Editorial

Defense News offers commentary and opinion that frames the global debate about defense policy, programs and strategy.
Even a pandemic can’t stunt geopolitics
This year's Outlook authors were, understandably, unable to ignore the coronavirus pandemic. But the spread of a disease did not distract them from the affairs of geopolitics.
Shipbuilding: Here today, gone tomorrow
Industry well remembers the 1990s when costs drove the Navy to slash the Seawolf-class sub order from 29 hulls to just three, with no immediate replacement vesse ready to keep the lines hot.
When a global health crisis hits home
At the start, this was a health care crisis certainly, an economic crisis potentially. Now it's clear that no market is unaffected, and I join the rest of the world in wondering where the defense industry will land.
In this June 19, 2017, file photo President Donald Trump, left, and Satya Nadella, chief executive officer of Microsoft, center, listen as Jeff Bezos, chief executive officer of Amazon, speaks during an American Technology Council roundtable in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington.
Take that, Trump: Why Amazon can afford to be defiant
If President Donald Trump figuratively declared war on Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, and by extension Amazon, the approach taken for the JEDI contract award protest the head of Amazon Web Services declaring war on the president.
A new future in global arms sales?
The last few years have seen a subtle transition in how the U.S., as the world’s dominant arms exporter, markets to the world.
One step forward, two back
The latest news on the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle project doesn’t exactly fall neatly within that inspirational vision of a new approach to Army acquisition.
A tale of two future fighters
There’s a tale of two fighters underway in Europe. And countries — and their companies — are choosing sides.
Wait, where are all the women?
Not including our own editorial team, we have only three women participating in the Defense News Conference. Candidly, that’s pretty unacceptable.
China is watching
Obviously, global perception shouldn’t define U.S. policy. But if we talk about how today’s rhetoric might be interpreted by allies, which we do, we certainly should consider how it might be interpreted by adversaries.
Can we really get Europe to cut the Russia cord? It’s complicated.
The theory is that the European Recapitalization Incentive Program, or ERIP, will help six nations (start to) get off Russian equipment, while increasing the sale of U.S. weapon systems abroad in the process. A win-win, for the United States. But perhaps more nuanced for its European allies.
Is this a JEDI mind trick?
I don’t question industry’s ability to develop a secure, capable cloud infrastructure for the Pentagon. I do question how on earth the Pentagon screwed up the competition so badly.
Let these Pentagon leaders do their job
If government is going to restrict these individuals from tapping their expertise or create proverbial muzzles that prevent or dissuade them from performing, then why are they there in the first place?
No more stories