Science & Tech

Look at the Military’s New Stealth Bikes

These motorcycles of the future are turning heads at special operations conference in Florida.

Policy

Carter: Wider US-Vietnam Military Relations Not ‘Directed’ at China

Lifting the arms embargo continues years of Obama’s efforts to link American and Vietnamese militaries, the defense secretary said, as president visits country.

Science & Tech

The Tiny Town Where Air Force Cadets Learn to Drop ‘Cyber Bombs’

The future of cyber warfare training looks like a model railroad where network security majors take turns turning off the lights.

Science & Tech

US Navy Wants to Train Its Own 'Ethical' Hackers

The service wants to certify sailors to think more like a cyber adversary to better defend its networks across the globe.

Ideas

The DIUx Is Dead. Long Live The DIUx

By taking early corrective action, Ash Carter is upending the typical Washington playbook of prolonging failure.

Ideas

Here’s a Way Out of Our Rare-Earths Mess

China controls substances so valuable that the Pentagon dares not act. It’s up to the Senate now.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Shakes Up Silicon Valley Outreach

Defense Secretary Ash Carter gives DIUx new leaders, a new office, and a promotion.

Ideas

Transparency’s Double-Edged Sword

Even as ubiquitous surveillance helps hold governments accountable, it can also make tense situations less stable.

Ideas

How DIUx Should Pick Its Next Branch Offices

The Defense Secretary’s tech-outreach effort is looking to expand. Here’s how to do it.

Ideas

Forget Technology. The Real Military Edge Comes From Promoting Smart People

A military culture that values people – and their intellectual development — will drive the innovation needed to win our wars.

Science & Tech

The US Navy’s Next-Gen Comms System Is Frozen In the Italian Courts

After seven years and more than $7 billion, MUOS is ready to go. There’s just one problem with its Sicily station.

Science & Tech

How Traffic to This YouTube Video Predicts ISIS Attacks

One company is using metadata from video posts, Wikipedia entries, and other sites to forecast geopolitical unrest.

Science & Tech

The Increasingly Automated Hunt for Mobile Missile Launchers

The trick is training computers to filter the normal from an ocean of imagery, alert human analysts sparingly, and learn from their feedback.

Science & Tech

US Spies Want a Laser Gun That Can Detect Bombs from 100 Feet Away

If the device can be produced and later miniaturized, it may end up resembling a gun or grocery-store scanner.

Science & Tech

As Pentagon Dawdles, Silicon Valley Sells Its Newest Tech Abroad

A trio of tech CEOs say red tape and onerous requirements are undermining Ash Carter’s outreach efforts.

Science & Tech

The Military Wants a Privacy Firewall for Disaster Response

A new tool to strip personal information from tweets and social media could help troops zero in on trouble spots.

Ideas

Three Ways to Judge the Pentagon’s Tech-Sector Outreach

Hint: it’s not about how many zeroes are on the first checks.

Science & Tech

F-35 Will Fly Despite Auditor’s Fleet-Grounding Warning

Pentagon officials say the plane can fly without the aircraft’s enormously complex diagnostics system.

Ideas

The Mistake that Decapitated Pentagon Innovation — and How to Fix It

When the Packard Commission demoted the director of defense engineering and research, they essentially elevated gunsmithing over strategic marksmanship.

Science & Tech

Old Laws Are Keeping the US Navy from New IT Gear

The service’s deputy chief information officer says outdated regulations 'make it a struggle' for the military to stay on the cutting edge.