Ideas
To Deter China, Relearn The Lost Art of Dissuasion
Threats of denial or punishment will not deter a peer adversary fighting at home.
Policy
US Navy’s Latest Plan for Its Future May Not Come Until 2023, Says Top Admiral
It’s the fourth attempt in four years to define the future of the Navy.
Threats
Racial Division, Troops’ Role in Protests Has Hurt Minority Recruiting, Air Force Says
Black interest in military service plummeted after the George Floyd protests. Can the Pentagon undo the damage?
Threats
‘Horrible Mistake’: Pentagon Admits Drone Strike Killed Children, Not Terrorists
After just eight hours of surveillance and a tip about a “white Toyota Corolla,” the U.S. fired a Hellfire missile on Aug. 29 at the wrong target.
Threats
Milley’s China Calls During Trump Defeat Were ‘Lawful,’ Conveyed Reassurance, Pentagon Says
Some Republicans are seeking his ouster, but the Joint Chiefs chairman is the first to serve a guaranteed four years.
Business
Tell Us Why Small Businesses Can't Get Contracts, Pentagon Asks
The department has met its goals in that area, but is looking to do even better.
Policy
Army Chief: We’re Not Pushing Critical Race Theory
“What we’re trying to build is teams where everyone treats everyone with respect,” McConville said.
Threats
Army Chief Calls for Afghanistan Review: ‘Let the Cards Fall Where They Fall’
McConville says lessons must be learned because “terrorism is not going away.”
Threats
The Pandemic Has Cost the Pentagon at Least $13.6B and Counting
And that figure could rise as the Defense Department starts mandatory COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated civilian workers.
Ideas
The Defense Budget Process Is Broken
What the U.S. needs isn’t more money for the Pentagon, but an honest and tough debate about strategy.
Science & Tech
US Air Force’s First Software Chief Steps Down
Nicolas Chaillan, who led a Pentagon-wide DevSecOps effort, said he was leaving in part because of a lack of support from senior leaders.
Threats
The Kabul Airlift in 5 Charts
The largest emergency airlift ever handled by the U.S. military started slowly and built to a torrent.
Ideas
The Forever War is Dead. Long Live the Forever War
The fight against terrorism will continue, yet our body politic is weakened by double-speak.
Ideas
Calculating the Costs of the Afghanistan War
The war in Afghanistan, like many other wars before it, began with optimistic assessments of a quick victory and the promise to rebuild at war’s end.
Policy
Lawmakers Load Defense Bill With Measures Demanding Answers for Afghanistan's Fall—and Its Future
Armed Services Committee members passed several bipartisan Afghanistan-related amendments amid partisan jabs at Biden.
Threats
‘It’s Possible’ US and Taliban Will Target ISIS-K Together, Milley Says
But SecDef Austin cautions, “I would not make any leaps” beyond recent coordinated airport evacuation ops.
Threats
The War on Terror—in Afghanistan and Elsewhere—Is Far from Over, Biden Says
The president vowed to continue counterterrorism efforts.
Threats
No US Military Dogs Were Left Behind in Afghanistan, DOD Says
Pentagon officials say the caged dogs in viral photos aren’t military working dogs, all of which were evacuated.
Threats