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...

The US Gets Its First Cyber Security Chief

By Dustin Volz, Reuters

The White House on Thursday named a retired U.S. Air Force general as the government’s first federal cyber security chief, a position announced eight months ago that is intended to improve defenses...
Trump’s Praise of Putin Overshadows Clinton’s Continued Email Struggles

By Rob Garver

The “Commander-in-chief forum” for the two major party presidential candidates hosted by NBC News in New York last night wound up looking very much like a microcosm of the general election race so...
Is Obama Politicizing the Pentagon in the Fight Over War Funding?

By Edward Morrissey

Americans like to gripe about creeping politicization into nearly every corner of their lives almost as much as they like to argue about politics. But they have reason to worry about one area in...
Insiders Say Budget Cuts Are Taking a Toll on US Fighter Pilots and Planes

By Eric Pianin

Last June, Marine Capt. Jeff Kuss was killed during a Blue Angels practice flight at Smyrna Airport near Nashville, Tenn. The 32-year old veteran pilot was preparing for a weekend air show when his...
So Just How Will Trump Pay for His Big Military Buildup?

By Rob Garver

Republican nominee Donald Trump claims to be running as an “outsider” but when he talks about his plan to increase spending on the US military while preserving all entitlement spending, he sounds an...

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