American warships.

Threats

Future US Navy Accident Investigations Will Look for Cyber Attacks

The fleet’s info-warfare chief has a team aboard the damaged USS McCain. The main thing she expects to learn is how to do this kind of investigation.

Policy

Get Ready for a Short-Term CR, Congressional Leaders Tell Pentagon

Top House Republicans on defense say it’s not ideal — underfunding has contributed to a rash of recent accidents — but don’t expect a full-year appropriation until December.

Ideas

Our Navy is Broken, and That is a Bad Thing

The fleet’s problems stem from decades of flat acquisition budgets and declining ship numbers.

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 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.

Threats

The Arctic Could Be the Next South China Sea, Says Coast Guard Commandant

Rich with energy resources, minerals and strategic positioning, the warming Arctic is ripe for territorial disputes, Adm. Zukunft warns.

Science & Tech

US Navy Gunners Are Testing A Wearable Heads-Up Display

A service lab has turned a lieutenant’s brainstorm into a testable prototype dubbed the GunnAR augmented-reality headset.

Ideas

It’s Time for NATO to Look North

The alliance’s six-year old maritime strategy quickly needs updating for the new (and more Russian) age.