Military News
Coverage of the armed forces, defense spending, and global security challenges. The Daily Signal offers news, analysis, and conservative commentary.
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- Opinion
SM-3s and SM-2s Highlight U.S. Missile Defense Needs
The U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency completed a successful test of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) interceptors this past week, marking the 10th anniversary of the Aegis missile defense system becoming operational. During this simulated attack, the SM-3 Block IB destroyed a short-range ballistic missile and the two SM-2 Block…Michaela Dodge -
- Opinion
Hagel Doesn’t Get It: Planning to Have a Plan to Ensure Military Readiness Doesn’t Cut It
At the annual Defense Forum at the Reagan Presidential Library, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel delivered a much-publicized speech last Saturday about how to make sure our military is ready to defend the nation’s vital interest in these difficult days. But Hagel didn’t describe a plan to deliver “game-changing” technology; he gave a speech about planning…James Carafano -
- Opinion
Lame-Duck Congress Must Renew Its Commitment to Missile Defense
As Republicans enjoyed remarkable gains on Election Day, capturing control of the Senate and tightening their grip on the House, a palpable shift in the prevailing power structure overcame Washington. Although the Republican Party won’t actually take control of the Senate until January, a number of important issues will demand more immediate consideration. Among the…Scott Erickson -
- News
This Film Has the Military Hooked, but Not Hollywood
For soldiers returning from faraway battlefields, coming home isn’t always easy. The acclaimed film “Fort Bliss” seeks to bring those struggles to the big screen, garnering praise from viewers and the Pentagon but a lackluster response from Hollywood. The film, which opened to limited release in April, won the support of critics, viewers—including Secretary of Defense…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Hey, Defense Department: Focus on ISIS, not Climate Change
As world leaders remain locked in on the threat of ISIS, the U.S. Department of Defense laid out its plan to fight a different battle: ice caps. In a new report, DOD argues that climate change poses “immediate risks to U.S. national security” because of warmer temperatures, rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and more…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
Three Changes Bobby Jindal Would Bring to American Defense Policy
We have some idea from his two terms as governor of Louisiana what Bobby Jindal, perspective 2016 presidential candidate, would do domestically in the Oval Office. But we found out on Monday that when it comes to foreign and defense policy, Jindal would pursue a track a lot more like that of Ronald Reagan than…Greg Andrews -
- Opinion
The Defense of Marriage Isn’t Over
Monday’s action from the Supreme Court is, as I noted, a setback for sound constitutional self-government and a setback for a healthy marriage culture. Rather than a single Roe v. Wade of marriage, where the Supreme Court would redefine marriage across the nation, the Court, by refusing to hear any of the marriage cases, has…Ryan T. Anderson -
- Opinion
3 Ways to Make Our Military Stronger
Here is a prediction: The defense budget will get a cash Band-Aid in 2016. Washington may be about to experience one of those rare moments when smart politics coincides with smart policies. Instead of wringing its hands over surviving under “austerity” budgets as far as the eye can see, the Pentagon ought to be thinking…James Carafano -
- Opinion
Happy Birthday, Long-Range U.S. Missile Defense!
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the first operational deployment of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system, the only ballistic missile defense system that currently protects the U.S. from a long-range ballistic missile threat. The interest in the development and deployment of the system came after the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty…Michaela Dodge -
- Opinion
Why Federal District Court—Not Military Commission—Was Right Court to Try Bin Laden’s Son-in-Law
Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law was sentenced to life in prison today in a New York federal district court. Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who was convicted in his federal terrorism trial earlier this spring, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who described Ghaith at the sentencing proceeding today as bin Laden’s “propaganda minister” and,…Cully Stimson -
- Opinion
5 Key Points Marco Rubio Made in His Big Defense Speech Today
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., outlined his views on the role of America in the world, why we need American power, and his position on what the U.S. military should look like in a speech today. Here is a brief recap of what Rubio said: 1. “Foreign policy is domestic policy.” “Never before have our people…Diem Salmon -
- Opinion
One Photo Confirms Why Military Dogs Are the Best Dogs Ever
If loyalty had to be defined by a picture, this would be it. A military working dog spotted in an airport protecting a soldier while he sleeps, this German shepherd is quickly becoming a viral sensation. It's a great reminder that heroes come in all sizes (and breeds). >>>Four Legs and a Life of Service: The Fight to…Kelsey Lucas -
- News
Arab Bank Mounts Its Defense in Landmark Terrorist Financing Case
The chairman of Arab Bank, Sabih Al-Masri, is expected to be the first defense witness as a landmark terrorism trial begins its third week in New York federal court. Three hundred U.S. nationals are suing Arab Bank, claiming it knowingly provided services to terrorists and their financiers in violation of U.S. anti-terrorism law. The plaintiffs…Sharyl Attkisson -
- Opinion
Joan Rivers’ Passionate Defense of Israel Against Hamas
“Let me just tell you: If New Jersey were [blasting] rockets into New York, we would wipe them out,” said comedian Joan Rivers in July. Rivers died today at the age of 81.Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
Missile Defense Symposium Measures Missile Threat
Last week, Huntsville, Alabama, hosted the 17th annual space and missile defense symposium. The symposium is always a good barometer of the mood within the ballistic missile defense community. And while the mood this year was better than in previous years, it is clear that the ballistic missile threat is growing and that sequestration undermines…Michaela Dodge -
- News
Local Law Enforcement Defend Use of Armored Military Vehicles
Amid heightened attention about the militarization of police, law enforcement agencies across Mississippi are continuing to stock up on military-grade armored vehicles from federal surplus. Two sheriffs in Mississippi who are beefing up their vehicle fleets with armored vehicles say they’re doing so to protect officers and save tax dollars by acquiring the vehicles at little…Steve Wilson -
- News
Military Bases to Stop Holding Border-Crossing Children
As fewer unaccompanied children cross the southern border to enter the United States, officials say they no longer need to house them at military facilities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday that it will suspend operations at three temporary shelters for young illegal immigrants on military bases, beginning with Fort Sill…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Is Sending the Military to the Border a Good Idea?
James Carafano is a 25-year Army veteran, a graduate of and former professor at West Point, and a leading expert on military strategy, including border issues. In his decade at The Heritage Foundation, he has conducted extensive research on border issues, including making frequent trips to the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico. On the…James Carafano -
- Opinion
Collective Self-Defense Is Good for the U.S.-Japan Alliance
On July 1, a prime-minister-appointed security advisory panel determined that Japan has the right to collective self-defense, a right guaranteed to all nations under the U.N. charter but previously not exercised under Japan’s pacifist constitution. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision to implement collective self-defense will strengthen the U.S.–Japan alliance, but he faces strong opposition domestically…Riley Walters -
- Opinion
You Can’t Use the Military to Solve Every Government Problem
“What’s the point of having this superb military that you’re always talking about if we can’t use it?” —Madeline Albright, 1993, as she argued for sending U.S. troops to Bosnia There’s an undertone to Albright’s quip, one that suggests a sharp distinction between how progressives and realists view the purpose of the people in the…James Carafano