Defense

Read The Pentagon’s Official Guide To Fighting The Zombie Apocalypse

The Pentagon isn’t letting a little thing like zombies not existing get in the way of their emergency preparedness. The US military has cooked up a plan that would come in handy if the dead happened to rise from their graves to attack the living. “This plan was not actually designed as a joke,” reads…

io9 Lauren Davis May 16

Here’s Why the U.S. Missile Defense System Is Utterly Broken

Last month, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a scathing report: the system to defend the U.S. from ballistic missiles doesn’t work, and probably never will. But it gets worse. Congress then voted to expand the broken system, allocating money for a new, sub-par missile defense site. How did this happen? It’s the latest iteration…

io9 Mark Strauss May 9

U.S. Military Expert Unveils a Strategy for Deploying Godzilla in War

“Godzilla should not be destroyed,” says scientist Kyohei Yamanhe in the classic 1954 film. “He should be studied.” And how right he was! James Butler, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College, argues that a deeper understanding of Japan’s 300-foot-tall, ill-tempered celebrity could be crucial to winning future wars. You’re probably a bit skeptical…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 25

Special Ops “Casting Call” Could Reveal US Military Plans

U.S. Special Operations Command has posted an ad that they’re looking to hire 25 civilian actors to provide “role player support,” pretending to be terrorists in a special Marine Corps training exercise. The job announcement inadvertently reveals some clues about national security. As military analyst Joseph Trevithick observes, we don’t know where the Marines are…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 21

This Vertical Take-Off Drone System Is So Versatile It’s Scary

Drones are getting pretty advanced, and they’re continuing to prove their usefulness. They can do anything from dodge bullets to land on aircraft carriers. And up next is an emerging new class of drones that can take off and land vertically, thanks to the likes of the new Arcturus UAV Jump system. The Jump system…

Privacy & Security Adam Clark Estes Apr 21

The Abandoned Pyramid of North Dakota

It looks like the remains of some futuristic cult. This slowly-eroding cement pyramid in Nekoma, North Dakota is all that’s left of a $6 billion nuclear launch facility created as part of the Safeguard Program. The pyramid itself was a radar system for tracking any incoming Soviet missiles that might be coming in over Canada.…

io9 Annalee Newitz Apr 18

Everything We Know About the Army’s Uncanny Chatbots

Sgt. Star is the U.S. Army’s dedicated marketing and recruitment chatbot, and he isn’t going to turn whistleblower any time soon. There’s no use threatening him for answers either—he’s programmed to report that kind of hostility to the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Last year, EFF began to look at how the government deploys chatbots to…

Privacy & Security David Maass - EFF Apr 18

The U.S. Army Is Using a Chatbot to Recruit New Soldiers

He hasn’t served in any military campaigns. He’s never won a medal. Heck, he’s not even alive. But to millions of people, Sgt. Star, the Army’s recruitment chatbot, is one of the most recognizable soldiers in America. And he’s gathering a lot of personal data. But, what does he do with all the information that…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 18

The Weird U.S. Government Projects That Have Been Named BATMAN

Government researchers must have a Batman fetish. Perhaps that explains why so many have named their projects after him—it’s federally-funded cosplay. The question is why this odd bunch of projects bear the Dark Knight’s name. There’s no denying that, among superheroes, the Dark Knight ranks especially high on the “coolness” factor. After all, he’s rich,…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 18

From Pickaxes to Robots: The Evolution of the Bomb Disposal Squad

Bomb disposal has been critical for soldiers in wartime for hundreds of years, but the operation didn’t get particularly scientific until the twentieth century. Here’s a history of bomb disposal techniques since the dawn of World War II, right up into the present day. Suit guard for a bomb opener, from Popular Science, January 1933…

io9 Vincze Miklós Apr 8

Air Force Says Drones Won’t Carry Nukes…For Now

A recently published report outlines the Air Force’s future plans for its fleet of drones, including whether they would ever be used to carry out a nuclear strike. In the coming 25 years, the Air Force hopes to have drones take over or assist with more of the types of missions that are currently being…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 8

This Sponge-Filled Syringe Is Ready for the Battlefield

This syringe is capable of stanching a gunshot-wound within 20 seconds — practically on contact. And it was just approved by the FDA to be used out on the battlefield. (Note: Medical images ahead.) So far, the syringe, known as the XSTAT, has only been approved for use by the military, but it could make…

io9 Ria Misra Apr 7

These Are the Most Bizarre Deadly Weapons in Human History

Weapon design is often meant to inspire fear, but occasionally it’s just so goofy or strange that you wind up laughing. Such is the case with the weapons in this gallery, which include a scooter rifle, acoustic kitties, and harmonica guns. Harmonica guns, multi-shot weapons with a horizontal magazine, invented by J. Jarre between 1859…

io9 Vincze Miklós Apr 3

The Guardians Of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Don’t Keep Very Good Records

An investigation conducted by the Energy Department has revealed that the National Nuclear Security Administration is failing to keep complete and accurate records on nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile. The scathing 19-page report, available on the website of Energy Department’s Office of Inspector General, warns that the range of problems “may ultimately increase costs…

io9 Mark Strauss Apr 2

The 10 Most Important Theories About Why We Make War

War seems to be part of the human condition. We have records of war going back beyond written records, and there is even evidence that some animals like chimps and ants go to war as well. But why do we do it? Here are ten of the most important theories. Art by Igor Artyomenko 1.…

io9 Annalee Newitz and Joseph Bennington-Castro Mar 24

These Weapons Are the Largest Ever Made

These weapons might not do the most damage, but they are the biggest ever made in history. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a tank the size of a small house. The largest tank ever made: the French Char 2C (also known as FCM 2C), developed during WWI, used between 1921 and 1940. Only 10…

io9 Vincze Miklós Mar 21

This Atomic Tank survived a nuclear test, then went to war

In August of 1953, a British-built Centurion tank drove through the brutal desert terrain of South Australia, its destination a parking spot a few hundred yards from an atomic bomb test. That was just the beginning of this tank’s amazing, and perhaps tragic, operational life. The Centurion tank was developed by the British at the…

io9 Ed Grabianowski Mar 14

Can you spot the camouflaged snipers hiding in these photographs?

These may look like typical landscape photographs, but hidden inside each one is a sniper with a gun pointed at the camera lens. The German Army provided photographer Simon Menner with two snipers for his Project Camouflage series, which puts the viewer in the crosshairs of an apparently invisible military professional. Menner has provided clues…

io9 Lauren Davis Feb 21

An Interactive Map of What America’s Spies Are Worried About

With eight months of freaking out over the fact that that the NSA is spying on everyone all the time, you can’t help but wonder: Why exactly are we spying again? What are we really worried about? https://gizmodo.com/watch-the-guardian-destroy-the-computers-containing-sno-1513092326 Well, Defense One just made it easy for you with this interactive map of what America’s spies…

Privacy & Security Adam Clark Estes Jan 31

Tobacco-Eating Caterpillar Has Toxic Nicotine-Filled Breath

Look, we’re not saying smoking is good, but tobacco can confer the superpower of breath so toxic it keeps away spiders. Take a quick breath and come meet the tobacco hornworm, a caterpillar that has managed to hijack a plant’s defense system for itself. Nicotine is a poison—in fact, poisonous enough to use as a…

Biology Sarah Zhang Jan 3

Read The Pentagon’s Official Guide To Fighting The Zombie Apocalypse

Here’s Why the U.S. Missile Defense System Is Utterly Broken

U.S. Military Expert Unveils a Strategy for Deploying Godzilla in War

Special Ops “Casting Call” Could Reveal US Military Plans

This Vertical Take-Off Drone System Is So Versatile It’s Scary

The Abandoned Pyramid of North Dakota

Everything We Know About the Army’s Uncanny Chatbots

The U.S. Army Is Using a Chatbot to Recruit New Soldiers

The Weird U.S. Government Projects That Have Been Named BATMAN

From Pickaxes to Robots: The Evolution of the Bomb Disposal Squad

Air Force Says Drones Won’t Carry Nukes…For Now

This Sponge-Filled Syringe Is Ready for the Battlefield

These Are the Most Bizarre Deadly Weapons in Human History

The Guardians Of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Don’t Keep Very Good Records

The 10 Most Important Theories About Why We Make War

These Weapons Are the Largest Ever Made

This Atomic Tank survived a nuclear test, then went to war

Can you spot the camouflaged snipers hiding in these photographs?

An Interactive Map of What America’s Spies Are Worried About

Tobacco-Eating Caterpillar Has Toxic Nicotine-Filled Breath

‘Good Omens’ Season 3 Is Still Just One Episode, Despite Being Called That

Steam Gaming Has Arrived on Apple Vision Pro, and It’s Unexpectedly Glorious

RFK Jr. Will Take on Joe Rogan for Podcaster Supremacy

The Spymaster’s Guide to the Secret Agencies of ‘Star Trek’

Uber Is Testing Driverless Volkswagen ID. Buzz Vans in Los Angeles

Cast Adrift, Meta Employees Have No Idea Who the ‘Token Legend’ Is Anymore

Microsoft Office 2024 and Windows 11 Pro Bundle Hits 76% Off, a Complete PC Setup for Less

You Can Add ‘Lamp That Folds Your Laundry’ to the List of Doomed Startups

Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Start Considering Snapdragon on PC, for Real

Aqara Thermostat Hub W200 Review: Almost Better than My Ecobee

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

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