Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Eyeing China, Pentagon to shift resources, seek access from Pacific allies
The Pentagon will invest heavily in military construction across the Pacific while updating existing facilities in Guam and Australia, officials said Monday, offering the first broad glimpses of the U.S. military's unfolding effort to redirect equipment and personnel to counter the growing threat posed by China. Published November 29, 2021
U.S. Navy rescues two Iranians stranded in Gulf of Oman for eight days
U.S. sailors rescued two Iranians whose fishing boat had been adrift in the Gulf of Oman for more than a week. Published November 28, 2021
Gaming it out: Inside the Pentagon’s preparation for a China clash
War games have taken on new meaning and urgency in the 21st century as China's massive armed forces build-up in the Pacific and Russia's movement of troops along its border with Ukraine ratchet up the possibility of a major conflict. Published November 27, 2021
Pentagon creates new UFO office, acknowledges ‘national security concerns’
The Defense Department late Tuesday night formally created a new office to track and organize UFO sightings across the U.S. military, acknowledging that persistent cases of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) "raise potential national security concerns" that cannot be ignored. Published November 24, 2021
‘Clock is ticking’ as U.S. vulnerable to Chinese electromagnetic attack, experts warn
America's electric grid and other key infrastructure remain vulnerable to an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack from China, North Korea or other adversary, and the U.S. is at a pivotal moment if it wants to avoid a potential doomsday scenario, a panel of experts warned Tuesday. Published November 23, 2021
System strained as military personnel seek religious waivers from COVID-19 vaccine
The military's system of implementing a COVID-19 vaccination order for all those in the ranks is facing unprecedented stress as a historic number of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines say their faith should allow them to skip getting the shot. Published November 21, 2021
Top Biden aide Jake Sullivan under fire amid Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit
Already under fire for his role in the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is facing growing calls to resign amid new questions about his possible connection to debunked claims of collusion between Russia and former President Trump's 2016 campaign. Published November 17, 2021
‘A threat to all nations’: U.S. condemns Russia after major space weapon test
Russia on Monday tested a major antisatellite weapon in outer space, U.S. officials said, creating more than 1,500 large pieces of debris and potentially endangering American and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Published November 15, 2021
‘Not messing around’: China’s rapid military advances stoke fear, catch Pentagon by surprise
Over just the past several months, major revelations about the extent of China's hypersonic weapons capabilities, its nuclear arms stockpile and even the size of its navy have sparked concerns that Washington may not have a full window into exactly what its 21st-century rival has up its sleeve or what may be under development deep inside the communist nation. Published November 11, 2021
Metallurgist who doctored Navy sub steel data pleads guilty
A Washington state metallurgist pleaded guilty this week to falsifying hundreds of test results for steel used to produce U.S. Navy submarines, the Justice Department said as it moved to conclude a stunning fraud case that spanned more than 30 years and put American taxpayers on the hook for extra Pentagon maintenance costs on one of the military's most expensive assets. Published November 9, 2021
Outside looking in: After Afghanistan, U.S. scrambles for bases in central Asia
President Biden is racing to find partners in Central Asia willing to host U.S. troops, equipment and intelligence assets that the Pentagon says are vital to keep al Qaeda, ISIS and other extremist outfits from launching deadly attacks out of Afghanistan, even as China and Russia expand their power in the strategically vital region and work to elbow out Washington. Published November 8, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Russian disinformation ‘true constitutional threat,’ top Air Force general warns
Russian social media disinformation campaigns and the increasingly hostile political battles they've fueled across America represent a "true constitutional threat" to the nation, contributing to COVID-19 vaccine skepticism and other serious issues in the military and beyond, a top Air Force general told The Washington Times this week. Published November 6, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: China’s military consistently beats U.S. estimates
The capabilities of the Chinese military continue to beat U.S. estimates, and neither the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War nor any other country in recent history has consistently exceeded Pentagon and intelligence community projections to this extent, a top Air Force general said Wednesday. Published November 3, 2021
‘Korean identity’: Growing North-South ties crucial in U.S.-led diplomacy, analysts say
A deep sense of shared identity between citizens of North and South Korea remains alive and well, and the potential for at least some reconciliation should be at the center of America's diplomatic efforts, former top U.S. officials and regional experts said Tuesday. Published November 2, 2021
‘Starting to be a problem’: Biden scrambles to stop Iran’s ‘increasingly dangerous’ nuclear program
Top Biden administration officials warned that Iran's nuclear program is "starting to be a problem." Published October 31, 2021
‘Weakness arouses evil’: Pence slams Biden’s Iran policy, says America’s enemies emboldened
The Biden administration's decision to pursue a new round of nuclear negotiations with Iran is the latest in a string of foreign policy missteps that could embolden America's enemies "to test our resolve" around the world, former Vice President Mike Pence said at the "Free Iran Summit" event in Washington on Thursday. Published October 29, 2021
F-35 crossroads: Critics, supporters clash on future of cutting-edge fighter jet
The F-35 fighter jet has reached a pivotal moment. Published October 28, 2021
‘Very close’ to a ‘Sputnik moment’: Top general sounds alarm over China’s hypersonic weapons test
China's recent test of a major hypersonic weapon system is "very close" to a "Sputnik moment" in the standoff between the U.S. and its global rival, America's top general said in an interview that aired Wednesday, conceding that Beijing's rapidly expanding military capabilities are of deep concern at the highest levels of the Pentagon. Published October 27, 2021
ISIS-K could be able to strike U.S. within 6 months, Pentagon official says
The terrorist group ISIS-K wants to use its home base in Afghanistan to launch attacks against the U.S. and could have the ability to do so within six months, a senior Pentagon official told Congress on Tuesday. Published October 27, 2021
Chaos in Sudan after military coup, prime minister arrested
Sudanese troops arrested their nation's prime minister and other political leaders in a military coup Monday, derailing Sudan's move toward a civilian, democratic government and sparking fears of even more chaos on the already unstable, terror-plagued Horn of Africa. Published October 25, 2021
