Navy Secretary: US Plans Patrols Near Russian Arctic Bases

“It’s sort of the same situation in the South China Sea that, when we look at freedom of navigation operations and the ability to operate in international waters, the United States claims the right to be able to do that,” SecNav Kenneth Braithwaite said.

Don’t Cut The Army In 2021

The post-COVID budget crunch – and the need to grow seapower and airpower for a Pacific contest with China – make it all too tempting to cut the Army. But that would be a grave mistake, warns retired three-star general Tom Spoehr.

2021: Stormy Seas Ahead While Navy Hammers Out New Fleet

The Trump administration waited four years to come up with a plan to increase the size of the fleet, dumping it on the Pentagon’s doorstep even as the moving vans were getting ready to pull up to the White House.

Top 10 Stories Of 2020: DARPA Dogfights To Polish Bridges

The list is an impressive marker of the breadth of topics we cover as we chronicle the strategy, policy and politics that decide the weapons America and its allies buy, and how we use them.

NDAA Loaded With Icebreakers, Satellite Funding For Sharper Arctic Focus

“The highways of the Arctic are paved by icebreakers,” said Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, who helped shepherd the provisions through to the final bill which sits on the president’s desk, awaiting his promised veto

White House Paves Policy For Nuke-Powered Rockets & Reactors On Moon

Administration officials were quick to stress that US pursuit of space-based nuclear power sources has absolutely nothing to do with building nuclear weapons in space.

Buy America Doesn’t Work; We Need Allies: Rep. Thornberry

This is the last opinion piece Mac Thornberry will write as a member of the House of Representatives (at least, that’s what his staff told us!). I’m personally honored he chose us because Rep. Thornberry is one of the relatively few defense lawmakers I have truly respected for his knowledge, his commitment to quality legislation…

Biden’s Intelligence Community Must Focus On Climate Crisis

To understand climate change’s effects on China or the party’s true plans, the IC will need to use traditional secret information collection approaches. In other cases, the IC may need to devote classified resources.

Boost Coast Guard Fleet For Pacific Partnerships

For decades, China has deployed its fishing fleet – the largest in the world – as a maritime militia, systematically asserting and expanding Beijing’s influence throughout the Indo-Pacific.  The fleet routinely operates in areas where there is little to no enforcement and willfully engages in aggressive, predatory practices to intimidate lawful local fishermen, undermine maritime…

Our Allies Need US To Modernize Nuke Triad: Gen. Ray

“It’s really important that we don’t let these issues get swept up in … political transitions between administrations,” warned the head of Air Force Global Strike Command.

AI In The Grey Zone: Afghan Lessons For Great Power Conflict

Artificial intelligence developed to hunt terrorists can help track Russian and Chinese targets as well – especially amidst murky, chaotic conflicts in the “grey zone” between peace and open war.

CJCS Milley Predicts DoD Budget ‘Bloodletting’ To Fund Navy

“Look, I’m an Army guy,” Milley said. “And I love the Army…but the fundamental defense of the United States and the ability to project power forward will always be for America naval and air and space power.” 

DoD Official Warns China Pulling Ahead In Data, Simulation Efforts

“Data is the new oil for the international economic order,” Alan Shaffer, a top Pentagon acquisition official, told the annual ITSEC training and simulation conference. 

Space Force, AFRL To Demo Mobile Lunar Spy Sat

The highly mobile D2S2 satellite will carry a 20cm camera to test the sensor performance needed for lunar imaging.