Science & Tech
Special Operations Forces Are Changing Combat Medicine With Jury-Rigged Hospitals and Freeze-Dried Blood
Fighting that takes place far from friendly hospitals is driving experimental techniques that may one day see wide adoption by the Pentagon.
Policy
No Joke: Top Special Ops Commander Says No Offense Intended, Lauds Press
‘I don’t condone that kind of violence’ Gen. Raymond 'Tony' Thomas said in an exclusive interview, one day after joking about pretending to shoot at the press.
Ideas
Ep. 3: Bye-bye, Iran deal; Hello, North Korea; Future of special ops in Niger and more.
Welcome to episode three of our weekly podcast about the news, strategy, tech, and business trends defining the future of national security.
Threats
Special Operators Are Getting a Bit More Much-Needed Rest
At least two SOF components are on a ‘glide path’ to the Pentagon’s desired optempo.
Threats
For Special Operations Forces, Fighting WMD Means Getting Deeper Into Enemies’ Leadership and Decision-Making
SOCOM is getting more intel and gear as it settles into its role as the Pentagon’s anti-WMD coordinator.
Science & Tech
Kamikaze UAVs, Drones on Leashes, Information Bombs Top Pentagon’s Counterterror Wishlist
Expect to see these technologies in a grey-zone battlefield in the not-too-distant future.
Business
Could a New Cessna Find Its Way to the Battlefield?
FedEx will be the first to operate the new twin-engine turboprop, but military sales may not be far behind.
Threats
Trump’s Policy on Terrorism Suspects Looks Like Obama’s
A captured Benghazi suspect is reportedly being brought to the U.S., which means he will be tried in a civilian court.
Ideas
Don’t Think of Syrian Opposition Groups as ‘Moderates’ vs. ‘Extremists’
The United States and its allies ought to think in terms of 'viable partners,’ ‘irreconcilables,’ and ‘unknowns.’
Threats
‘I Want to Finish This’: US Special Ops Leaders Urge Washington to Stick by the Syrian Kurds
Commanders inside Syria say rebels are doing all they hoped for — and are the best shot to break the region's cycle of terrorism.
Threats
The US Must Rethink How It Uses Special Operators, Says Incoming SOLIC Secretary
Strained by war, the military’s elite units can’t grow any faster nor deploy slower. Something in their mission set must give.
Ideas
I Could Kill You with a Consumer Drone
As a former intelligence soldier who now sells drones for a living, I can tell you that this problem is bigger than almost anyone realizes.
Threats
The US Joins the Philippines in a Battle Against ISIS
The news of the cooperation is significant, because the country’s president had previously threatened to kick out U.S. troops.
Ideas
How American Special Operators Gradually Returned to Somalia
A U.S. soldier was killed in the country this month for the first time in more than two decades. What was he doing there?
Science & Tech
Air Force Wants to Test a Laser on an Attack Plane Within A Year
But the U.S. Special Operations Command still needs money for the test and policymakers need to figure out the rules of engagement.
Science & Tech
Counter-Terror Chief: Expect Terrorist Drone Swarms 'Soon'
An upcoming competition will spotlight systems for downing enemy UAVs attacking solo or in groups.
Science & Tech
The Man who led the Syrian Train-and-Equip Effort Wants A Cultural Translation App
The complex, delicate missions of today and tomorrow need a better way to bring fused intelligence to operators.
Ideas
SOCOM Will Soon Lead the Pentagon’s Anti-WMD Efforts. Here’s What It Still Needs.
America’s special operators know how to catch bomb-makers, but need new expertise on other areas of the fight.
Ideas
The Right — and Wrong — Lessons of Trump’s Yemen Raid
Americans have to allow its elite men and women to be aggressive, to take risks, and to, on occasion, fall short.
Threats
Don’t Blame Trump for the Yemen Raid’s Outcome
There’s more to the story, from special operators who chafed at Obama administration micromanagement to the unexpected well-prepared enemies who lay in wait.
Almost There!
Help us tailor content specifically for you: