Commentary
What military members need to hear from their leaders now
Policy guidance, to be sure—but also timeless messages that transcend administrations.
Trump’s coercive approach risks driving Latin America into China’s arms
Short-term wins should not be mistaken for long-term gains.
There’s a tanker-sized gap in this vision of the Air Force’s future
A recent Mitchell Institute study gives dangerously short shrift to global mobility.
Don't cut this key driver of technological advantage
Defense-related research and development at America’s universities has helped make the U.S. military the best in the world.
By halting Ukraine aid, Trump courts personal defeat
There’s still time to avoid emboldening America’s enemies—and a humiliation that dwarfs his predecessor’s Afghanistan withdrawal.
Trump’s plan to slash the federal workforce isn’t the first, it’s just the worst
The triple-meat-cleaver approach to workforce “reform.”
To China, DeepSeek is more than an app—it's a strategic turning point
Beijing views the AI tool as a breakthrough that reinforces its strategic autonomy and reshapes the U.S.-China balance of power.
How Trump could productively reshape the transatlantic defense relationship
If rearming Europe and ending the war in Ukraine deters China, all the better.
The future of military logistics is predictive
A recent commander of Army Materiel Command says the war in Ukraine illuminates the path to data-driven sustainment.
Teach how to think, not what to think
Professional military schools should not go overboard in interpreting the SecDef’s anti-DEI memo.
Trump must keep arming Ukraine if he wants a good peace deal
Europe must do its fair share, but it cannot carry the burden alone.
Trump’s tariffs fit a growing global trend of hardball migration diplomacy
Such diplomacy works both ways, but richer countries by and large have the upper hand.
The future of China's new information support force
In a bid to dominate the information environment, the PLA created a force to build a resilient network system and drive innovation of cutting-edge tech.
Let's talk about the next US-Israel military-assistance agreement
I helped negotiate the current one. It's high time to get started on its successor.
It's time for a new Key West agreement
Airpower, air defense, Marines’ role—all need revisiting, three-quarters of a century after the seminal roles-and-missions pact.
Trump wants a faster security clearance process, too
But can he avoid politicizing it? On Day One, he stripped clearances from people he doesn't like and created a temporary end-run for people he does.
As the US and China race to the Moon, loopholes in space law could allow conflict
The prospect of “space water wars” is nearer, timewise, than the prospect of providing clean drinking water to everyone in the developing world.
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Lone-wolf attacks have become a hallmark of post-caliphate ISIS
The group's propaganda inspired the New Orleans attack, which proceeded without direct operational support.
2024 in review: Commentary
Defense One contributors gathered lessons from around the globe and looked ahead to the new administration.
In defense of the military’s unfunded priority lists
The service branches’ “wish lists” are a key part of Congress’ oversight process.
