From Leigh Thomas, Reuters:  France is in talks with the United States and Israel to buy intelligence-gathering drones to build up a modern fleet, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Sunday.

From Clara Marina O'Donnell, Real Clear World:  [S]o far, the Obama administration has refused to give Russia legal guarantees. The US has made such commitments in the past.

From Adam Entous, Joshua Mitnick, and Stephen Fidler, Wall Street Journal:  The Syrian army has used lethal chemical weapons during the country's civil war, Israel's top military intelligence analyst said Tuesday

From Frank A. Rose, Department of State:  On March 15, Secretary Hagel announced changes to U.S. missile defense policy to strengthen U.S. homeland missile defenses due to the growing ballistic missile threat from Iran and North Korea.

From Julian Lindley-French, New Atlanticist:  H]ow can NATO address its most pressing emerging security challenge: how to close the strategy-austerity-capability gap?

 Chuck Hagel recently delivered his first major public-policy address since becoming secretary of defense.

Managing Editor James Joyner published pieces in The National Interest and in The Atlantic reacting to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's speech that outlines Department of Defense spending cuts.

“A thorough examination of the way our military is organized and operates will...highlight our inherent strengths.  Our strategic planning must emphasize these strengths, which include leader development, training, mobility and logistics, special operations forces, cyber, space, research and development.”