Ukraine needs weapons to stop Russian drones. Lasers and microwaves have potential, but the technology is not yet mature enough for Ukraine to invest in directed energy weapons, according to a new study. My latest for Uncommon Defense. www.theuncommondefense.com/p/laser-weap...

China and Russia don't believe that that America has the ability or money to build Golden Dome. However, Beijing and Moscow won't take any chances: they will just build more missiles. My latest for Uncommon Defense. www.theuncommondefense.com/p/china-and-...

China believes it can invade Taiwan without the need for tanks. Just lots of light infantry, backed by missiles, drones and other firepower. My latest for Uncommon Defense. www.theuncommondefense.com/p/china-wont...

Six wargames for your last-minute holiday shopping, courtesy of Defense News. Feel free to disagree with my choices. There were too many good wargames out there to list. www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/mil...

The U.S. Air Force wants a massive AI-based digital wargaming system. But the U.S. military's history of giant computer sims isn't a happy one. Will this time be different? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/air/2025/12/...

The U.S. Navy wants to design a new generation of railroad cars to transport dummy ballistic missiles. With the U.S. military's aging rail system a mess, how difficult will be designing a new flatcar? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/naval/2025/1...

Special operations forces suffer higher rates of Traumatic Brain Injury than other soldiers -- yet TBI research has neglected them. My latest for Defense News. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...

A new Johns Hopkins center is bringing generational AI to defense wargaming. Now players in tabletop exercises can interact with the physics models behind the simulation. My latest for Defense News. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...

Can a tabletop wargame -- that began as a college student's project -- explain why America lost the Vietnam War? My latest for Defense News. www.militarytimes.com/veterans/mil...

Chinese submarines are closing the technology gap with U.S. subs, warn experts. Coupled with China's greater shipbuilding capacity, this spells trouble for U.S. underwater dominance. My latest for National Security Journal. nationalsecurityjournal.org/advanced-chi...

What can the U.S. Army contribute to a Pacific war? It can launch hypersonic missiles at Chinese ports vital to Chinese trade. But would this also damage the U.S. economy as well? My latest for Defense News. www.armytimes.com/opinion/comm...

To survive drone attacks, U.S. Army logistics units will have to learn to operate like combat units, including the use of air defense systems and camouflage. My latest for Defense News. www.armytimes.com/news/your-ar...

The Chinese military suffers from rigid command and control -- or so America hopes. But what if China adopts the U.S. military's mission command doctrine? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) call in airstrikes. But with space-based weapons coming that can bombard targets on Earth, does America need Space JTACs? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/news/your-mi...

Drone battalions could replace U.S. Army brigades in Europe, says one expert. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/unmanned/202...

U.S. early warning radars on Greenland are vital to defending North America from ballistic missiles. But those radars have no defenses to protect themselves against missile attack. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/land/2025/10...

If the U.S. Army were to develop a specialized tank for urban warfare, what would it look like? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/news/your-mi...

The U.S. and Europe fly many of the same jets, including the F-35 and F-16. So why can't these nations repair each other's planes? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/air/2025/10/...

The Pentomic Division was the U.S. Army's solution for atomic warfare. The concept didn't work in the 1950s, but would it work today against drones? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/news/your-ar...

India is creating a tactical missile force. But critics worry that Indian missiles are outmatched by long-range Chinese rockets that can strike deep into India. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

By some strange quirk of history, the U.S. Army is responsible for air defense of U.S. Air Force airbases. Is it time for the Air Force to defend its own bases? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/news/your-ar...

China and Russia just conducted their first joint submarine patrol. But why did that use diesel-electric boats, and not their most advanced nuclear subs? My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

When Mother Nature blessed the Baltic States, she wasn't thinking of Russian tanks. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/a-ba...

Ordering the U.S. military to sink suspected drug boats risks turning the oceans into the infamous free fire zones of Vietnam. My latest for Defense News. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...

What would happen if Russia invaded the Baltic region? "Littoral Commander: Baltic" is a new tabletop game that explores that question -- and shows how the modern kill chain works. My latest for Defense News. @defensenews.bsky.social www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

The U.S. Army failed to realize that equipment stored in a shipping container in the desert, needs more maintenance than items in an air-conditioned warehouse, according to a Department of Defense audit. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/midea...

Destroying 8 targets could cripple Russia's war machine. My latest for Defense News. @defensenews.bsky.social www.defensenews.com/global/europ...

U.S. Army Special Forces have a new manual with a special mission: to convince the U.S. military that the days of cowboy special operators are over. And that the Green Berets can contribute to conventional warfare and joint ops My latest for Military Times. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...

Americans like to play offense, not defense. But as China grows stronger, the U.S. military needs to relearn how to conduct a retreat in the Pacific. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

Beware the wrong lesson from the Ukraine war. Drones are not going to replace tanks. My latest for Defense News. @defensenews.bsky.social www.defensenews.com/unmanned/202...

China fears its submarines are vulnerable to America's undersea sensor network. Some Chinese experts want to destroy those sensors, using sabotage, explosives and cyber. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

Why did Chinese bombers fly near Alaska in 2024? A new report suggests the real reason was that China was training bomber crews -- and warning the U.S. not to station nuclear weapons in Korea and Japan. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/air/2025/08/...

A Chinese blockade could cripple Taiwan's electricity, warns a new U.S. wargame. My latest for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...

U.S. government wargames explored how to defend military bases in the United States from drone attack. One lesson: no one really knows who has the authority to shoot down drones. My latest article for Defense News. www.defensenews.com/unmanned/202...

Why the U.S. Air Force's cancellation of the E-7 airborne early warning aircraft will leave NATO scrambling for a replacement. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/us-a... @cepa.org

Why would NATO want to expand into Asia? Doesn't NATO have enough problems in Europe? My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. @cepa.org cepa.org/article/nato...

For 30 years, the Reaper and Predator have symbolized the Drone Age. But have modern air defenses ended the Reign of the Reaper? My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/reign-of-dro...

America's M10 Booker light tank project was a fiasco. As European nations rebuild their armored forces, they can't afford to make the same mistake. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/euro...

What does Littoral Commander -- a board game available on Amazon -- tell us about a U.S.-China war? Long-range missiles and missile interceptors are key -- and the best way to survive is not being detected by the enemy. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/littoral-com...

Motorcycles are cool. But if I were a Russian soldier, I'd rather be in a tank. Tanks are vulnerable to drones, but 2 feet of armor plate is better protection than a leather bike jacket. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/russian-sold...

Cluster bombs are nasty weapons. They may also be Europe's best defense against Russia. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/europe-needs...

When the Ukraine war ends, Russia will have to rebuild its military. Will Moscow opt for a small Western-style force -- or bring back the old Soviet mass armies? My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/russ...

Military deception is no longer just fooling enemy commanders. It is also about fooling enemy AI. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/ai-change-mi...

Russia has finally learned combined arms warfare. The Russians are using ground troops, drones and artillery, and glide bombs to hammer Ukrainian defenses. Or can Ukraine jam the glide bombs? My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/brea...

Chinese warships sailing around Australia are a bluff. They wouldn't survive long in a real war. My latest for 1945. www.19fortyfive.com/2025/04/why-...

Russia's drones have replaced artillery for counterbattery missions against Ukrainian artillery. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/russia-is-ge...

Fears that China is about to invade Taiwan are exaggerated. Why would China invade now, when it wait while Trump destroys the alliances that have protected Taiwan for years? My latest for 1945. www.19fortyfive.com/2025/04/chin...

The F-35 seemed destined to become the standard fighter for European air forces. Trump's tariffs have shot down that idea, with some European countries reconsidering their plans to buy the aircraft. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis. cepa.org/article/the-...

Russia's love affair with artillery goes back 500 years. Stalin's "god of war" isn't just firepower. It is also an instrument of terror to compel Russia's enemies to submit. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/russia-artil...

After years of focusing on counterinsurgency -- and using tank crews as infantry -- the U.S. Army has a tank gunnery problem. My latest for Business Insider. www.businessinsider.com/us-army-tank...