Policy
Biden Selects Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin for Defense Secretary, Reportedly
Austin, the last commander of the Iraq War, would be the nation's first Black defense secretary.
Ideas
How Biden Can Help Warriors Save Warriors
Make a call, take a call, and be honest — it could help save a life.
Ideas
As Spotlight Fades, What Next for Special Operators?
Under Trump, the Pentagon's ‘service secretary’ in charge of SOF has changed hands eight times between seven people.
Ideas
Cutting US Defense Attachés from Embassies Abroad is a Bad Idea
Without them on the ground, or without the right rank, commanders and policymakers are mostly blind, deaf, and mute.
Ideas
Esper's Convenient Lie
The defense secretary's claim that the two decades of countering violent extremism left the U.S. under-prepared for a near-peer fight doesn’t hold water.
Policy
Vindman Twin Alleges Retaliation To DOD IG
Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman says he reported “legal compliance and ethics violations” by NSA Robert O’Brien.
Threats
Pentagon Extends Deadline for Contractors' Ban on Chinese Equipment
Vendors will get additional time to comply, but the department is not seeking mass extensions, Acquisition Chief Ellen Lord told reporters.
Ideas
A Great Change is Coming
Software, AI, autonomy — these are the ultimate weapons. The Pentagon must get serious about integrating AI into everything it has for 'hyperwar.'
Threats
The Pandemic is Pushing the Pentagon Toward Classified Telework
The risk-averse agency has cracked small-scale remote handling of secret and top-secret information. The challenge is doing it at scale.
Ideas
Let Japan’s Companies Help
To stay ahead of China, the Pentagon should reach out to allies who have more advanced capabilities than the U.S. Japan is top of the list.
Ideas
We Need to Reorganize More than the Military
U.S. defense and diplomacy needs a major redesign to get serious about strategic competition with China and Russia.
Ideas
What Do You Tell Young Americans Doubting the Military’s Moral Compass?
After scandals, pardons, and protests, military and civilian leaders have some work to do rebuilding public trust.
Ideas
Let the Pride Flag Fly
Secretary Esper ’s clever rule that bans the Confederate flag needs a fix. Here’s how he can bring real equality to the Defense Department.
Ideas
The Real Problem With 'Politicizing the Military'
The Constitution says nothing of civilian control of the military or its expected political neutrality. How we protect those traditions needs more attention than ever.
Policy
GOP Senators Stall Tata Nomination for Top Pentagon Post
After Islamophobic remarks, Trump’s controversial pick to be Defense Department’s policy chief is in troubled waters.
Policy
Ban by Omission: US Military Leaves Confederate Flag Off Approved List
Esper’s order seems designed to bar the flag from display without provoking the president.
Science & Tech
Peter Thiel’s New Man In The Defense Department
The new head of defense research and engineering comes from the White House with a relatively light resume.
Ideas
The US Needs a Global Coalition to Defeat COVID
Only a multinational effort can meet this unprecedented threat, say the authors, who led U.S. troops and international coalitions in the Middle East and Asia.
Business
'How Much and How Fast': Biden Watchers Anticipate Defense Spending Crunch
Part 4: From the size of the US military to outdated 'legacy' weapons, experts say something has to give.
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