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: More Yemen-chat details released; Troops patrolling border; Ukraine ceasefire broadened; Army’s gear overhaul; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: SecDef’s OPSEC fail; Natsec team’s debate, revealed; SecNav confirmed; Counterterror efforts cut; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Green light for ‘F-47’; 2nd destroyer sent to border; Mapping China’s Taiwan threat; US envoy parrots Kremlin; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson, Bradley Peniston and Audrey Decker
Threats

The D Brief: Musk visits Pentagon; NGAD decision?; Navy’s frigate mess; Germany ups spending; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: COCOM consolidations?; DOD rehiring fired civs; Militarized border zone mulled; Defining cognitive warfare; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

Today’s D Brief: Trump takes Putin’s offer; ‘Dogfighting in space’; DOD’s personnel bottleneck; PLAN drones, on video; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: ‘Shift’ in Iran policy; Israel pounds Gaza; Ukraine’s all-drone attacks; Russian ops on NATO soil; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Strikes in Yemen; Border destroyer; DOGE vs. nuclear-security agency; ‘Buy Europe’ campaign; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: DOD ordered to reverse firings; Trump presses annexations; Putin declines quick ceasefire; F-35 uncertainty; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: DOD workforce, whipsawed; Russia cool on ceasefire; Industrial-policy nom; Gitmo migrants sent back to US; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: US, Ukraine seek ceasefire; DOD’s climate denial; Armor data falsified; Army retention woes; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Featured eBooks
Future of Naval Warfare
AI & Autonomy
Connect Everything: JADC2 & networks
Threats

The D Brief: Allies mull nukes; Syrian breakthrough?; Base-refineries proposal; Judge demands DOGE records; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Ukraine’s intel quandary; Pentagon’s civilian firings; Speedier-software policy; Russia’s military horses; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson, Bradley Peniston and Eric Katz
Threats

The D Brief: Russia pounds Ukraine; Trump disavows NATO principle; Europe talks nukes; DOGE’s oops; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Deportation costs; DOGE cuts; Pressure on Ukraine; Campaign-planning AI; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Trump’s speech; DOD firings begin; Intel-sharing, paused; Court scuttles foreign-aid freeze; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: US halts Ukraine aid; Defense policy nom testifies; China’s wedges between allies; Another base unrenamed; And a bit more.

  • Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
Threats

The D Brief: Oval Office explosion; Spies target shaken feds; Strykers to the border; China’s battle automation; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: ‘Painful’ 8% shift; US, Russia talk in Turkey; Army’s medical-corps gap; SecNav nom testifies; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson
Threats

The D Brief: From cars to missiles?; SecArmy, confirmed; Zelenskyy coming to DC; UK’s defense plans; And a bit more.

  • Bradley Peniston and Ben Watson