Ideas
Three Ways to Read Trump's National Security Strategy
Is it better approached as a sacred text, or examined like the scat of a shaggy, woodland beast?
Policy
New National Security Strategy Sees Rising Russia, Retreat on 'Democratic Peace'
Donald Trump’s first strategy talks about threats and nation-state competition but also signals a reluctance to compete philosophically or morally.
Threats
What Putin Really Wants
Russia's strongman president has many Americans convinced of his manipulative genius. He's really just a gambler who won big.
Ideas
The National Security Strategy Commits the US to a Lonelier and Less Generous Course
As previewed by H.R. McMaster, the new NSS contrasts strikingly to the visions of other recent presidents.
Ideas
The Pentagon’s Next Terrorism Threat (and Solution): Kids
As ISIS-type extremism spreads, counterterrorism commanders are right to be concerned with the youth population bulge. Here’s how to turn a threat into a resource.
Threats
Global Conflicts to Watch in 2018
The U.S. is now the most unpredictable actor in the world today.
Ideas
Trump's National Security Strategy is Decidedly Non-Trumpian
An exclusive preview of the White House's plan highlights the wide gulf between what the president says and what he does.
Ideas
Cyber and Space Weapons Are Making Nuclear Deterrence Trickier
If you can’t trust your networks or satellite communications in a crisis, ‘use-or-lose’ scenarios get a lot closer.
Threats
Can Two Nuclear Powers Fight a Conventional War?
The Pentagon just wargamed that scenario as part of its effort to determine what it needs for 21st-century deterrence.
Ideas
The Middle East Is Nearing an Explosion
Fear is the one thing preventing it—but could also precipitate it.
Ideas
Here’s How the US Army Should Arm Itself for New Threats
Stop hoping for a funding bump and start making existing weapons work better together.
Ideas
How Would Reagan’s Defense Secretary View the New Afghanistan Strategy?
Caspar Weinberger’s six principles for using military force are a useful lens on Trump’s newish path in Southwest Asia.
Ideas
Democracy Remains the Best Path to Security
The U.S. and its democratic partners must rebuild their foreign policies around a basic truth: societies that govern themselves democratically are safer, stronger and more secure.
Policy
Amid North Korea Tension, Mattis Heads to US Nuclear Weapons Bases
The U.S. defense secretary will inspect American ICBMs, then visit the military command that would lead a nuclear war.
Ideas
Our Navy is Broken, and That is a Bad Thing
The fleet’s problems stem from decades of flat acquisition budgets and declining ship numbers.
Policy
Full Transcript: Donald Trump Announces His Afghanistan Policy
“No place is beyond the reach of American might and American arms.”
Ideas
What Happens When No One Believes American Threats?
In the long term, it does America no favors for its president to establish a reputation for hyperbole and unrealistic threats.
Ideas
Summer Reading 2017: Defense One’s Top Picks
Here are some big ideas for you while soaking up the sun or just relaxing on your summer vacation.
Ideas