Ideas
Forget the Second Carrier, It's Time to Rethink the Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf
It’s not the size of the fleet, it’s how you use it, and PC ships are smaller, more agile and better for Mideast allies. By Bilal Y. Saab and Joseph Singh
Business
How To Reduce the Growing Number of Bid Protests
The number of bid protests has ballooned in the past several years. But for most contractors, protesting a bid is a ‘high-stakes game of poker’ they'd rather not play. By William Keating and Peter McDonald
Business
The Military's Graduate Programs Aren't Really Training the Nation's Future Cyberwarriors
A new report recommends that the Pentagon's graduate programs revise their curricula to include cyber-specific training. By Brittany Ballenstedt
Science & Tech
The Anti-Snowden? Ex-SEAL’s Firm Caught Between Security and Privacy
Former Navy commando Mike Janke is a spy-turned-privacy advocate, but don’t compare him to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. By Aliya Sternstein
Policy
Military Sexual Assault Victims Are Closely Watching Reform Efforts
Proposed legislation to take sexual assault reporting out of the chain of command is a start, but survivors say that more needs to be done to combat the ongoing crisis. By Stacy Kaper
Policy
Obama Should Scrap that Russian Helicopter Contract, Too
The U.S. government is buying arms from the same dealer that supplies Bashar Assad's regime in Syria. By Sonni Efron
Business
DoD's New Anti-Counterfeit Rules Are Confusing Defense Contractors
Many contractors say they can't comply with DoD's new anti-counterfeiting rules because they're too vague. By Aliya Sternstein
Ideas
In The Tank: This Week’s Best Defense and National Security Think Tank Offerings
The latest in wonk reads on national security, tech, and more. By Kedar Pavgi
Business
Government Managers Rail At Budget Cuts
Senior executives are frustrated at constraints stemming from funding shortages, along with a lack of support from Capitol Hill. By Kellie Lunney
Business
How the Pentagon Found $1 Billion to Cut Civilian Furloughs to Just Six Days
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announces that civilian furlough days will be reduced from 11 to 6 days. Here's how he found $1 billion to pay for it. By Stephanie Gaskell
Business
Pentagon Cuts Furlough Days Down to Six
Defense managers found savings to avert additional mandatory unpaid days for civilian workers. By Kellie Lunney
Business
Where Are All the Good Drone Pilots?
Drones are the future of the Air Force. But too many drone pilots are failing initial training or failing to earn promotions. Now it’s time to develop and support the pilots who fly them. By Col. Brad Hoagland
Science & Tech
How Bad Commercial GEOINT Helped Sink the USS Guardian
NGA says over-reliance on error ridden commercial satellite imagery, among other missteps, doomed the USS Guardian to strike a reef. By Bob Brewin
Ideas
DC's Political Paralysis 'Means More Casualties' for Untrained Soldiers
The best place to learn how Washington’s budget impasse is putting troops at risk is the Army’s National Training Center, which has cancelled rotations for the first time since 1981. By James Kitfield
Business
Time to Treat the VA's Problems as DOD's Problems
The VA's letdowns are now the Defense Department's problem, too. It’s time VA readiness were on par with DOD readiness. By Alexander Nicholson
Business
How BAE Systems Execs are Surviving Sequester: Shadeless Airline Windows
Two BAE Systems executive VPs say that they're pivoting away from uncertain U.S. defense dollars and moving into commercial and foreign markes, or "portfolio shaping". By Sara Sorcher
Business
Guantanamo Prison Complex Pricetag: $5.24 Billion
The operating costs for the Guantanamo prison complex will be more than $454 million this year. The cost of running a U.S. maximum security prison? Just $70,000 a year. By Lily Kuo
Ideas
Wanted: A Post-War Watchdog for Nation-Building
The U.S. may be ending big wars, but military 'stability operations' and expensive nation-building projects will continue. The U.S. inspector general in Iraq argues the Pentagon needs someone to oversee contingency spending. By Stuart Bowen
Business
Hagel Presses Congress with Grim Alternatives to Sequestration
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's SCMR lays out tough choices for Congress on how to cut the defense budget without sequestration. By Stephanie Gaskell
Business