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

A lethal miniature aerial missile system flies during an exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Sept. 2, 2020. (Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Tyler Forti)

Army conducting market research for kamikaze drones

Weapons

Various unmanned systems sit on display in Manama, Bahrain, Nov. 19, prior to exercise Digital Horizon 2022. The three-week unmanned and artificial intelligence integration event, beginning Nov. 23, will involve employing new platforms in the region for the first time. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Murphy)

Navy looking to add vendors to $982M IDIQ contract vehicle for unmanned systems tech

Weapons

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) questions Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on July 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

HASC lawmaker Seth Moulton urges faster adoption — and more restraint — of military AI

AI

Image of DARPA AlphaDogfight Trials. (Screenshot from DARPA video)

DARPA calling for AI ‘reinforcements’ to bolster US air combat capability

AI

An XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle launches at the Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Dec. 9, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua King)

‘Live, live, die’ — How the Air Force plans to authorize robotic wingmen to attack targets

Weapons

(Getty Images)

Army acquisition chief sees autonomy, system hardening as key to overcoming comms challenges in future drone wars

Weapons

Burke Baker, a technical director from the 2nd Audiovisual Squadron, operates a switch board in support of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) Onramp 2, Aug. 31, 2020 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Daniel Hernandez)

Air Force to share ‘war plan’ with cleared contractors in search for ABMS solutions

Cyber

(Getty Images)

SDA has big plans for a new app factory to aid battle management

Space

An Air Force Research Lab conceptual design for an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (Artwork courtesy of AFRL)

AFRL’s Skyborg program gearing up for final software demonstration

AI