Military

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Hao Lienh, assigned to Commander Task Force 56, wears a face mask and stands watch on a Mark VI Patrol Boat before a weapons sustainment exercise in the Arabian Gulf, April 16, 2020.

Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement

What to make of Trump's order to “shoot down and destroy” lranian boats that harass US vessels. International law and Standing Rules of Engagement place significant limits.

May 7, 2020 Michael Schmitt and Durward Johnson

A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility during a Defense Department flight experiment, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020.

Let’s Make a Deal: How to Mitigate the Risk of Hypersonic Weapons

Despite the destructive capability of hypersonic weapons, international arms control law currently does little to regulate their development, testing, or production.

May 6, 2020 John Hursh

Soldiers attached to the 101st Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade from the 1034th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Iowa National Guard and 10th Mountain, 2-14 Infantry Battalion, Ghost Forward Support Company load onto a Chinook helicopter to head out and execute missions across the Combined Joint Operations Area- Afghanistan

Why We Filed a FOIA Request on How Many US Troops Are in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria

Last night, Just Security filed FOIA requests with the Defense Department seeking U.S. troop numbers in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.

Apr. 22, 2020 Kate Brannen and Ryan Goodman

U.S. Army trainers instruct Iraqi Army recruits at a military base on April 12, 2015 in Taji, Iraq.

U.S. Security Aid Is a Faith-Based Policy

The US government requires more empirical evidence for aid to help improve livelihoods abroad than for financing weapons used to destroy them.

Apr. 14, 2020 Andrew Miller and Daniel R. Mahanty

Ryan Meyer, Nike Missile Site Coordinator for Everglades National Park, stands next to a door leading to a bunker attached to one of three facilities that were used to store and potentially launch both conventional and nuclear tipped Nike missiles in reaction to any Russian attack in the Everglades National Park on April 8, 2010 near Everglades City, Florida.

Extend New START — The World Can’t Afford a U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Race Too

The chances of successfully negotiating a new, complex deal including China were already slim before the coronavirus pandemic. Now, in the midst of what clearly will be an extended…

Apr. 10, 2020 Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos

All Americans: Extending Draft Registration Makes Us Stronger

If the US finds itself in a crisis necessitating a mobilization of the American people, it must be able to call on the talents of the entire population, men and women alike.

Apr. 7, 2020 Andrew Swick and Emma Moore

A Lego Rube Goldberg machine at the Maker Faire 2009 in San Mateo, California.

Rube Goldberg and Military Justice

The decisional layer cake that Congress has put in place over the years, including on sexual assault, is rife with potential for yet more command influence.

Apr. 6, 2020 Eugene R. Fidell

Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers assist the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in setting up the Oregon Medical Station (OMS) at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, March 19, 2020. The soldiers do not wear face masks and set up cots in a large room.

Military’s Response to the Coronavirus Crisis: Top 10 Principles

Ten key principles to follow as policymakers seek to utilize the military in a manner that is innovative, responsive to the crisis, and consistent with the rule of law.

Mar. 25, 2020 Mark Nevitt

National Guard troops stand by as people wait to be tested for COVID-19 at New York state’s first drive through COVID-19 mobile testing center at Glen Island Park in New Rochelle, New York on March 13, 2020. The ground is wet and the sky is overcast. Reflections of the troops and testing tents can be seen in the water on the ground.

The Coronavirus, Emergency Powers, and the Military: What You Need to Know

The global coronavirus crisis continues to unfold at lightning speed, disrupting travel, the economy, and everyday life. In response to the pandemic, President Donald Trump declared…

Mar. 16, 2020 Mark Nevitt

Japan's H-IIA rocket carrying the Kirameki-2 satellite is launched from Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture, on January 24, 2017.

War in Space: How International Humanitarian Law Might Apply

(Editor’s Note: The absence of a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework for military operations in outer space represents a troubling deficiency in the understanding of…

Mar. 9, 2020 Michael Schmitt and Sqn. Ldr. Kieran Tinkler

Int’l Criminal Court’s Afghanistan Decision Expands Prosecutor’s Power: What to Expect Next

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorized a formal investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan on Thursday, overturning…

Mar. 6, 2020 Randle DeFalco

U.S. Air Force Space Command Gen. John "Jay" Raymond stands next to the flag of the newly established U.S. Space Command, the sixth national armed service, in the Rose Garden at the White House August 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

NATO Recognizes Space as an “Operational Domain”: One Small Step Toward a Rules-Based International Order in Outer Space

(Editor’s Note: The absence of a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework for military operations in outer space represents a troubling deficiency in the understanding of…

Mar. 4, 2020 Hitoshi Nasu