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Ben Wolfgang

Ben Wolfgang is a National Security Correspondent for The Washington Times. His reporting is regularly featured in the daily Threat Status newsletter.
Previously, he covered energy and the environment, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016, and also spent two years as a White House correspondent during the Obama administration.
Before coming to The Times in 2011, Ben worked as political reporter at The Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Pa.
He can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

Hegseth slams ‘fat generals and admirals’ and racial quotas, announces new fitness standards

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday unveiled a series of new directives he said are aimed at purging the U.S. military of the "woke garbage" that has infected it for years, and he specifically said all service members -- including the highest-ranking officers -- will be required to meet weight requirements and pass physical fitness tests twice a year.

September 30, 2025

Inside the defense industry’s push to build the next wave of counter-drone weapons

From directed energy weapons to cutting-edge electronic warfare and new computerized fire control systems that improve the effectiveness of a soldier's AR-15 rifle, the global defense industry is developing new, creative and affordable ways to combat the small attack drones that have revolutionized modern warfare.

September 29, 2025

Trump’s thrashing of the United Nations shines a light on the need for reform

President Trump's no-holds-barred takedown of the United Nations this week drew pushback from the international community, but the president's criticisms are shared by many analysts and other world leaders across the globe.

September 25, 2025

Hegseth’s ‘warrior ethos’ vision targets First Amendment; courts expected to reject media crackdown

The Pentagon's sweeping new rules for journalists -- including the demand that reporters sign a pledge to not release any "unauthorized" information -- are just the latest moves under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to restore what he often refers to as the "warrior ethos."

September 25, 2025

U.S. intercepts Russian warplanes flying near Alaska

The U.S. scrambled fighter jets Wednesday to intercept four Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said in a statement.

September 25, 2025

More Russian incursions into European airspace spark fears of war

Germany and Sweden scrambled fighter jets Sunday to monitor a Russian surveillance plane that reportedly flew over the Baltic Sea with no radio contact and without providing a flight path, the latest in a string of recent incidents that NATO and its member states believe are provocations by Moscow designed to test the trans-Atlantic alliance.

September 21, 2025

U.N. Security Council to meet after Russian jets reportedly fly into Estonian airspace

The U.N. Security Council will meet Monday to discuss Russia's reported violation of Estonian airspace late last week.

September 21, 2025

Trump warns ‘bad things are going to happen’ if Taliban doesn’t return Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base

President Trump warned over the weekend that "bad things are going to happen" if the Taliban doesn't give up control of Bagram Air Base.

September 21, 2025

Journalists must sign pledge to not release unauthorized information, Pentagon says

Journalists covering the Pentagon must sign a pledge acknowledging that they won't use any information that hasn't been formally cleared for release by government officials, according to a sweeping new 17-page Defense Department memo laying out updated restrictions on media covering the U.S. military.

September 20, 2025

Major military conference to host Pentagon officials, defense industry leaders at crucial moment

Key leaders from across the U.S. military and defense industry will gather next week just outside Washington to help cement America's "decisive edge" over its adversaries in the air, space and cyber domains, at a moment when growing threats and raging conflicts around the world are colliding with unprecedented leaps forward in technology.

September 19, 2025

Taliban reject Trump’s idea of American return to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan

Taliban officials on Friday seemingly rejected the idea that American troops could return to Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base, a key military facility and regional hub for U.S. troops for nearly two decades but one that was given up during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

September 19, 2025

Taiwanese delegation calls for formal intelligence-sharing pact between island democracy, U.S.

A delegation of Taiwanese officials and civic leaders is calling for a new intelligence-sharing pact among the U.S., Japan and their own island democracy -- an alliance that the Taiwanese say would help counter the Chinese Communist Party's designs on the Pacific and beyond.

September 17, 2025

U.S. strikes second boat Trump says was carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing 3 ‘narcoterrorists’

U.S. forces on Monday struck another boat carrying drugs from Venezuela, President Trump said, killing three "narcoterrorists" transporting the narcotics through international waters.

September 15, 2025

‘Collision course’: At Norfolk base, NATO eyes the threat of Russian attacks against North America

Top NATO military leaders fear that Russia is on "a collision course with the rules-based international system" that the transatlantic alliance has helped uphold for 75 years, and they say much of Moscow's military might remains intact despite its ongoing, grueling war with Ukraine.

September 15, 2025

Air Force moves into next phase of B-21 bomber testing

A second B-21 Raider test aircraft arrived at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Thursday, military officials said, as the Pentagon moves quickly with its testing of the advanced nuclear-capable bombers.

September 12, 2025

Video shows U.S. Hellfire missile bouncing off UFO near Yemen, congressman says

Video footage taken by U.S. drones off the coast of Yemen last October seems to show a Hellfire missile bouncing off an unidentified flying object and the mysterious craft continuing on its path seemingly unaffected by the strike, according to Rep. Eric Burlison.

September 10, 2025

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Ben Wolfgang

Articles by Ben Wolfgang

Hegseth slams ‘fat generals and admirals’ and racial quotas, announces new fitness standards

Inside the defense industry’s push to build the next wave of counter-drone weapons

Trump’s thrashing of the United Nations shines a light on the need for reform

Hegseth’s ‘warrior ethos’ vision targets First Amendment; courts expected to reject media crackdown

U.S. intercepts Russian warplanes flying near Alaska

More Russian incursions into European airspace spark fears of war

U.N. Security Council to meet after Russian jets reportedly fly into Estonian airspace

Trump warns ‘bad things are going to happen’ if Taliban doesn’t return Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base

Journalists must sign pledge to not release unauthorized information, Pentagon says

Major military conference to host Pentagon officials, defense industry leaders at crucial moment

Taliban reject Trump’s idea of American return to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan

Taiwanese delegation calls for formal intelligence-sharing pact between island democracy, U.S.

U.S. strikes second boat Trump says was carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing 3 ‘narcoterrorists’

‘Collision course’: At Norfolk base, NATO eyes the threat of Russian attacks against North America

Air Force moves into next phase of B-21 bomber testing

Video shows U.S. Hellfire missile bouncing off UFO near Yemen, congressman says

Trump on Russian drones shot down over Poland: ‘Here we go!’

Poland shoots down Russian drones in its airspace; EU leaders say incursion appears ‘intentional’

Army awards $195 million contract as competition for augmented reality headset heats up

In $9.8 billion deal, Army awards Lockheed Martin record-setting Patriot missile contract