Author Archive

Ben Watson

Senior Multimedia Editor, Defense One

Ben Watson is an Army veteran who writes The D Brief daily newsletter and hosts the bimonthly Defense One Radio podcast. Since arriving in Washington in 2012, Ben has written and produced award-winning features on politics, international security, technology, and military history for NPR, The Atlantic and Defense One.
Threats

The D Brief: Houthis resume ship attacks; ‘Put [feds] in trauma’; Israel readies laser interceptor; SASC chair’s warning; And just a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Israel strikes in Iran; Russia advances in Ukraine; China’s chip chokepoints; Boeing eyes space selloff; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Musk, Putin talk; Trump’s record; Houthis’ satellite help; Submarine production to slow; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Science & Tech

Defense One Radio, Ep. 164: AUSA conference, in review

Defense One staff summarize the leading developments from this year's Association of the U.S. Army conference in Washington.

  • Patrick Tucker, Sam Skove and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: US confirms N. Korean deployment; WH’s natsec AI memo; Russia amplified hurricane disinfo; Former generals describe Trump; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: A shipyard death; Another F-35 delay?; US troops wounded in Iraq; New era of ‘total war’; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: Kyiv’s big EU loan; F-35 readiness still low; Crash victims ID’d; Army cook turned top chef; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Russia increases drone strikes; US troops attacked in Syria; Missing aviators declared dead; Trump’s radical view; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Hamas leader, killed; N. Koreans in Ukraine; Army simplifying networks; Boosted rocket production; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: B-2s bomb Houthis; A general’s China alarm; Army’s Ukraine trips; Raytheon fined nearly $1B; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Army’s new acquisition approach; US warns Israel on Gaza; Ukraine’s Victory Plan; Milley’s blastproof curtains; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Featured eBooks
The Future of the Air Force
Special Operations Technology 2020
C4ISR
Threats

The D Brief: Chinese blockade drill encircles Taiwan; Army program cuts coming?; Israel gets THAAD; Navy reloads at sea; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Syria; More Red Sea attacks; Bad online trends; Space plane’s new trick; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Kyiv hikes taxes; DOD’s space turf war; Smart new drone; Tornadoes shred Florida roofs; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Baltics raise defenses; Israel orders hospital evacuations; Another Russian arms dump struck; New polls on Taiwan; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: MacDill AFB evacuates; Ukraine hits oil terminal; Russia downs own UCAV; Big AI vs. small AI; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Another hurricane looms; Grim anniversary in Israel; Inside the Marines’ littoral regiment; China hacks ISPs; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Helene recovery; 100 new spy sats; Post-strike assessment in Israel; ULA certification launch; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson, Audrey Decker and Frank Konkel
Threats

The D Brief: Russia hacks Taiwan; Diego Garcia shocker; ‘Sunken nuclear sub’ likely wasn’t; Small cruise missile set for test; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Iran’s missile attack on Israel; Russia seizes town; Ukraine gathers industry; Jan. 6 whitewash; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston