Science & Tech
It’s Getting Harder to Draw Lessons from Today’s Wars
The researchers compiling the U.S. Army’s accounts of Iraq and Afghanistan have an overwhelming yet spotty volume of material to work through.
Ideas
America’s Allies Are in Decline. Here’s How the US Should Adjust
As global power shifts, Washington needs a new strategy, and a new way of managing its alliances.
Ideas
Watch: Future of War Conference 2017
Defense One partners with New America to bring you the Future of War Conference 2017 in Washington, D.C.
Ideas
What Will Replace the Third Offset? Lessons from Past Innovation Strategies
Whatever the name, it’s crucial to have a framework for directing and harnessing advancements in defense technology.
Policy
How McMaster Could Change the Way the US Goes to War
How did Trump’s new National Security Advisor win over the President — and what changes might he make in his new role?
Policy
Will Trump Repeal Sanctions on Russia? A Conversation with an NSC Planner
We asked Kevin Harrington, deputy assistant to the president for strategic planning, whether he could square the mixed signals coming from the White House.
Ideas
Weaponized Narrative Is the New Battlespace
And the U.S. is in the unaccustomed position of being seriously behind its adversaries.
Ideas
Want to Hurt the Taliban? Legalize Opium in Afghanistan
Economics explains how anti-drug operations have undermined the war on terror.
Ideas
The Coming War on ‘Radical Islam’
How President-elect Trump’s government could change America’s approach to terrorism.
Ideas
Stop Using ‘Strategic’ To Mean Everything Under the Sun
Linguistic sloppiness is impeding the U.S. government from coming to grips with today’s interconnected security challenges.
Threats
The Once and Future Insurgency: How ISIS Will Survive the Loss of Its 'State'
Controlling territory is at the core of the group's ideology, but it isn't everything.
Threats
As Mosul Battle Rages, Carter Heads to Europe for Anti-ISIS Talks
A long-scheduled gathering becomes a real-time assessment for the complex offensive.
Ideas
Unemployment Is Driving Males to ISIS, Not Poverty, Illiteracy
The Islamic State group’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated, a myth-busting new study from the World Bank has found.
Ideas
America's National Security Trilemma — and How to Solve It
In fighting small wars, you get to pick only two of these: centralized control, detailed understanding, and acceptable operational tempo. Here's how to choose.
Ideas
Unpredictability Is the Biggest Threat Facing America’s Army
Foes are increasing their reach in unexpected ways, while budget whiplash at home is needlessly draining the force of time and resources.
Ideas
On the Cyber Frontier, Hacking Back is Ethical — and Even Desirable
Governments could treat retaliatory cyberattacks as ‘frontier' incidents, which are not necessarily escalatory.
Ideas
Six Steps to Starting Over After a Civil War
How do you dismantle the animosities of a half-century war and create peace in a country known for its absence?
Ideas
The United Nations: What's the Point?
It's not clear the organization can effectively confront—or even survive—today's challenges.
Ideas
Al-Qaeda's War on America Just Entered Its Third Decade
Two decades ago, Osama bin Laden officially launched al-Qaeda’s struggle against the United States. Neither side has won.
Ideas