Cry ‘drone,’ and let slip the fruit flies of war
The US military should focus on building drones that evolve so quickly an adversary's defenses become obsolete before they can be deployed, two Air Force officers argue.
Why Britain needs a maritime-first defense strategy
As Germany and Poland build up their armies, Britain should look to its historic strengths at sea to secure its future role in European defense.
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Missiles and radar need more than demand – they need manufacturing capacity
Expanding manufacturing capacity is critical to producing missiles, radars, and launch systems.
The Navy’s trainer is now the biggest test of the Pentagon’s acquisition reform efforts
With the competition effectively reduced to one bidder, the Navy faces a choice between falling back on old acquisition habits and showing that its reforms can work under pressure, writes Robbin Laird.
The Congressional ‘right to repair’ solution needs some repairs itself
Better licensing and data management would do more for the Pentagon’s maintainers than sweeping new government rights to defense intellectual property, argues Elaine McCusker of AEI.
The fiscal risks of bringing US troops out of Europe
Reducing America’s military footprint in Europe may seem fiscally prudent, but relocating troops and giving up overseas bases could leave US taxpayers with a much bigger bill.
Kaliningrad is more than the Suwałki Gap, and NATO cannot ignore it
In an age of drones and long-range precision weapons, Kaliningrad’s location shows Europe's security isn’t neatly divided between frontline states and everyone else.
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Winning the information war through ideas and perception
As social media and AI amplify dis- and misinformation campaigns, effectively countering them requires a coordinated response.
How the F-15 and F-22 should inform the F-47’s procurement
Budgetary lessons from the two legacy aircraft can help the Air Force anticipate hard choices for the new F-47, one analyst argues.
The Pentagon has gone too far in using the Other Transaction Authority. Congress should act.
Created in 1958 for NASA, the obscure fiscal tool has since become the predominant approach to military contracting – at great risk to taxpayers, one researcher warns.
Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program could outlive its government, so plan accordingly
Nuclear technology can outlive the strategic assumptions that justified its transfer, two experts caution US lawmakers.
We need to make industry crash 100,000 drones next year
The US military needs to find a balance of drone inventory and training consumption that produces the most combat value for its money, writes Col. Dustin Thomas of DCMA.
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How uncrewed surface vessels performing ISR help build persistent maritime awareness
Think of sensing and detection as a network as opposed to individual unmanned surface vessels.
What it takes to succeed as Secretary of the Navy
The US Navy faces its most challenging period since the end of the Cold War, and it needs someone with the right qualities to steer it back on course, says former SecNav John Lehman and AEI's Anand Toprani.
What are humanoid robots actually for on the battlefield?
Despite their cinematic, sci-fi allure, humanoid robots could potentially address real manpower and survivability problems, a former Turkish general argues.
The NIH-Pentagon deal isn’t a cash grab. It’s a rescue.
As global threats move faster than ever, uniting defense capability with scientific innovation is not a luxury, it’s an imperative, argues former Pentagon official David Lasseter.
If Washington is going to be a shareholder, it should act like one
As governments increasingly seek to broaden industrial advantages, if the US is going to follow suit, its justifications should be clear, exceptional and subject to consistent rules, two advisors argue.