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...

China Steps in to Fill the US Leadership Vacuum

By Rob Garver

Members of the Senate aren’t the only ones noticing the Trump administration’s manifest desire to pull back on American involvement with the rest of the world, whether through economic assistance,...
Gen. Mattis Gets Hammered on Military Performance Problems that He Vows to Fix

By Eric Pianin

On the same day that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) berated Defense Secretary James Mattis for lacking a strategy for winning the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan, the Government Accountability Office (...
More Money for Defense? Why Congress Needs to Look Twice at the Military Budget

By Jacqueline Leo

Once again, top generals, including Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joseph Dunford, are crying poor on Capitol Hill and issuing dire warnings about losing “our competitive advantage.”
Trump Reverses Course on Qatar. This Billion Dollar Air Base May Be Why

By Ciro Scotti

President Trump waded into a diplomatic crisis pitting Saudi Arabia and allies against fellow Gulf state Qatar – where the U.S. has spent hundreds of millions on a crucial military installation --...
The Army Gets Its Gun as Glock’s Protest of $580 Million Contract Misses the Mark

By Ciro Scotti

Glock’s attempt to upend the Army’s selection of a new handgun, which comes with an estimated $580 million contract, has been shut down by the General Accounting Office. Related: The Marines New...

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