Why Greenland Matters: Natural Resources – and ‘Location, Location, Location’
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — When The Cipher Brief looked at the global security landscape for 2025, Greenland didn’t rate a mention. That was probably true of new […] More
Defense
Does the US Defense Establishment Need a ‘Paradigm Shift’?
EXPERT INTERVIEW — The U.S. starts the new year with a daunting set of challenges in the national security space – from global conflicts to terrorism […] More
2024: 10 Great Cipher Brief Conversations
SPECIAL REPORT — In a year of world-changing events – from the Middle East to Ukraine, cyberattacks to undersea cable attacks, and much more – The […] More
A Defense Bill Aims to Boost ‘Quality of Life’ in the Military
OPINION — “For the first time in decades, this year’s [fiscal 2025] defense [authorization] bill carries a different name. It is the Servicemember Quality of Life […] More
The Latest
Pentagon Leaders Say the Budget Process Hurts National Security. They’re Right.
OPINION — “The stark truth is that these short-term, temporary funding measures create uncertainty throughout the U.S. military and put us at a strategic disadvantage. […] More
Is the Defense Department Ready for an Age of Disruption?
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Does the United States military have an innovation problem? For all its smart leaders and money and obvious edge in many areas, […] More
America’s National Security Wake-Up Call
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – A recent report issued by the Congressionally-mandated Commission on the National Defense Strategy paints a bleak picture of future U.S. national security […] More
Is Made-in-Ukraine the Answer to Russia’s War Machine?
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Russia’s relentless assault on Ukraine has forced a revival of Ukraine’s domestic defense industry. Ukraine tripled defense production in 2023, the first full […] More
Pentagon Looking for Recommendations on F-35
OPINION — “Since early October, the F-35 [jet fighter] program has delivered surge support to Israel. Israeli users are achieving exceptional mission capability rates and […] More
Keep an Eye in the Sky for U.S. Missile Defense
OPINION — “We’ve looked extensively at the Ukraine conflict and I can tell you, the use of drones and how we’re seeing drones being utilized […] More
Biden’s Plan for a New Nuclear Bomb
OPINION — “On October 27, the Department of Defense announced that the United States will pursue a modern variant of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, […] More
Rethinking how the Pentagon spends its money is Mission Critical
OPINION — “Operation and maintenance and military personnel funding [in the Defense Department] typically must be obligated in the year for which they are appropriated. […] More
As Space Command Preps For War, GAO Says Upgrades Are Needed
For want of a nail the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the […] More
How Layered Defense in Ukraine is Shaping Future U.S. Military Operations
OPINION — Last week, senior Pentagon officials offered some initial lessons learned from the first two months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At an […] More
Why NATO is Practicing Nuclear Strike Missions
OPINION — Last week, aircraft and personnel from 14 NATO countries carried out the annual exercise, code-named Steadfast Noon, which involved practicing nuclear strike missions […] More
The Nine Lives of U.S. Defense Programs
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist at The Cipher Brief. Pincus spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on […] More
As the U.S. Draws Down Troops in Afghanistan, It’s Quietly Building Up in Other Places
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist at The Cipher Brief. He spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on […] More
The Military’s Long History of Dealing with Racism
Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist Walter Pincus is a contributing senior national security columnist for The Cipher Brief. He spent forty years at The Washington Post, writing on […] More
Beijing’s Latest White Paper: China’s National Defense in the New Era
Bottom Line Up Front On July 22, 2019, China issued a new defense white paper titled China’s National Defense in the New Era. The […] More