• The Siege of the Red Sea

    With the degradation of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis stand out as one of Iran’s proxies that continues to pose a serious threat to U.S. interests in the region. But with Iran on its back foot and Trump’s determination to bring the full capabilities of the U.S. military to bear against the Houthis, the group’s days running roughshod in the Red Sea may be numbered.

  • Under Pressure from Trump, ICE Is Pushing Legal Boundaries

    Confrontations with judges are grabbing attention, but more quietly a pattern of questionable arrests shows the extent to which the administration is willing to test norms and laws.

  • Bolt from the Blue: What We Know (and Don’t Know) About the U.S. Powerful F-47 Fighter

    When the F-47 enters service, at a date to be disclosed, it will be a new factor in US air warfare. The design will have much more range than earlier fighters, both at supersonic and subsonic speed. But it is not even a fighter as it is generally understood. It will be more stealthy. It will be larger, trading dogfight maneuverability for reach, and it will be designed to work within a family of systems, many of them unmanned.

  • Air Force Options Plentiful for Basing of New F-47 Fighter

    The need for the F-47 was crystalized as potential foe China has already flown a pair of tailless sixth generation prototypes and already has two fifth generation fighters, the Chengdu J-20 and the smaller Shenyang J-35, in service.

  • Robot with LiDAR Laser Explores Danger Zones

    In a disaster such as a chemical plant incident or flooding, emergency services need ways to quickly get an overview of the situation. But in many cases, they are not permitted to enter the scene itself in order to avoid putting themselves at risk.

  • Could the EU Become a Military Superpower?

    Only two weeks after a European Union summit where the bloc’s leaders pledged to spend billions on defense in a “watershed moment for Europe,” they are returning to Brussels to solidify plans for strengthening Europe’s defense autonomy amid ongoing doubts about the US commitment to protecting European nations and sustaining military support for Ukraine.

  • The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram: Inside a Global Online Hate Network

    White supremacists from around the world used Telegram to spread hateful content promoting murder and destruction in a community they called Terrorgram. ProPublica and FRONTLINE identified 35 crimes linked to Terrorgram, including bomb plots, stabbings, and shootings. After several arrests of alleged Terrorgram members and reforms by Telegram, experts expect that extremists will find a new platform for their hate.

  • The Parallels Between Kash Patel and William J. Burns, a Scandal-Mongering 1920s FBI Director — an FBI Historian Explains

    As an FBI historian, I have researched political influence on the FBI. It’s still early days, but Kash Patel’s confirmation has one clear, if century-old, comparison in FBI history. It is not J. Edgar Hoover, but Hoover’s immediate predecessor, William J. Burns, who served as director from 1921 through 1924.With bogus charges and spurious probe, Burnsused the FBI to go after lawmakers who wanted to investigate the Teapot Dome Scandal. Trump’s and Patel’s own words portend the FBI returning to the open political targeting of the Teapot Dome era. History whispers a warning.

  • The Push to Restore Semiconductor Manufacturing Faces a Labor Crisis − Can the U.S. Train Enough Workers in Time?

    Semiconductors power nearly every aspect of modern life.The U.S. depends heavily on foreign countries – including China, a geopolitical rival – to manufacture semiconductors. This isn’t just an economic concern; it’s widely recognized as a national security risk. There is a bipartisan support to expanding domestic chip manufacturingby building new chip plants, but a major challenge remains: Who will operate them?

  • Is “Fake” Terrorism Still Terrorism? Here’s What the Sydney Caravan Incident Tells Us

    The recent discovery of a caravan full of explosives in Dural, in Sydney’s northwest, caused significant fear about the possibility of a mass casualty attack. The Australian Federal Police declared it and 14 antisemitic attacks a “con job” by organized criminals who were trying to distract police or use it as a bargaining chip to influence prosecutions. Can “fake” terrorism still be terrorism, especially if it causes significant fear?

  • From Home to Horror: The Association Between Domestic Violence and Terrorism

    Domestic violence is an under-recognized early indicator of terrorism. It is not a reliable solitary indicator, but when observed alongside risk factors, it can prompt authorities to take a closer look at a potential terrorist.

  • Making Airfield Assessments Automatic, Remote, and Safe

    U.S. Air Force engineer and PhD student Randall Pietersen is using AI and next-generation imaging technology to detect pavement damage and unexploded munitions.

  • On Hurricanes and Hoaxes: A Case for Finding Common Ground

    Conspiracy theories offer an easy, emotionally satisfying answer to a complicated problem. Instead of facing the reality of climate change, or reckoning with their own complicity, people can choose a different story: that climate disasters are manipulated, that scientists are corrupt, and that the crisis is exaggerated for political gain.

  • Europe Will Need Thousands More Tanks and Troops to Mount a Credible Military Defense without the U.S.

    Implementing a new defense strategy will mean answering many difficult questions, including whether an EU defense force would involve all EU member states, the potential roles of antagonistic EU members like Hungary and Slovakia (both pro-Trump and pro-Russia), and those of non-EU NATO members such as the UK, Norway, or even Canada.

  • French Nuclear Deterrence for Europe: How Effective Could It Be Against Russia?

    Does France have the capacity to defend Europe? Would the deployment of the French nuclear umbrella in Eastern Europe make Europe strategically autonomous, giving it the means to defend itself independently?