Category
Defense Policy
Analysis of U.S. defense policy, Pentagon strategy, military deployments, NATO commitments, and national security decisions.
9 briefings in this coverage area. See also Live Data for the daily news, Congress.gov, and FRED pool.
Latest analysis
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Intelligence Community Revises China-Taiwan Timeline, Warns of Escalating Homeland Threats
The 2026 IC report no longer projects a 2027 Taiwan invasion, but warns China, Russia, and North Korea are developing missiles that can reach U.S. soil.
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Pentagon's AUKUS Review Raises Doubts About Virginia-Class Submarine Deliveries
A Pentagon review and CRS report raise questions about whether Australia will receive Virginia-class submarines under the $240 billion AUKUS pact.
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AUKUS Meets Shipyard Math in 2026
AUKUS policy barriers have eased, but Senate testimony and CRS analysis show U.S. submarine output now determines whether Pillar I delivery timelines hold.
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Iran War Opens Pacific Deterrence Gap
Pentagon and INDOPACOM are assessing a Pacific deterrence gap as carrier strike groups and precision munitions remain locked in the Persian Gulf in April.
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Iran's Post-Khamenei Succession Tests U.S. End-State Strategy
Two weeks after U.S. strikes toppled Khamenei, son Mojtaba leads Iran — forcing Washington to reconcile its military benchmarks with regime-change goals.
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NATO Allies Reject Trump's Hormuz Push
NATO allies refuse Trump's warship request for the Strait of Hormuz, exposing fault lines in U.S. alliance management as oil tops $100 per barrel.
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CENTCOM Secures Hormuz Passage After Dismantling Iran's Gulf Fleet
After neutralizing Iran's Gulf fleet, CENTCOM is safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz — through which 20% of global oil and gas supplies transit daily.
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Trump's Iran Infrastructure Threat and the Limits of Presidential War Rhetoric
Trump's threats to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure test U.S. targeting doctrine, war powers boundaries, and Rubio's back-channel diplomacy.
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Red Sea Redux: Houthis Open New Front as Washington Rethinks Gulf Strategy
Houthi forces resume Red Sea strikes as the Iran war hits week five, straining U.S. naval assets and complicating State Department ceasefire diplomacy.