What are we Getting for Record Defense Spending?
OPINION — Next year’s national defense spending — for the Defense Department, the Department of Energy [for nuclear weapons] and other security agencies — may […] More
Defense spending
Will China Start Selling the ‘AK-47’ of Drones?
From the time of the first kinetic strike by an unmanned aircraft in October of 2001, the United States has relied heavily on remote-controlled drone […] More
Austerity Cloud Hovers Over Pentagon Wish List for Guerillas and Climate
The Senate-passed, fiscal 2018 Defense Authorization Bill carries two little-publicized amendments that will impact future war-fighting capabilities. But the measure fails to deal with the […] More
Mattis Hails Nuclear Triad as Pentagon Conducts Review
As Defense Secretary Jim Mattis concludes a nuclear-focused trip, his public backing this week of all three parts of the triad likely serves as an […] More
The Latest
Capitol Hill Budget Brawls Stretch Navy Resources Thin
“If we do a continuing resolution, we are not only not rebuilding our military, we are harming our military,” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told his Senate […] More
Will Congress Break the Budget Caps This Time Around?
The Congress is heading for another budget crisis as the beginning of fiscal 2018 approaches on October 1. At issue is when and how Congress […] More
Time for Missile Interceptors in Space?
An effective space-based sensor network is a critical component of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system. The better the data the missile defense system has, […] More
U.S. Fails to Unscramble Mixed Messages on Qatar-Saudi Dispute
Two weeks have passed since I wrote the column about the Saudi-Qatar split, and as of today the Trump administration seems still unable to get […] More
Trump, Modi Vow to Fight Scourge of Terrorism
At first glance, the similarities between President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi point to a foundation for a strong relationship. Both wish […] More
Missile Defense Test Blocks Missile, Can it Block Criticism?
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) performed a successful test of the Ground-based Missile Defense (GMD) system on Tuesday. This was the first test of […] More
Why Subs? To Send Neighbors a Powerful Message – “Stay Outta My Yard”
Defense spending across Asia has increased substantially during the past 10 years, and looks to continue growing apace into the 2020s. Nowhere is this more […] More
Best Of: Aircraft Carriers: Bigger is Better
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. As I write, the […] More
Best Of: The Time is Right for Light Carriers
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. Some planners advocate building […] More
Sizing Up America’s Aircraft Carriers of the Future
Editor’s Note: For this year’s Memorial Day feature, The Cipher Brief revisits its coverage examining the future of U.S. aircraft carriers. America’s largest warships have […] More
Trump Defense Budget Falls Short of Promised Build-Up
President Donald Trump has promised the U.S. military “beautiful” planes, ships, and equipment, but his $603 billion, 2018 defense budget offers only a modest build-up, […] More
Japanese Fears of North Korea, China Spur Cautious Defense Buildup
Over the past decade, Japan has had to deal with external threats, from Chinese assertiveness in the seas surrounding the island nation to North Korea’s […] More
German Armed Forces Modernize, Build Cyber Defenses
Last year’s White Paper on German Security Policy lays out the country’s future security and defense trajectory. It omits the politically charged element of security […] More
Sizing Up the Trump Defense Budget
President Donald Trump’s defense budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 calls for $54 billion in additional spending, but it is not yet clear where this […] More
How Much is Enough: Setting a Topline for Defense Spending
Twenty-six years after the end of the Cold War, the United States once again must prepare for great power competition and confrontation. Russian aggression along […] More