Author Archives: Courtney Messerschmidt

Pentagon is stepping up plans to deal with a dangerous regional spillover from Syria’s possible collapse—a scenario it had recently seen as remote—drawing up proposals including a Jordanian buffer zone for refugees secured by Arab troops, said U.S. officials familiar … Continue reading →

US Lawmakers are expected to battle over armed drones, softening the blow of military budget cuts and a controversial missile defense shield as they craft Pentagon policy legislation for fiscal 2014. – Defense News Under Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., … Continue reading →

Sharp cuts in Pentagon spending are beginning to crimp U.S. military operations in Asia, fueling worries among allies over the American commitment to security in the region at a time when North Korea nuclear threats and China’s military expansion are … Continue reading →

On the two-year anniversary of the daring U.S. special operations raid that killed Osama bin Laden, America’s cadre of elite troops are starting to buckle after more than a decade of constant combat. – DEFCON Hill U.S. Special Operations Command … Continue reading →

Not long after Adm. William H. McRaven led the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, he was put in charge of the nation’s entire contingent of Special Operations forces, and set to work revamping them to face a widening array … Continue reading →

The Pentagon has in recent days stepped up planning for potential military intervention in the Syrian civil war, specifically because of growing evidence the regime may have used chemical weapons, CNN has learned. – CNN’s Security Clearance Gen. Joseph Hoar … Continue reading →

US Air Force Secretary Michael Donley will step down June 21, ending a nearly five-year run as the top civilian official in the service. – Defense News The F-35 program executive officer is “moderately confident” that the stealthy fighter’s prime … Continue reading →

The head of the F-35 Joint Program Office told Congress that the program is continuing to improve, in part because of turnover at primary contractor Lockheed Martin. – Defense News The United States’ top military officer said Thursday that his … Continue reading →

The top commander of the Marine Corps blasted what he called “neo-isolationism” at a congressional hearing Wednesday morning. – Washington Free Beacon Pentagon is moving to fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities on the Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), after computer systems … Continue reading →

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday to seal a major arms deal that will provide the Saudi kingdom with sophisticated missiles for its American-made fighter jets. – Defense News The Army’s top officer proposed a 8,000 … Continue reading →