Policy
Former Air Force Weapons Chief Tapped as Pentagon’s Lead Arms Buyer
Bill LaPlante has spent the past six years working on military-related tech.
Policy
Defense Industry Asks White House to Allow COVID Tests to Substitute for Vax Mandate
Nation’s largest military shipbuilder says it won’t comply until mandate is written into a contract.
Ideas
Americans Want to Defend Taiwan. The Pentagon’s Budget Should, Too
Lawmakers should take advantage and give Americans the defense budget we need to stay ahead of China.
Policy
Key Pentagon Posts Remain Vacant Amid Supply-Chain Crisis
The Biden administration has not even nominated a defense undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment.
Threats
Biden Launches Arms-Control Talks with China, Warns Xi on Taiwan
Beijing’s aggression toward the island, nuclear ambitions are big points of worry for the administration.
Policy
Biden Administration Delays Contractor Vaccine Mandate Until Jan. 4
Defense firms had warned of layoffs and weapons-manufacturing delays.
Science & Tech
New White House Cyber Director Wants to Fight Like Cobra Kai
Chris Inglis says the government needs to hit would-be attackers where it hurts.
Science & Tech
Russian Corruption Makes It Harder to Crack Down on Ransomware
Hackers who learned skills in government service are branching out “for their own personal enrichment,” Pentagon cyber leader says.
Ideas
Will Americans Buy into Biden’s Ambitious Domestic Terrorism Plan?
The president’s national strategy pivots the United States away from the worst practices of the war on terrorism—if law enforcement, courts, and agencies will follow.
Ideas
Mind the ‘Middle Powers’ Gap
While pivoting from terrorism to great powers, the U.S. should pay far more attention those countries caught in the struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.
Policy
4 C’s Drive Biden Administration’s First Naval Strategic Guidance
“Expanded” posture is needed to focus on China, Navy Secretary Del Toro writes.
Threats
CIA Creates China Center To Shift To Great Power Competition
“It’s taking the top slot from the counterterrorism mission over the past 20 years,” said John Doyon, executive vice president of INSA.
Threats
‘There Will Be No Withdrawal’: Syrian Allies Say US Has Promised to Keep Some Troops There
But for how long? The Kurds say uncertainty is emboldening Turkey, Russian-backed militias, and the Assad regime.
Policy
The 9/11 Commission Said National Security Vacancies Were A Problem. Biden’s Pentagon Is ‘Far Worse’
The Senate is “falling far behind” as Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees consider 14 nominees this week.
Ideas
Biden’s Best Chance to Get Back on Course with Europe
The president should send his best team to NATO and EU talks, find common ground on China, and repair the damage done by the AUKUS submarine deal.
Policy
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records
A congressional investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting found that wealthy civilians with no U.S. government or military experience pursued a plan to monetize veterans’ medical data.
Ideas
To Deter China, Relearn The Lost Art of Dissuasion
Threats of denial or punishment will not deter a peer adversary fighting at home.
Threats
Federal Contractors Must Show Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination by Dec. 8
Companies doing business with the federal government must name a person to coordinate implementation and compliance with the vaccine mandate for covered employees.
Policy
US Navy’s Latest Plan for Its Future May Not Come Until 2023, Says Top Admiral
It’s the fourth attempt in four years to define the future of the Navy.
Ideas