Jon Harper

Jon Harper is Editor-in-Chief of DefenseScoop. He leads an award-winning team of journalists in providing breaking news and in-depth analysis on military technology and the ways in which it is shaping how the Defense Department operates and modernizes. You can also follow him on X: @Jon_Harper_

Articles by Author

The XQ-58A Valkyrie is pictured during second test flight on June 11, 2019. (Photo courtesy of 1st Lt Randolph Abaya, 586 Flight Test Squadron.)

Navy seeking ability and permission to take control of Air Force’s CCA drones — and reciprocate

Weapons

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday use the 1MC to address the crew aboard the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15). Gilday visited Naval Station Mayport to engage with Sailors, speak to local Navy leadership and tour a number of commands in the area. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Austin Collins/Released)

Gilday taking cautious, ‘deliberate’ approach to Navy’s secretive Project Overmatch tech deployments

IT

Heidi Shyu sits down with key leaders during a visit to Fort Bliss 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, during Network Integration Evaluation 15.2 in 2015. (DoD photo)

Fielding timelines for RDER capabilities will be determined ‘case by case,’ Shyu says

Weapons

Two unmanned surface vessels, a Devil Ray T-38 and Saildrone Explorer, operate in the Gulf of Aqaba, Sept. 10, during Eager Lion 2022. (U.S. Navy photo)

Navy to expand unmanned systems campaign to 4th Fleet this summer

Weapons

Wallops Island, Virginia, Oct. 21, 2021. U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs and the Army Hypersonic Program Office successfully conducted a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign. This test informed the development of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon offensive hypersonic strike capability. (U.S. Navy Photo/Released)

Price tag for Navy’s CPS hypersonic weapon is ‘higher than we want it to be,’ Pentagon acquisition chief says

Weapons

Illustration of a hypersonic missile (Getty Images)

Navy’s future HALO ‘hypersonic’ missile might not actually be hypersonic

Weapons

Screenshot of the Space Development Agency’s Tranche 0 launch, April 2, 2023.

Third time’s a charm: SpaceX launches SDA’s first batch of Tranche 0 satellites

Space

(Getty Images)

US defense officials seeing ‘explosion’ of activity from so-called patriotic hackers

Cyber

A hacker using a laptop computer at the Hacked By Def Con Press Preview during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at Spring Studios on April 15, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

DDS rolls out new website to help Pentagon scale bug bounties, attract cyber talent

Cyber