Author Archive

Sam Skove

Staff Writer

Sam Skove
Sam Skove is a staff reporter at Defense One, where he writes about the Army. He previously worked in Ukraine covering the Russia-Ukraine war for The Daily Beast, Radio Liberty, and The New Republic, among other publications. He holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Georgetown's Security Studies Program.
Threats

Army Seeks Bomb-Carrying Drones Like Ukraine’s

Average U.S. soldiers could pilot lethal quadcopters—if they are ever fielded.

Threats

Misfiring Cannons, Rotted Tires in US Army Gear Pulled for Ukraine, Watchdog Finds

It’s not the first time the unit and its contractor have been faulted for poorly maintained equipment by the service's inspector general.

Threats

Arms Flow 30% Faster to Ukraine as US Relearns Cold-War Skills

Logisticians are honing techniques invented to keep the Soviet Union from seizing Europe.

Ideas

Defense One Radio, Ep. 125: The Army’s recruiting crisis; the science of special forces; and NATO’s Mircea Geoană

Can the Army pull itself out of a two-year recruiting slump? And what sort of gear is drawing the attention of America's special operators?

Threats

US Medics Must Learn from Ukraine’s Harsher War, Report Says

Russia’s artillery and jammers make battlefield medicine harder and more dangerous than in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Threats

As Army Launches Recruiting Drive in Cities, One Recruiter Lays Out the Challenges

Potential recruits aren’t worried about Army emphasis on diversity, despite Republican concerns.

Threats

How One Millennial Ukrainian Is Defeating Russians: Viral Videos, Collaboration, and Lots of Drones

But the 34-year-old battalion commander said if he had his enemies’ arsenal, he would “burn them off of the earth.”

Threats

Who Bombed the Kremlin?

U.S. officials puzzle over what appears to be the first drone attack on Moscow.

Policy

As Pressure Builds, US Keeps Mum on Ukraine’s Cluster-Munitions Request

Proponents and military leaders note their tactical benefits, but strategic concerns may quash the deal.

Ideas

Defense One Radio, Ep. 123: The Discord leaks and what might lie ahead for Ukraine

Defense One’s Patrick Tucker and Sam Skove help explain where Russia's Ukraine invasion stands today, and what might unfold over the coming weeks and months.

Threats

Some Ukrainian Troops Are Still Using Soviet Methods, Despite US Training

One year into the conflict, younger officers still strain against older leaders’ ways, military experts note.

Defense Systems

US Sending Experimental Anti-Drone Weapons to Ukraine

SAIC is among contenders for a crash Army effort to help the country down Iranian-made drones.

Business

Why It’s Hard to Double GMLRS Production

Ukraine could use more of the devastating artillery rockets, but Lockheed says tooling, labor, and supply-chain problems prevent big leaps in production.

Threats

Nine Soldiers Die On Night Helicopter Training Mission

No emergency message was received from the two crews before their aircraft crashed, a 101st Airborne leader said.