In August of this year, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced the “Replicator Initiative” a new program to field thousands of less costly autonomous weapon systems. Aimed directly at offsetting China’s growing advantages in the Pacific, the ambitious program is set to deliver all within the next 18-24 months. Replicator is part of a …

On today’s episode we return to an interview with Jonathan Schanzer, Senior Vice President for Research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the author of “Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War”. Host John Sorensen and RealClearDefense editor David Craig spoke with Schanzer in November of 2021 about an attack from ea…

As China’s military capabilities grow, discussions about the US posture in the Pacific often return to the question how large a force does the US need to deter or possibly confront the Chinese Navy? If China were to launch an attack on Taiwan, how do the US and Chinese navies match up? To find out, “Hot Wash” host John Sorensen speaks with Tom Shug…

Note this episode contains explicit language and discussion of self-harm. On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash” John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak with Miles Lagoze, the documentary filmmaker behind “Combat Obscura” a gripping unfiltered look at the war in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012 during his time as an eighteen year-old Co…

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen speaks with Dr. Peter Feaver, a long-time researcher of civil-military affairs about his new book, a comprehensive study of public attitudes towards the military called, “Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military.” He is also a professo…

John Waters speaks with entrepreneur, Army veteran, and author Mike Erwin about applying lessons from the military to positive leadership off the battlefield. Erwin is a graduate of West Point and served as an Intelligence officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, earning two Bronze Stars. After studying positive psychology and leadership at the University …

As Republican candidates prepare for the first debate, does the GOP have a China strategy? In a recent piece for the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin) challenges the candidates and the party to confront what he calls “America’s greatest geopolitical threat.” RealClearDefense contributor John Waters and guest columnist Stephen Y…

The war in Ukraine has rapidly reshaped how strategists think about the modern battlefield, especially the use of drones, cyber, social media, and the importance of electronic warfare. Looking at a potential conflict with China, what would a military confrontation over Taiwan look like in this new technological era? On this episode of “Hot Wash,” h…

On today’s “Hot Wash,” CNN’s Jake Tapper talks about his new fiction thriller “All the Demons Are Here” about an AWOL US Marine back from the Vietnam War and lost in the chaos of the 1970’s. We also discuss his nonfiction book, “The Outpost” about the heroism and tragedy of one of the deadliest battles in the Afghanistan War, and the coverage of th…

Welcome to the first episode of BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front, presented by Real Clear Defense, in which we ask a member of Congress 7 questions that cut to the chase of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Today we hear from Republican Congressman Mark Green of Tennessee, who graduated from West Point, served as an infantry officer in the U.S…

Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film “Oppenheimer” opens this weekend. For the story behind one of America’s most consequential and controversial scientific minds in his own words, listen to a mini-audio documentary about Robert Oppenheimer: his connections to the Communist party, his troubled relationship with President Truman, and the lega…

On Friday June 23rd Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, took to Telegram to announce that he would, “march for justice” to stop the Russian defense ministry “evil”. By Saturday morning Wagner forces had claimed control of Rostov-on-Don, the Russian military headquarters near the Ukrainian border. His forces proceede…

RealClearDefense contributor John Waters speaks with Wall Street Journal National Security reporter Brett Forrest about his new bestselling book, "Lost Son: An American Family Trapped Inside the FBI’s Secret Wars.” Expanding on his investigation for the Journal, Forrest explores the disappearance of Billy Reilly, a gifted civilian who volunteered a…

Did the Cold War really end? As recently as this week, the New York Times confirmed that in 2020 Russian intelligence attempted to assassinate a defector on US soil, crossing a major red line even during the height of the Cold War. On today’s episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash” host John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak…

On today's "Hot Wash," RCD contributor John Waters talks to the authors of a new book, “Unwavering: The Wives Who Fought to Ensure No Man is Left Behind.” It is the story of how the wives of Prisoners of War and those Missing In Action during the Vietnam War compelled the military and the US government to change policy and focused a nation on the u…

On today's "Hot Wash," RCD contributor John Waters talks to the authors of one the site's most popular recent articles, “The Navy SEAL Who Went to Ukraine Because He Couldn’t Stop Fighting.” The tortured story of Daniel Swift, a decorated Navy SEAL who went AWOL, only to end up on the frontlines of Ukraine's war with Russia. It's a story about the …

Visit RealClearPublishing for more information on“Kissinger’s Betrayal: How America Lost the Vietnam War” "Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion o…

Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.…

Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.…

Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.…

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af John Sorensen, Ben Kesling, John Waters

Read the article on RealClearDefense Why America Loses Wars Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense,…

On this episode of "Hot Wash" we look at the US military’s peer adversaries from a “Free Markets” perspective. Are defense budgets bloated by threat inflation? RCD contributor John Waters and I speak with John Tamny, a frequent commentator on financial markets and the economy and the Editor at RealClearMarkets, the Vice President at the small gover…

Follow Hot Wash on Twitter @hotwashrcd Email comments and story suggestions to editors@realcleardefense.com Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.…

On today’s episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” host John Sorensen, and RCD contributor John Waters speak with journalist and combat veteran Ben Kesling about his new book, “Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and Its Aftermath”. It is the story of one unit of the famed 82nd Airborne, their tour in Kandahar’s notorious Arghandab…

On today’s episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash,” RCD contributor John Waters speaks with Bill Bee and Wills Robinson the authors of “The Shot: The Harrowing Journey of a Marine in the War On Terror.” Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on…

On the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash", host John Sorensen and RCD Contributor John Waters speak with Stephanie Savell, the Co-Director of the Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International Relations at Brown University. Savell is an anthropologist, who researches militarism, security, and civic engagement in relation to the Uni…

On today's episode of the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" host John Sorensen and RCD contributor Todd Carney, speak with Jason Kander, veteran, politician and most recently author of “Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD” In 2006, Kander served as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan for the Army Reserve. After ret…

On today's RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash," host John Sorensen and RCD Editor David Craig, talk with Jamie Roberts, the director of a new documentary on HBO/Max “Escape From Kabul” about the chaotic evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan in August of last year. The documentary uses never before seen archival footage and interviews with partic…

Today on the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash” RCD editor David Craig, contributor John Waters, and host John Sorensen speak with retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller, about holding the political and military leadership accountable for the chaotic withdrawal and ultimate Taliban victory in Afghanistan. Scheller, an infantry officer w…

On this edition of the RealClear Defense podcast Hotwash, John Sorensen hosts retired Marine Colonel Andrew Milburn, Founder and CEO of the Mozart Group, an organization that is training Ukrainian frontline units in the war against Russian occupation. Milburn retired from the Marine Corps as a colonel in 2019. His last position in uniform was as de…

Writer/Director Abi Damaris Corbin discusses her new film, "Breaking," based on the real-life story of the late Brian Brown-Easley, a former Marine Corps veteran who robbed a Wells Fargo Bank with a bomb threat in 2017.Af Abi Damaris Corbin, John Waters, David Craig

RealClearDefense Contributor John Waters and "Hot Wash" host John Sorensen speak with Michael Gordon national security correspondent at the Wall Street Journal, about his new book “Degrade and Destroy: The Inside Story of the War Against the Islamic State, From Barack Obama to Donald Trump.” Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subs…

This week a look at the documentary, “Who Killed Lt. VanDorn?” In a January 2014 training exercise off the coast of Virginia, pilot Lt. Wes VanDorn, his co-pilot Lt. Sean Snyder, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Collins died when VanDorn’s MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter caught fire and crashed into the frigid Atlantic. The MH-53E is the Navy’s large…

Today on the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash", host John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters talk to Retired Marine Major Fred Galvin about his new book, “A Few Bad Men: The True Story of US Marines Ambushed in Afghanistan and Betrayed in America.” Galvin enlisted in the Marine Corps as a 17-year-old and quickly deployed to combat in the Pe…

On today’s RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash", RCD Editor David Craig and Contributor John Waters speak with retired four-star Admiral James Stavridis about his new book, “To Risk It all: Nine Conflicts and the Crucible of Decision.” It's a gripping collection of stories of Naval heroes demonstrating how to make decisions under pressure. As much a…

Today on the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash", RCD Editor David Craig looks at competing with China’s military on the technology front. The US military has long enjoyed dominance in its ability to leverage connected communications and data for its warfighters, but peer competitors like China could challenge the US in crucial areas like advanced …

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, RealClearDefense editor David Craig speaks with retired Army Colonel and former General Counsel at US Cyber Command about Cyber and the Russian war in Ukraine. Corn is also a professor at the American University Washington College of Law's Tech, Law and Security program. What are the implications for the …

Today on the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash," host John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak with Matthew Cole about his new book, “Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team 6." Cole is an investigative journalist at ‘The Intercept’ and has covered national security since 2005, traveling extensively in Afghanistan, Pa…

Today on the RealClearDefense podcast "Hot Wash", host John Sorensen and RCD Editor David Craig continue coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by speaking to David Lasseter, former Deputy Assitant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction and a visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute. He is also recently the a…

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, in light of what appears to be a full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the largest conventional conflict in Europe since WWII, we’ve asked Ben Connable to return to update us on his views of this rapidly evolving situation, and to discuss his recent commentary on RealClearDefense “Will the Ukrainians …

On the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, host John Sorensen and RealClearDefense contributor John Waters speak with Dr. Ben Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council, adjunct professor of security studies at Georgetown University. And author of an article for RealClearDefense, “Tro…

In this episode of the RealClearDefense podcast “Hot Wash”, host John Sorensen and RCD contributor John Waters speak with journalist and author Toby Harnden about his new book, “First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11.” Based on original interviews with CIA officers, paramilitary and special forces members of the small te…

Although the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act funding the military passed with bipartisan support, the appropriations bill has not. This puts the entire military and much of the intelligence community under a Continuing Resolution since October 1, freezing new spending, stalling dozens of major programs, and holding spending military-wide to…

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af Brad Thor, John Sorensen, David Craig

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af Josh Login, David Craig

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af Scott Swift, John Sorensen

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"Congress must untie Biden's hands on Taiwan" by Rep. Elaine Luria Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af Elaine Luria, John Sorensen

Subscribe to the RealClearDefense Podcast "Hot Wash" Subscribe to the Morning Recon newsletterfor a daily roundup of news and opinion on the issues that matter for military, defense, veteran affairs, and national security.Af David Craig, Rod Bishop