Ideas
Do Americans Still Want The US to Be the World’s Security Leader?
The post-Trump awakening of political activism is inspiring, but seems to end at the border. We’re teaming up with CNAS to find out why.
Science & Tech
The Air Force’s ‘Doomsday Plane’ Is in the Shop
The E-4B, a plane that would quarterback a nuclear war, has lost its secondary mission as the SecDef’s main long-haul ride.
Ideas
What It’s Like to Deal With US Foreign Policy in the Trump Era
The administration’s shadow foreign policy sees the light of day.
Threats
The US Might Have Warded Off Turkey’s Syria Invasion, Says DOD’s Outgoing Mideast Policy Chief
U.S. and Turkish officials were shoring up a joint-patrol deal when Trump scuttled it.
Ideas
Yes-Men Are Taking Over the Trump Administration
Trump is making foreign policy on the fly, seeking his personal advantage and undermining American power.
Ideas
It’s Not All Trump’s Fault: Syria Shows the Danger of War on the Cheap
America’s surprise withdrawal is deeply destabilizing, but so is the proxy war that Western countries have fought for five years.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon’s AI Ethics Draft Is Actually Pretty Good
By seeking reliable, governable, traceable technology, the Defense Department could help set global standards for using artificial intelligence.
Threats
The Taliban Got Way Deadlier in 2019, Says Pentagon's Afghanistan IG
The group mounted 3,500 deadly or wounding attacks this summer, even as U.S. airstrikes rose.
Ideas
The Pentagon Doesn't Need a ‘Skinny’ Authorization Bill
Sen. Inhofe’s proposal for a place-holder NDAA isn’t necessary, and could be counterproductive.
Business
Price of F-35 Falls, But Not as Much As Pentagon Hoped
Defense officials say the cost of the plane’s engine is not declining as much as the airframe itself. The engine maker says it already dropped by half.
Policy
Pentagon Vows to Guard the Syrian Oil That Trump Wants to Seize
That includes warding off Syrian and Russian forces, SecDef Esper says, with murky justification under domestic and international law.
Business
Microsoft Wins Massive JEDI Cloud Contract
Amazon loses in a $10-billion upset decision after months of legal and Trump-fueled political controversy.
Threats
US Troops, Armor Will ‘Secure’ Oil Fields in Syria, Says SecDef in New Reversal
The U.S. might also maintain “one of our two airfields that are there,” said America’s envoy to Syria to lawmakers.
Business
As Secret Pentagon Spending Rises, Defense Firms Cash in
Classified spending has edged up faster than overall defense budget requests, and accounts for nearly 11 percent of the $716 billion proposed for 2020.
Policy
Esper Recuses Himself from JEDI Cloud-Contract Review
Nearly three months after he put the program on hold, the defense secretary has concluded that his son's job prevents him from overseeing it.
Business
Just One Bidder Is Vying for Two Pentagon Programs Worth $130 Billion
The defense acquisition chief is looking into the Army’s disqualification of a second bidder to replace Bradley armored vehicles.
Threats
US Intel Aircraft to Remain Over Syria As Ground Forces Pull Out
SecDef Esper heads to Mideast, NATO to talk about the future fight against ISIS.
Ideas
10 Hard Realities of America’s Next Syria Policy
The troops are leaving, but the U.S. still has regional and global interests in what happens there.
Ideas
‘Silent Warriors’ Speak Out Against Trump’s Syria Turnaround
America’s elite special operators are breaking their wall of silence like never before, 'betrayed' by Trump’s decision to pull back in Syria and erase years of hard work. But are they too late?
Threats