How Can the U.S. better manage the Gray Zone?
This is part three in a three-part series by Cipher Brief Expert and former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia Dave Pitts, who also […] More
DoD
Pete Hegseth’s Answers to Questions That Weren’t Raised in Public
OPINION — “My priority will be to deliver on the President’s [Candidate Trump’s] promise to the American people to protect the homeland with an Iron Dome […] More
What are our Adversaries trying to achieve in the Gray Zone?
This is part 2 of a 3-part series by Cipher Brief Expert and former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia Dave Pitts, who also […] More
U.S. Mission in Space: Maintaining Credibility to Deter
OPINION — “Space is a warfighting domain. Therefore, the Space Force cannot simply be a support element. It is our job to contest and control […] More
The Latest
Futuristic Targeting is Already Here
OPINION – Winning wars with algorithms and AI are not a futuristic concept but a present capability already determining outcomes in various conflict zones and […] 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
Upgrading the U.S. Military’s Nuclear Warheads
OPINION — “I want to ensure that I have a weapon system that will deliver the capabilities that I need to deliver. I also need […] More
Where in the World is the U.S. Coast Guard?
OPINION – “The service [U.S. Coast Guard] is short 4,800 members [more than 10 percent of its active-duty personnel] and has missed recruiting targets for […] More
The West’s Weapons Problem: Growing Threats, Dwindling Stockpiles
SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — As the U.S. and NATO deepen their involvement in a pair of major global conflicts, western nations face a critical security challenge: […] More
It’s Complicated: The Use of Race in Military Academy Submissions
OPINION — “We can’t blow past racial tension in the military…There have always been racial tensions in the military. They have lessened, but they are […] 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
Audits show the Pentagon’s Numbers Aren’t Completely Adding up
OPINION — “Because of the [Defense] Department’s global scale, we have three million people on our payrolls; a health-care system that serves more than nine […] 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
Senator Tuberville: A One Man National Security Threat
OPINION — “For months, Senator [Tommy] Tuberville [R-Ala.] has said, if individual nominees are brought up for a vote one at a time, he will […] More
U.S. Military Recruiting Goes Back to School
OPINION — “First and foremost, the current recruitment crisis [in the U.S. Army] is nothing new. Indeed, it would be fair to say that since […] More
The Future of Cyberwar is being Shaped in Ukraine
OPINION — “We are one of the most wired modern militaries in the world. At a minimum, our own need to defend our systems to […] More
Advantage in Space is Mission Critical
OPINION — “Operations to deny adversary hostile use of space could originate in any domain and target on-orbit, ground, cyber, and/or link segments to reduce […] More
DoD’s Replicator Drone Concept Builds on Lessons Learned in Ukraine
“Small, smart, cheap, and many” is the way Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks describes the characteristics of the drones that the Pentagon intends to put […] 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