What are Directed Energy Weapons? Directed energy weapons (DEWs) use focused electromagnetic energy to engage and neutralize enemy threats and assets. These weapons encompass high-energy lasers and high-power electromagnetic systems, including millimeter wave and microwave weapons. Unlike traditional munitions, DEWs can offer benefits such as temporary and reversible effects. They can degrade or disable electronic […]
House of WMD – Season 2: Team Black vs. Team Green
By John Erath In 2022, the HBO series House of the Dragon premiered, and I posted an item on this blog discussing the show, in particular the role of dragons as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Not surprisingly, I received more comments about that post than most of the others I’ve done. More people, it […]
What If There Were No Diplomatic Solution?
By John Erath with Sarah Kirchner-Barney “We prefer a diplomatic solution.” This is inevitably the first sentence uttered by a U.S. government spokesperson in response to any international crisis. And with good reason. What would be the alternative to a diplomatic solution? Another war with no end in sight? Obviously, resolving issues without resorting to violence would be […]
Op-Ed: Where’s the Accountability? Congress Must Get Answers Before Spending More on Missile Program
Executive Director John Tierney wrote an op-ed in Newsweek on the need for greater oversight over the Sentinel missile’s budget overruns. Increasing costs are common in many industries but pose an insidious challenge for military acquisitions. Should a construction project, for example, go over budget, it can be canceled. However, if a defense system runs […]
Summary: Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8070) as passed by the House Committee on Armed Services
Table numbers in parentheses are increases or decreases from the FY24 Request FY25 requested levels come from the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation’s Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Budget Request Briefing Book Numbers may not add due to rounding Total National Defense Discretionary Spending Request (050) DOD Nuclear Weapons Funding Request for Select Programs National […]
