deterrence
Trump's Pentagon expected to lower the bar on when the U.S. should use nukes
“There’s stuff here that’s really dangerous”
Here's What the US and Its Allies Can Do With Their New F-35s
In the second of our three-part look at the F-35, we consider what new capabilities the ultra-expensive plane brings, and what it changes for US and allied strategy.
The US Army Doesn't Seem Real Sure It Could Stop a Russian Invasion of Europe
The US has been neglecting its traditional warfare capability for decades. Now, with Russia seemingly emboldened and slightly loopy, that neglect has the potential to bite America in the ass.
The US Is Making Military Promises It May Not Want to Keep
As the US flies a nuclear-capable bomber close to North Korea in a show of deterrence, it may find that it has made more security promises than it can reliably keep — at least without nukes.
Russia Wants a Doomsday Device — And It's a Sign They're Losing Their Nuclear Marbles
The fact that the Russians are supposedly talking about high-fallout weapons in the tens of megatons tells us that the guys in Moscow may be perilously close to losing their goddamn minds over missile defense.
Iran Nuclear Deal Sparks Joy, Criticism, and Cautious Optimism
Arms control experts and hopeful Iranians are celebrating the Iran nuclear deal, while Iranian hardliners, Israelis, and others criticized the agreement.
An Iran Nuclear Deal Seems Imminent — And Congress Is Ready to Fight It
After 17 days of talks and two blown deadlines, the US and five other nations are on the verge of a nuclear agreement with Iran, but any pact faces a tough struggle in Congress.
Russia Is Now Vulnerable to Surprise Nuclear Attack
Russia does not currently have warning satellites able to detect an incoming nuclear missile strike — but that doesn't mean the US would come out of a fight without getting its hair mussed.
Russia Is Getting New Nuclear Missiles — But It's Probably Not the End of the World
Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will deploy 40 new nuclear ICBMs in the coming year, but it's not necessarily the beginning of the end of the world.
To Save Their Relationship, Obama Invites Arab Allies to His Millennium Falcon
The president has invited members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to Camp David this week, hoping to repair the damage done by the Iran nuclear deal.
Submarines With Wheels, Underwater Blimps, and a New Nuclear Arms Race
A proposal to produce submarines that can interact with the seafloor could lead to a rethinking of oceanic warfare as we know it — and the end of the current nuclear deterrent.
America's Aging Nuclear Arsenal and the 'Earth-Shattering Kaboom'
When no one is sure whether the other guy's nuclear weapons will actually work, everyone is more likely to use their own nuclear weapons against the other guy.