About Defense One

Defense One

Defense One is an American digital publication covering defense and national security news, analysis, and ideas. Launched in 2013 by the Government Executive Media Group, then part of Atlantic Media, it is based in Washington, D.C., and aimed at the national security leadership community — military leaders, members of Congress and their staffs, defense contractors, think tank analysts, and engaged citizens. The site publishes reporting, analysis, and commentary on global threats, the politics of security, defense management, and the effect of rapidly advancing technology on defense strategy, all without a paywall. Its official website is defenseone.com.

Launch

Defense One went live in July 2013 after being developed by Atlantic Media and the Government Executive Media Group team over the preceding year. The launch was announced as the creation of a new digital brand anchored by a new website that would give the defense and national security community a serious conversation destination for leaders trying to define a new era in the future of American security. The site was optimized from the start for viewing on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Early coverage included pieces on Egypt's military, the Defense Department's human spying operations, and the readiness of Afghanistan's government leaders.

Kevin Baron and the Founding Newsroom

Defense One launched with a newsroom of three people led by executive editor Kevin Baron. Baron, a two-time George Polk Award winner, had spent six years covering the Pentagon and national security issues. He most recently wrote the "E-Ring" blog for Foreign Policy; before that he was a staff writer at National Journal, a reporter in the Pentagon press corps with Stars and Stripes, and an investigative reporter in the Boston Globe's Washington bureau. He was joined at launch by associate editor and senior reporter Stephanie Gaskell, previously the Pentagon reporter at Politico with nearly two decades in journalism including reporting from Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, and Guantánamo Bay, and by producer-reporter Kedar Pavgi. Early contributors included James Kitfield, Marc Ambinder — a highly regarded writer on intelligence and national security — and Joshua Foust. Baron served as executive editor from the site's launch in 2013 until 2023.

Five Areas of Coverage

From its inception, Defense One organized its journalism around five key areas: global threats, management, politics (domestic and international), technology, and ideas. The site covers subjects such as budget uncertainty, emerging national security frontiers, new management paradigms in the military services, and the opportunities and risks brought by emerging technology. Over its first decade, the editorial focus broadened with the changing defense landscape — from the post-Iraq and post-Afghanistan era, when the Pentagon was the center of gravity for defense coverage, to issues as diverse as the semiconductor supply chain, cloud computing, military personnel policy, and the return of great-power competition with China and Russia's war in Europe.

Growth and Readership

Defense One grew quickly after launch. By its first anniversary in July 2014, the site had reached record monthly traffic of 800,000 page views and nearly 600,000 unique visitors, and had doubled its staff from three to six. By its second year it was drawing over a million page views per month. A decade after launch, the site was described as drawing well over a million page views each month, largely from key leaders in the defense and national security community. U.S. Army Col. Yi Se Gwon, chief of staff for Army Strategic Operations, called Defense One "the most read and referenced publication by the Department of the Army leadership." Its readership includes uniformed military leaders, civilian Pentagon officials, congressional staff, defense industry executives, and academics — the core audience of professionals who shape and implement American defense policy.

The Defense One Summit

The publication established the Defense One Summit, an annual gathering of defense leaders, policymakers, and industry figures. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel headlined the first summit in 2014, and the event has continued as a fixture of the Washington defense calendar. The site's staff have also become known as moderators and interviewers at top trade shows and international policy and security conferences, many of which have sought partnerships with the brand.

Newsletters and Multimedia

Defense One developed a suite of newsletters for its national security audience, including a national security newsletter that achieved open rates above 35 percent in its early years. The site also produces podcasts, video interviews, and special digital features, extending its journalism beyond written articles into multimedia formats suited to busy defense professionals. Its video interviews with senior military leaders and defense officials have become a regular feature, and its special packages on topics such as emerging technology and military personnel policy combine reporting, data, and expert analysis in immersive digital formats.

Ten-Year Anniversary

In 2023, Defense One marked its tenth anniversary with a retrospective on its first decade. Reflecting on the site's evolution, Baron noted how much the defense landscape had changed since 2013: when the site launched, the big wars and budgets of Iraq and Afghanistan were in decline and it looked as though defense publications were declining with them, but a new generation of seasoned national security audiences wanted something different and something more. Looking ahead, the site's leadership emphasized global coverage of borderless threats across the whole of society.

Editorial Approach

Defense One describes its approach as leaning forward — both in its coverage and in the technology used to deliver it. The site mixes original reporting from its Washington-based newsroom with analysis and "bold ideas" from outside contributors, including military officers, former officials, and defense scholars. It has distinguished itself from trade-press competitors by writing for senior decision-makers while keeping its content free to all readers, with no paywall. This open-access model reflects the publication's belief that informed public debate strengthens national security, and it has allowed the site's journalism to reach students, academics, and citizens beyond its core professional audience.

Contributors and Commentary

In addition to its staff reporting, Defense One publishes analysis and commentary from a wide network of contributors, including active and retired military officers, former defense officials, think tank scholars, and industry executives. The site's "Ideas" section has hosted bold proposals on defense reform, force structure, and national security strategy, giving voice to debates that shape Pentagon policy. Early contributors such as James Kitfield and Marc Ambinder set a standard for deeply sourced, expert commentary that the site has maintained. This blend of original reporting and outside expertise allows Defense One to cover the defense world from multiple angles — journalistic, operational, and strategic.

Role in the Defense Media Landscape

Defense One occupies a distinctive position among defense publications. Unlike trade press outlets aimed at contractors or general-interest newspapers with Pentagon bureaus, it was built specifically for the national security leadership community while remaining free and accessible to the public. Its launch in 2013 came at a moment when legacy defense publications appeared to be in decline along with the wars and budgets of Iraq and Afghanistan; instead, the site demonstrated that a new generation of national security professionals wanted deeper, more forward-looking journalism. A decade later, its combination of breaking news, analysis, events, and newsletters has made it one of the most read and referenced publications in the American defense establishment.

Official Website

Defense One's official website is defenseone.com, where readers can find its news coverage, analysis, newsletters, and information about the Defense One Summit.