Policy
US Space Force Seeks 2,020 Civilian Acquisition Staff in 2022
$17.4 billion request includes two GPS satellites, five launch vehicles.
Business
As Space Junk Multiplies, Pentagon Is Stuck Tracking It for Civilians
Private industry is launching at a pace with which the military’s space-surveillance system can’t keep up. Now lawmakers say the Commerce Department’s fix is running late.
Policy
US Planning to Evacuate Afghan Interpreters, Top US General Says
“There are plans being developed very, very rapidly here,” said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley.
Threats
Peace with Russia, China ‘Fraying at the Edge,’ Milley Tells Graduating Cadets
New Air Force officers should work “to set the conditions for a future that prevents great power war,” Joint Chiefs chairman says.
Business
Biden Nominees Want to Shake Up Pentagon Weapons Buying Process
Shyu, Blume tell Congress they plan to bridge the “valley of death” between the development phase and becoming a program of record.
Policy
US Air Force Will Cut Turkey from F-35 Production, Kendall Says
The service secretary nominee also signals he’s not in favor of reducing U.S. F-35 purchases.
Threats
Pentagon Studying How Counterterrorism Fits Into Great Power Competition
The Pentagon has not previously discussed how to use counterterrorism capabilities for great power competition. Now that’s changing.
Business
How Pentagon Cash Helped Save Small Defense Companies During the Pandemic
Business leaders are now calling on defense officials and lawmakers to keep a policy that pays contractors more money up front.
Policy
With Half Its Troops Unvaccinated, Pentagon Aims to Persuade Skeptics
Instead of a “personal health choice,” leaders now call shots a “critical part” of fighting the pandemic.
Policy
If the Pentagon Drops JEDI, Then What?
DOD says the contract’s enterprise capabilities are still needed. But there are new cloud technologies that could fill the bill.
Ideas
The ‘Rule of Thirds’ Is Bunk
The military services’ shares of overall defense spending have always fluctuated with strategy and need.
Policy
DOD Lifts Mask Mandate for Fully Vaccinated Personnel
Fully vaccinated DOD personnel are no longer required to wear a mask at Defense Department facilities.
Ideas
The 2018 Strategy Is Unworkable. We Need a Fundamental Defense Rethink
We can model our efforts to link long-term defense priorities and resourcing on a post-Cold War review.
Policy
Lawmakers Scold Pentagon for Leaving Afghanistan Without ‘Over-the-Horizon’ Plan
“Why would we leave Bagram when we don’t have an alternative closer than UAE?” said the Armed Services Committee’s top Republican.
Ideas
Shake Off the Pentagon's Industrial-Age Bureaucracy
Five disciplines and five initiatives can help the U.S. military better adapt to 21st-century threats.
Science & Tech
Old-Time Radio: Pentagon’s Electronic-Warfare Gear Is Dated, Experts Say
Lawmakers say more of the EW budget should go to R&D.
Ideas
Why National Cyber Defense Is a ‘Wicked’ Problem
Vulnerable supply chains, sloppy security, and a talent shortage made events like the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and the SolarWinds hack all but inevitable.
Ideas
When and Why China Might—or Might Not—Attack Taiwan
U.S. policymakers can only guess at what’s driving Beijing, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do about it.
Ideas