Finding needles in haystacks: The future of military intelligence?

In the national security decision-making process and military operations, more often than not, intelligence drives action. Actionable intelligence, that is, timely and accurate information about a target of interest, is the most precious commodity. There are numerous ways to gather actionable intelligence: Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is highly valued but very difficult to acquire as it […]

How Navy SEALs are preparing for war with China

After decades of counterinsurgency operations, the United States military has begun shifting its gaze back to nation-level adversaries. According to the Department of Defense (DoD), Russia and China pose the greatest nation-level threat to the U.S. As a result, hereafter, military spending will place more importance on projects and capabilities that would be useful in […]

Under-equipped and undertrained, will Burkina Faso be the next to fall in the war against Islamist terrorists?

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, shares a border with Mali—and that’s a problem. Mali has experienced incredible violence and political instability over the years, which continues to pose a significant threat to the entire region. The two countries share a long and relatively unmonitored border, allowing jihadis to conduct cross-border operations whenever they see […]

Kenya terrorist attack update: The accurate story behind the SAS operator

An unwelcome avalanche of fame has fallen on the lone Special Air Service (SAS) member who responded to last Tuesday’s terrorist attack in downtown Nairobi, Kenya. News outlets around the world have speculated about his identity and outfit. At first, he was a Navy SEAL from SEAL Team 3 because he wore a Velcro patch that […]

Warriors needed: Special Operations units offer bonuses to boost ranks

Despite the astounding success of America’s Special Operations Forces (SOF), decades of conflict and consecutive high-tempo deployments have taken their toll. Army SOF units are having trouble filling their ranks. In an attempt to alleviate this conundrum, the U.S. Army is offering financial incentives to applicants willing to try out for SOF units. Although far […]

How the NSA caught the next Edward Snowden with the help of the Russians

In 2016, U.S. law enforcement arrested Harold T. Martin III, a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, for stealing a massive amount of classified data that would put Edward Snowden to shame. Now, it’s being revealed the intelligence that led to the bust came from the unlikeliest of sources: a Russian cybersecurity company. Kaspersky Lab, based […]

The military’s southern border mission has been extended for another 9 months

U.S. service members currently deployed to the southern border can expect to stay there for another nine months. Although originally the deployment to the area was slated to conclude later this month, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Monday evening that the current operation would extend until September 30, 2019. The DoD did not […]