Ideas
Purity Tested, Senators Confirm General Austin for SecDef
With little actual opposition in the end, members voted for the waiver and the man.
Ideas
How to Fight Domestic Extremism and Win Public Trust
After years of partisan politicization, national security leaders and workers need to be clear about how they'll keep us safe from each other.
Business
Trump Did Not Influence Military Contracts, Pentagon’s Top Arms Buyer Says
But he was interested in the new Air Force One’s paint job.
Business
Austin Pledges to Recuse Himself from Military Decisions Involving Raytheon
The commitment is a huge win for Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other progressive Democrats pushing for stricter lobbying laws.
Policy
Austin Promises Healthy Civilian Control At DOD
“I look forward to working with the chairman, but I have no desire to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” the retired general told senators.
Exclusive
Policy
Here’s Who Will Be Running the Pentagon When Biden Takes Office
Dozens named in the most comprehensive roster published to date of who will be running DOD when the president-elect is sworn in.
Ideas
Advice for the Next Secretary of Defense
Our most serious threats are not external. Biden’s team also must address the bitter polarization of our politics, which has divided our country and global institutions.
Ideas
Pentagon Won’t Throw Traditional Farewell Ceremony for Trump
It’s a shame, and a missed opportunity — not despite recent events but because of them.
Threats
Feds Can't Buy Chinese-Made Drones Through GSA Anymore
By Feb. 1, all but five unmanned aerial vehicles will be removed from the General Services Administration’s offerings.
Ideas
The Wrong Way to Gauge Readiness
Too much focus on mission capable rates misses the larger and more important picture.
Ideas
How Will Biden’s Pentagon Handle Extreme Right-Wing Media?
The Capitol riot was just the latest tell for propaganda outlets masquerading as newsrooms.
Science & Tech
Two-Thirds of DOD’s Major IT Projects Are Behind Schedule, GAO Found
Defense officials say lack of talent is slowing the adoption of cybersecurity best practices.
Breaking News
Business
Lockheed Martin Executive in Charge of F-35, F-22, Skunk Works Dies
Michele Evans, who was executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, had taken two medical leaves since 2019.
Policy
For Pentagon, Biden Picks Two Obama-era Policy Veterans to Help Austin
After passing on Flournoy, Biden taps Kathleen Hicks and Colin Kahl to be Austin's deputy defense secretary and undersecretary for policy.
Policy
House Votes to Override Trump’s Defense Authorization Veto
On Tuesday, the Senate could overturn a veto for the first time in Trump's presidency.
Ideas
Split Up NSA and CYBERCOM
And have the signals-intelligence agency report directly to the Director of National Intelligence.
Policy
Trump Vetoes Defense Authorization Bill
For the Confederacy, conservative speech, and the desire to bring troops home, Trump rejected the $700 billion NDAA at the last minute before Washington breaks for Christmas.
Threats
Acting SecDef Miller Visits Troops in Afghanistan
Trump's designee returned 19 years after serving here, this time to oversee a controversial order to rush troops out before Joe Biden is sworn in.
Ideas
Don’t Discount America’s Interest in Keeping Africa Safe
As the Pentagon removes more troops, consider what its modest investment has garnered.
Ideas