Policy

Top Enlisted Leaders Push Back: There Is No Readiness ‘Crisis’

Recent deadly accidents are concerning, but part of the risk of military operations around the globe, they said.

Ideas

Why America Loses Every War It Starts

There’s no school for presidents, JFK said — but there needs to be a way to bring knowledge and understanding to bear on presidents’ decisions.

Science & Tech

A Fight Is Brewing Between Congress and the Military Over Cyber War

Should in-theater commanders be allowed to launch attacks that currently require approval from the national command authority?

Business

Congress May Be Making the Pentagon Amazon's Next Big Customer

Though lawmakers revised the so-called "Amazon amendment," only a small number of companies could provide the government with an e-commerce site.

Ideas

Pentagon: We Want You — to Get Us Into The Cloud Much Faster 

We need the private sector's help to vault DOD into the world of elastic computing and machine learning.

Policy

A Federal Court Pushes Back on Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

A judge issues a preliminary injunction, taking issue with everything from the framing of the directive to the way it was delivered.

Threats

Pentagon Scrubbing Kaspersky Software from Its Networks

Last month, DHS ordered civilian agencies to remove anti-virus tools made by the Russian company. Now DOD is following suit.

Threats

‘We're Not Taking Sides,’ Trump Tells Clashing Kurds, Iraqis

The Pentagon watches two American allies turn on each other, as Iraq’s fractious politics are laid bare once again.

Policy

Mattis to Generals: Start Talking to the Press

Nine months into the Trump administration, the defense secretary tells senior military leaders to engage with the media — but stay in their lanes.

Policy

In Mexico, Mattis Plays Down Political Rhetoric, Seeks to Build Trust

Defense Secretary Mattis touts "a growing relationship built on trust and respect" between the U.S. and Mexican militaries.

Business

At US Nuclear Weapons Base, Mattis Signals Support for Triad

But the U.S. defense secretary stopped short of endorsing all types of new nuclear weapons in development.

Policy

Chasing the Elusive BRAC, Pentagon Says Readiness Is at Stake

Defense officials are changing their pitch for base closures. Will Congress listen this time?

Policy

Ordered to Ban Transgender Troops, Pentagon Plans A New Look at Three Factors

The courts will take their own look, thanks to a trio of lawsuits filed in the wake of Trump’s Friday-night memo.

Threats

At 7 Years Old, CYBERCOM Becomes a Full Combatant Command

An order by President Trump triggered its elevation from U.S. Strategic Command, which has been in the works for months.

Business

When Amazon Meets Defense Acquisition

Unanswered questions persist about a House provision to allow Pentagon buyers to use proprietary online sales platforms.

Ideas

It’s Long Past Time to Rethink US Military Posture in the Gulf

The rift between Qatar and other Gulf nations should prompt a long-overdue review of what the Pentagon keeps in the region, and where.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Now Offering Top Officials Classified Tablets

The Defense Department's pilot program allows access to materials up to secret level.

Policy

Pentagon Tightens Rules After Fake Cops Buy $1.2M in Weapons

A sting operation run by the Government Accountability Office revealed a number of loopholes that bad actors could use to buy excess military arms and equipment through the 1033 program.

Science & Tech

Is That Really You Typing? New Pentagon Tech Will Know

In its quest to drop authentication cards, the Defense Department is trying out a system based on the nuances of users’ typing.

Science & Tech

DIUx Wins Support — and More Cash — from Trump’s Pentagon

The vice chair of the Joint Chiefs touted an effort to track North Korean missile launcher, while the military’s new weapons buyer called it a good model for developing and acquiring capabilities.