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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States government has begun directing Internet traffic from the long useed Defense.gov – the primary digital home of the Department of Defense for more than two decades – to a newly activated domain: WAR.gov.
The change, now visible to the public, marks a major shift in federal branding and domain strategy, coinciding with the administration’s 2025 initiative to reintroduce the historical title “Department of War” into official communications.
According to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Defense.gov has recorded continuous snapshots dating back to 2002, making it one of the U.S. government’s longest-standing high-profile .gov domains.
In contrast, WAR.gov did not appear in the Wayback Machine at all until September 2025, when its first archived captures began. This aligns directly with the timeline of Executive Order 14347, which authorized the use of “Department of War” as an alternative public-facing name for the Department of Defense.
The domain switch suggests that WAR.gov was not a long-planned modernization effort but rather a newly deployed asset brought online specifically to support the administration’s updated messaging strategy.
The DoD has historically relied on more neutral descriptors rooted in national defense and security; moving toward a domain centered on a direct, unambiguous term like “war” is an unprecedented departure in tone.
While federal law still recognizes the entity as the Department of Defense, the digital infrastructure now prominently features the “Department of War” identity. This duality, a legal title on paper and a more forceful title online, places the domain change at the intersection of branding, governance, and strategic communication.
War.gov now replaces a domain that defined the Department of Defense’s online identity for more than 20 years.
Key Facts & Details
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Former Primary Domain | Defense.gov, archived since 2002 |
| New Active Domain | WAR.gov |
| First Archive Appearance of WAR.gov | September 2025 (per Wayback Machine) |
| What Changed | Defense.gov now redirects to WAR.gov |
| Reason for Shift | Executive Order 14347 allowing “Department of War” as an alternative public-facing name |
| Legal Status | Official department name remains “Department of Defense” under federal law |
| Significance | One of the most dramatic U.S. government domain changes in decades; highly unusual use of a single-word .gov domain |
| Industry Interest | Rare .gov keyword activation, abrupt government rebrand, strong public-facing linguistic shift |
About The Author: John Colascione is Chief Executive Officer of SEARCHEN NETWORKS®. He specializes in Website Monetization, is a Google AdWords Certified Professional, authored a how-to book called ”Mastering Your Website‘, and is a key player in several online businesses.
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