Commentary | Defense News

Alone and unafraid: How to prepare to fight and win the next war

As policymakers and war planners prepare for a potential of near-peer conflict — the biggest fight of modern times — two imperatives must be considered.

12 hours ago

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. The huge, high-altitude Chinese balloon sailed across the U.S. on Friday, drawing severe Pentagon accusations of spying and sending excited or alarmed Americans outside with binoculars.

China’s spy balloon can help deflate US nuclear tensions with Beijing

Leaders should turn the diplomatic row into new discussions on strategic stability between two nuclear-armed powers.

17 hours ago

This undated photograph released by the Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate shows the wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk, Ukraine.

Thought Leadership

How to help Kyiv go on a drone offensive

Russia and Iran are planning to build a factory within Russia to produce thousands of Shahed-136 drones.

Congress must restore order to the Navy’s amphibious ship program

If the relocated Marines are no longer in position to engage enemy ships or missiles, they become irrelevant.

2 days ago

The Army’s multiyear contracts are a model for other services

Inking multiyear procurement contracts is a good first step towards reinvigorating the defense industrial base, especially when it comes to munitions.

4 days ago

The Pentagon must make a culture shift to embrace innovation

A culture of innovation is fundamental to acquiring, adopting and scaling new technologies that will give our men and women in uniform the advantage.

6 days ago

Unwise divestments are crippling US Marine Corps aviation

The reductions are not the result of insufficient funding or mandated cuts in personnel; the wounds have been self-inflicted.

13 days ago

Air defense upgrades, not F-16s, are a winning strategy for Ukraine

The U.S. and its allies and partners should act immediately to increase the production of current air-denial weapons and the development of future systems.

13 days ago

Want to innovate for DoD? Pay close attention to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is a master class on the best and worst practices in competitive maneuvering.

2 weeks ago

Are there flaws in the US Navy’s distributed maritime operations?

Is the concept viable in an era of precision weapons and nearly ubiquitous surveillance?

2 weeks ago

Stocking Ukraine could generate foreign military sales boom

Backfilling the weapons allies have sent to Ukraine with U.S. equipment could improve their capabilities and build a more effective military deterrent.

3 weeks ago

Challengers and challenges: The promise and perils of UK leadership

British leaders should take care to preserve unity among Ukraine's allies in their push to send more and better weapons to Kyiv.

3 weeks ago

Three ways to build on DISA’s strong data strategy

DISA’s IPlan is a solid step forward for guiding internal data practices, providing insights and goals to reduce data silos.

3 weeks ago

World leaders should press Switzerland on arms deliveries to Ukraine

American and European leaders should make clear to their Swiss hosts that Bern’s position on the transfer of Gepard ammunition will incur consequences.

3 weeks ago

How a new commission will fix disputes over US Navy’s force structure

An underlying problem is that the Defense Department and the Navy have lost credibility in force planning and acquisition.

3 weeks ago

Did anyone say ‘war fatigue’ about Ukraine?

It is up to the Ukrainians to say if they are willing to bear the risks of escalation rather than for the West to decide for them.

4 weeks ago

More can be done to ban US government use of Chinese drones

The U.S. national security community must eschew companies and supply chains controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

4 weeks ago

How big of a fleet? A look at the US Navy’s size and readiness needs

Absent the personnel and support needed, additional ships could spend more time at the piers and be less capable at sea.

4 weeks ago

Add Israel to the Combined Maritime Forces and its Red Sea task force

Expanding CTF 153 and its parent organization can help secure crucial sea lines of communication.

4 weeks ago

A B-1B Lancer takes off from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to participate in a tri-bomber flyover for the B-21 Raider unveiling ceremony in Palmdale, Calif., Dec. 2, 2022.

Bombers necessary to deter and defeat

A healthy and capable U.S. bomber fleet is vital to national security.

5 weeks ago