Defense

Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...
The Mysterious Threat to Pilots That the Pentagon Can’t Solve

By Ciro Scotti

Episodes of oxygen deprivation affecting the pilots of F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet — and other military aircraft including the F-35 — are on the rise and remain an unsolved mystery.
What Game Theory Tells Us About Trump’s ‘Madman’ Approach to North Korea

By Rob Garver

Is Donald Trump out of his mind? Maybe he wants North Korea to think so.
Does the Army’s $580 Million Handgun Have a Fatal Flaw?

By Ciro Scotti

Last January, the Army made a $580 million decision: It would replace its longstanding sidearm, the M9 Beretta, with a new modular handgun made by the U.S. arm of the German-controlled gunsmith Sig...
Why the Escalating Threats Between Trump and Kim Won’t End in War

By Patrick Smith

The supercharged threats volleyed between President Trump and Kim Jong Un this week bring us closer to war with the North Korea than at any time since Pyongyang tested its first nuclear device in...

Here’s the Real State of the $1 Trillion U.S. Nuclear Upgrade

By David Francis

The American nuclear arsenal is just about the same as it was when Trump took office.
Here’s Why North Korea Put Guam in Its Crosshairs

By David Francis

Hours after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with fire and fury like the world has never known, Pyongyang announced it is "examining the operational plan" to attack Guam, a tiny U.S...
Why the Price of the F-35 Keeps Soaring

By Ciro Scotti

The most costly fighter ever built is getting even more expensive. A new General Accounting Office report says the Pentagon will spend an additional $3.9 billion over the next five years on “...
The Media Has to Stop Provoking Trump’s Worst Instincts

By Rob Garver

For a man constantly boasting about his extraordinary negotiating prowess, President Trump made a pretty obvious rookie mistake on Tuesday, with his apocalyptic-sounding promise to deliver “fire and...
Five Things You Need to Know About Plans to Privatize the Afghan War

By David Francis

The White House is actively considering a plan to turn a big chunk of the war in Afghanistan over to private contractors. That’s according to Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater security firm, who...

Trump's 'Big Win' in Europe Is the World's Big Loss

By Rob Garver

Leaving the de facto leader of Europe staring into a half-empty beer stein and reassessing everything she and her fellow Europeans thought they knew about the world order and America’s role in it was...
9 of the Oddest Moments from Trump’s First Foreign Trip

By Rob Garver

The trip was a chance to prove Trump’s critics wrong -- to demonstrate to the world the gravitas expected of the most powerful person on the planet; to show foreign allies the respect that countries...
Does NATO Really Owe the US Money?

By Rob Garver

President Trump could have tried to rise to the occasion when he met with the country’s NATO allies this week. Instead he confirmed their worst suspicions.
The Navy’s $13 Billion Aircraft Carrier Faces Its Next Big Test

By Michael Rainey

The USS Gerald R. Ford steamed out of the Norfolk Naval Station this week to begin its acceptance trials with the U.S. Navy.
5 Ways Trump’s Big Talk About Supporting Our Troops Falls Short

By Ciro Scotti

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised troops and veterans the moon, and they supported him big time. But his 2018 budget proposal doesn’t match the pre-election rhetoric.

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