Author Archive

Ben Watson

Senior Multimedia Editor, Defense One

Ben Watson is an Army veteran who writes The D Brief daily newsletter and hosts the bimonthly Defense One Radio podcast. Since arriving in Washington in 2012, Ben has written and produced award-winning features on politics, international security, technology, and military history for NPR, The Atlantic and Defense One.
Threats

The D Brief: 6 die in tanker crash; Russia’s US-war windfall; Iran’s industry ‘functionally defeated’; Escorts for Hormuz vessels?; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson, Bradley Peniston, Meghann Myers and Lauren C. Williams
Threats

The D Brief: War aims keep shifting; First week’s cost; ‘Ruthless’ JAG review; Ukraine’s China-free drones; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Mines laid in Hormuz; US casualty count; Missile defenses pulled from Asia; DOD’s smaller workforce; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: More mixed messaging on war; Airstrike pricetag; DOD civs pressed to seek border duty; Anthropic sues Hegseth; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: US toll rises to 8; Iran’s new leader; Building military-specific AI; Counting the rationales for war; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Russia’s helping Iran; Updated strike map; Drone threats; DOD’s new CDO; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Death toll, oil prices rise; Ukraine to send anti-drone help; WH calls industry meeting; Claude at war; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: US-Israel strikes continue; Hormuz closed; 4 US dead, ID’d; SOF join Ecuador drug ops; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Iran war spreads across Mideast; Trump: ‘Wars can be fought forever’; Iranian, US death tolls rise; State urges evacuations from 16 nations; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Patrick Tucker
Threats

The D Brief: War on Iran; Retaliation throughout the Gulf; Friendly fire downs F-15s; Anthropic ejected from federal service; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Anthropic says no to DOD; Afghanistan-Pakistan war; Ukraine tactics update; US laser downs DHS drone; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Featured eBooks
Intel and Analytics
Special Ops Technology
Future of the Army
Ideas

Defense One Radio, Ep. 204: “Until the Last Gun Is Silent” by Matthew Delmont

A historian explores patriotism, U.S. foreign policy, and the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era.

  • Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: Reports: Caine has concerns; USAF mobility chief; Senators seek boat-strike info; Arrest in China-training case; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Thomas Novelly
Threats

The D Brief: SOTU quiet on policy; Defense tech’s European shift; Ukraine war in 10 charts; Cockpit AI evades ‘missile’; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Competing views on Iran; $151B spending plan; 44th boat strike; B-21 production deal; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Ideas

Defense One Radio, Ep. 203: Fictional intelligence

The authors of a new series discuss how they're exploring the future of conflict through short stories.

  • Ben Watson and Patrick Tucker
Threats

The D Brief: Firefights across Mexico; Iran situation, still unclear; Tariff decision shakes foreign policy; What to expect at AFA symposium; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson, Bradley Peniston and Thomas Novelly
Threats

The D Brief: Iran buildup’s unclear aims; Army’s drone contest; Board of Peace, convened; More UFO info?; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: Buildup around Iran; More Somalia strikes; SOUTHCOM in Venezuela; JAG in trouble; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Sentinel’s progress; Buildup near Iran; Canada’s decoupling plan; Russia targets Ukrainian energy; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston