Transparency is not one of the Obama Administration’s greatest strengths. Walter Pincus of The Washington Post mistakes congressional efforts to better understand the Administration’s nuclear weapons plans for “congressional dysfunction.” Pincus is referring to chairman Mike D. Rogers’s (R–AL) efforts to block the Administration’s request to provide $75 million in …
The U.S. Air Force recently stripped 17 officers of their authority to control and launch intercontinental-range ballistic missiles (ICBMs) after inspections indentified potential problems that could endanger U.S. national security. Although the incident did not impact security and operational readiness of U.S. ICBM forces, the Air Force is right to …
Cuts in President Obama’s fiscal year 2014 defense budget submission are troubling, according to Mike Rogers (R–AL), Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, House Armed Services Committee. While the President proposes to reduce the defense budget by about $120 billion in the next 10 years, the world is not getting …
Last week, 16 House Republicans called for including as much as $250 million for the U.S. East Coast missile defense site. This is a step in the right direction. All the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptors that can shoot down long-range ballistic missiles are currently located on the West Coast; …
North Korea continues to escalate the situation on the Peninsula, most recently by telling international diplomats it will not be able to guarantee their security after April 10. The ongoing crisis demonstrates the benefits of missile defense for the protection of the U.S. homeland and forward-deployed troops, and the assurance …
1. Does North Korea have nuclear weapons? North Korea conducted its third nuclear weapons test in February in defiance of international efforts to halt its nuclear weapons program. Although details about the test remain elusive, it appeared to be North Korea’s largest nuclear weapons test to date. In March, North …
Yesterday, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel gave his first major speech since he was confirmed for the job in February. “The Department must understand the challenges and uncertainties, plan for the risks, and, yes, recognize the opportunities inherent in budget constraints and more efficient and effective restructuring,” he said. Secretary …
