Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Army gears up for ‘laser shoot-off,’ eyes next-generation weapons for Stryker vehicles
The Army is getting closer to fielding laser weapons on some of its ground combat vehicles, and a high-stakes "shoot-off" between major defense companies next spring will mark a turning point in the Pentagon's quest for a fully operational laser system. Published December 28, 2020
Trump taunts Tehran with ‘some friendly health advice’ amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions
Iran's foreign minister hurled invective at the White House on this week, accusing President Trump of irrationally plotting to attack Iran during his final weeks in office and ratcheting up hostility just as President-elect Joseph R. Biden prepares to extend a diplomatic olive branch to Tehran. Published December 26, 2020
Donald Trump threatens retaliation if Iran-backed groups target Americans
President Trump and top Iranian officials traded threats Wednesday evening and Thursday morning as tensions rise between the two countries during Mr. Trump's final weeks in office. Published December 24, 2020
U.S dispatches 5,000 sailors and Marines off coast of Somalia
The Pentagon this week dispatched 5,000 sailors and Marines to the waters off the coast of Somalia, offering a show of strength to extremist groups such as al-Shabaab as U.S. ground forces prepare to exit the chaotic country. Published December 23, 2020
‘Patently false’: Pentagon fires back at Joe Biden as fight over transition meetings turns ugly
The Pentagon fired back Wednesday at President-elect Joseph R. Biden, calling his claim that the Defense Department is refusing to brief the Biden transition team on key issues a "patently false" allegation. Published December 23, 2020
Christopher Miller visits Afghanistan amid troop drawdown
Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, meeting with Afghan officials and American troops as the U.S. continues a major drawdown from the country during President Trump's final weeks in office. Published December 22, 2020
Army’s long-range cannon hits target 43 miles away
The Army's groundbreaking long-range cannon hit a target 43 miles away over the weekend, military officials said, marking another successful test of an artillery system that the Pentagon says will give the U.S. a major battlefield advantage over foes such as China and Russia. Published December 22, 2020
Trump Iran pressure imperils Biden nuclear deal return desire
China, Russia and European nations seeking to salvage the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran said Monday that they would welcome a U.S. return to the accord, but President Trump's escalation of pressure on the Iranian regime during his final weeks in office could hobble the incoming Biden administration's pursuit of diplomacy. Published December 21, 2020
Message to Iran: U.S. sends nuclear submarine through Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Navy on Monday sailed a nuclear-powered submarine through the Strait of Hormuz, sending an unmistakable message to Iran just a day after U.S. officials blamed Iran-backed militias for a rocket attack on the American embassy complex in Iraq. Published December 21, 2020
South Korean officials defend controversial propaganda law
Top South Korean officials on Monday defended a controversial new law banning the flying of leaflets and other propaganda into North Korea by balloon, arguing that the measure will protect citizens living along the militarized border between the two nations. Published December 21, 2020
Despite U.S. withdrawal from Somalia, Pentagon warns al-Shabab: ‘They should not test us’
Pentagon leaders over the weekend warned that a U.S. exit from Somalia should not be viewed as a victory by the al-Shabab terror network, and they stressed that American forces will still be fully capable of striking the extremist group "at the time and place of our choosing." Published December 21, 2020
Ron Klain: Biden weighing sanctions, other measures to respond to cyberattack
Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of staff, said Sunday that President-elect Joseph R. Biden is weighing a range of potential responses to the massive cyberattack on federal and private systems. Published December 20, 2020
Putin congratulates Russia’s intel service after U.S. hit with massive cyberattack
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday publicly commended his country's SVR foreign intelligence service for its work protecting Moscow's interests. Many American officials and security experts believe the same Russian spy agency is responsible for a massive cyberattack on the U.S., the full extent of which is still being determined. Published December 20, 2020
Space Force troops get their official name: ‘Guardians’
Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have a new colleague: "Guardians." Published December 18, 2020
Pentagon says transition meetings will resume after holidays; Biden team demands immediate restart
Top Pentagon officials on Friday pushed back on reports that the Defense Department had fully halted meetings with President-elect Joseph R. Biden's transition team, stressing that work will continue after a mutually agreed-upon break for the holidays. But Mr. Biden's team said shortly afterward that there was no such agreement. Published December 18, 2020
Drone tank: Army seeks final proposals for its ‘optionally manned fighting vehicle’
The Army is moving closer to ground combat vehicles that can function without a human operator inside. Published December 18, 2020
Mark Milley navigates minefield of ‘Trumpian politics’
Military insiders say Gen. Mark A. Milley has routinely demonstrated the savvy and instincts needed to navigate issues ranging from a contentious election cycle that threatened to ensnare the armed forces to private disagreements between the Pentagon and White House. Published December 17, 2020
U-2 spy plane flies with artificial intelligence co-pilot
The Air Force this week put a groundbreaking co-pilot aboard a U-2 spy plane flight: artificial intelligence. Published December 17, 2020
Joe Biden to thrust climate change to Pentagon forefront
Climate change soon will be thrust back into the spotlight at the Pentagon, with the incoming Biden administration set to frame the issue as an immediate threat to national security, a destabilizing force around the world, and a danger to U.S. military installations at home and abroad. Published December 16, 2020
Army warns: U.S. homeland bases at risk of ‘deliberate and direct attacks’
U.S. Army bases face the real risk of "deliberate and direct attacks" from enemies and must implement new strategies to strengthen their defenses, the Army warned Monday in a major new report that painted an alarming picture of the threats that confront military installations at home. Published December 15, 2020