Author Archive

Sam Skove

Staff Writer

Sam Skove
Sam Skove is a staff reporter at Defense One, where he writes about the Army and Marine Corps. He previously worked in Ukraine covering the Russia-Ukraine war for The Daily Beast, Radio Liberty, and The New Republic, among other publications. He holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and a master's degree from Georgetown's Security Studies Program.
Threats

Pace of war shortens EU-based training for Ukrainian troops

Instruction has been pared to the basics in everything from combined arms to officer training.

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.

Policy

Problems with a German railroad contract slowed US munitions to Ukraine, IG says

‘Multiple delays’ are blamed on deficiencies of a shipping arrangement between EUCOM and Deutsche Bahn.

Science & Tech

How two units are learning from each other as the Army moves to modernize

The units’ experiences are also driving interest in new capabilities, like automated object detection for drones.

Threats

Europe-based units are learning from Ukraine, officers say

A small group of soldiers regularly travels to Kyiv to collect observations, said one general.

Science & Tech

Army to expand tech-equipping effort—and cut some programs

Gen. Randy George also said the Army will cancel programs that don’t serve the service’s modernization goals.

Policy

How many drones does the Army need? A lot more.

The experience of two brigades suggests that the number is far larger than it’s buying—and that’s just for training.

Threats

Russian casualties have topped 600,000 in Ukraine war, US says

September was the deadliest month yet for Russia, as its forces drove toward Ukraine’s Pokrovsk.

Defense Systems

Replicator 2 effort aims to produce anti-drone defenses

The second phase of the Pentagon’s make-more-stuff-quickly effort will kick off in the 2026 budget request, a memo says.

Policy

Is the US military learning enough from Ukraine?

Relatively few analysts at the services’ doctrine organizations are working full-time to glean lessons from the war.

Policy

Increased efforts, lower goal help Army end recruiting slump

One-quarter of recruits used the service’s new pre-enlistment course to get up to snuff.

Science & Tech

How a US armor brigade is applying lessons from Ukraine

The 1st Armored BCT rigged an old satellite dish to emit like a command post—and ensnared the opposing force.

Threats

Army embraces Ukraine-style warfare with new all-drone unit

The 101st Airborne’s nine-man team is designed to coordinate fire, reconnoiter ahead of vehicles, and strike with loitering munitions.

Business

Army wants to buy as many drones as it does munitions

The Army could theoretically acquire thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of drones.