Science & Tech

US Army Boosts Spending on Genetically Engineered Spider Silk for Body Armor, Underwear

What’s almost as tough as Kevlar, as flexible as silk, has the DNA of a spider but comes from a worm? Something the Army is looking to buy for as much as $1 million.

Threats

North Korea's Latest Launch Spurs U.S. Missile Tests, Flyovers

The United States has been ramping up exercises and diplomatic moves in response to worrying new developments out of Pyongyang.

Threats

Flow of Foreign Fighters to ISIS Stopped, Trump Tactics Working, McGurk Says

In four key areas, the Trump administration is taking the fight to ISIS in a way that Obama did not, to great effect according to the policy head who worked under both.

Science & Tech

US Air Force Wants Robots Watching Twitter

Tomorrow’s operations will be shaped by automated analysis of the world’s open-source data, says the service’s chief of staff.

Science & Tech

Forget Radio Silence. Tomorrow’s Soldiers Will Move Under Cover of Electronic Noise

The Army’s doctrine chief says it’s self-defeating to switch off the networks that enable U.S. military superiority.

Science & Tech

3D-Printed Gun Designs Are Selling for $12 on the Dark Web

A new report shows just how easy it is becoming to download designs for difficult-to-trace arms.

Science & Tech

US Army Seeks Internet-of-Battlefield-Things, Distributed Bot Swarms

After nearly two decades of war against technologically unsophisticated foes, the Army Research Lab is reorienting to counter China and Russia.

Science & Tech

Facial Recognition Coming to Police Body Cameras

An approach to machine learning inspired by the human brain is about to revolutionize street search.

Science & Tech

Russian Weapons Maker To Build AI-Directed Guns

Kalashnikov’s upcoming product shows how the US and Russia are on wildly different paths to autonomy.

Science & Tech

Tomorrow Soldier: How The Military Is Altering the Limits of Human Performance

Breakthroughs in biometric science mean future troops will fight with weapons that understand them — inside and out.

Threats

Ceasefire or No, US and Russia Remain ‘A Second or Two Away’ from Accidental War Over Syria

The head of Air Combat Command says one mistake by a pilot in an advanced warplane could mean an unintended escalation in Syria.

Science & Tech

Former NATO Commander: Alliance Needs to Take Cyber Fight to Russia's Door

In May, a former NATO supreme commander urged the alliance to plan an offensive cyber policy to combat Russian information influence operations.

Science & Tech

Ukraine Police Say This is the Source of Tuesday’s Massive Cyber Attack

The lesson from Tuesday’s massive cyber attack, beware of updates from Ukrainian accounting apps that are orders of magnitude larger than normal.

Science & Tech

What's the 'Risk' in China's Investments in US Artificial Intelligence? New Bill Aims to Find Out

Senator's proposal to give feds new powers protect an American technological advantage has more than a few critics.

Science & Tech

Detecting Secret Military Exercises With Micro Satellites, a How-To

The future of intelligence is small teams and tiny satellites. It’s not a future the U.S. will own exclusively.

Policy

Inside the West Wing Tug-of-War Over Russia and Ukraine

The president has been all over the map on Ukraine. The people around him have been much more consistent.

Science & Tech

The Future of Military IT: Gait Biometrics, Software Nets, and Photon Communicators

DISA director Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn talks about the tech he’s eyeing, some of which is barely out of the theoretical realm.

Threats

After A Shooting, What Do Security Pros Do Behind Closed Doors?

Wednesday’s attack on a congressional baseball practice will trigger re-evaluations of security posture, and decisions on next steps.

Policy

Dunford: Without Better Funding, US Will 'Lose Competitive Advantage' In Just a Few Years

Gen. Dunford, and then Defense Secretary Mattis, deliver a dire warning to House lawmakers.