Ideas

Ep. 2: Korean summit; Space Force?; Conversations with Eric Fanning, Paul Scharre and more.

Welcome to episode two of our weekly podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.

Science & Tech

A Criminal Gang Used a Drone Swarm To Obstruct an FBI Hostage Raid

And that’s just one of the ways bad guys are putting drones to use, law enforcement officials say.

Science & Tech

The US Military Wants Giant Transformer Robot Subs

The future of countermine operations could look like a big bug that can swim for hundreds of kilometers.

Science & Tech

The Designer of Russia’s First Armed Drone Is Under Arrest

Is it fraud? A shakedown? Punishment for program delays? The unusual case threatens to derail Russia’s drone ambitions.

Ideas

The White House Is Relaxing Drone Exports. Here's a Good Next Step

A 31-year-old arms-control pact governs UAVs as if they were cruise missiles. Our national leadership in the field depends on fixing that.

Science & Tech

After Failed Search for Jammer Drones, US Army Takes Unusual Step

The service is switching to a little-understood and lightly regulated contracting method to get them.

Science & Tech

The US Air Force Is Giving Its Anti-Drone Efforts a Silicon Valley Twist

A new kind of investor-innovation partnership may help speed emerging technology to the front lines.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Requesting $66M For Laser Drones to Shoot Down North Korean Missiles

The Missile Defense Agency is rushing to put more solutions in the field and trying to put past failures behind them.

Science & Tech

The Marines Are Giving Quadcopters to Every Squad

The Corps says new robots, tech, and video games will keep Marines on the tactical edge.

Science & Tech

Security at the Winter Olympics Includes Drones That Catch Drones

Even without the Olympics, South Korea has been beefing up its drone expertise.

Ideas

Russia Is Poised to Surprise the US in Battlefield Robotics

How? It's a story of leaders' unusual agreement, a focus on fast-and-cheap production, and a decision to field lethal robots for combat.

Science & Tech

Tomorrow's Cargo Drones Won't Look Much Like Today's Helicopters

Boeing unveils a squarish, skeletal quadcopter to try out new unmanned-delivery concepts.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Seeks Laser-Powered Bat Drones. Really.

A new contest seeks flight systems inspired by Mother Nature and powered by directed-energy beams.

Policy

How Pakistan Is Responding to Trump

Pushed by Trump, Tillerson, and Mattis to do more to fight terrorism, Pakistan has instead taken public steps to push back in recent weeks.

Ideas

3 Predictions for Government Tech in 2018

Here's which tech will move from buzzword to implementation.

Science & Tech

Northrop Tests Spy Drones That Deploy in a Fake Bomb

The disposable Remedy is intended to drop from a fighter jet and fly slow enough to avoid radar.

Science & Tech

Ukraine Fields an Armed Drone for Use Against Pro-Russian Forces

After much experimentation and disappointing American UAVs, the Ukrainian military has a drone of its own.

Threats

The Pentagon’s IED-Hunters Have a New Target: Drones

After a decade of ups and downs, JIDO has added the counter-UAV mission.

Science & Tech

Look for Military Drones to Begin Replacing Police Helicopters by 2025

General Atomics is working hard to put a close cousin of its Reaper anti-terrorism drone in the hands of local law enforcement.