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 Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel and Egyptian Navy frigate ENS Alexandria (F911) operate in the Red Sea in support of the newly established Combined Task Force 153, April 21, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. DeAndre Dawkins)

Navy developing new mesh network of robo-ships enabled by sensors, AI and the cloud

AI

A U.S. Marine Corps Hero-400 loitering munition drone is staged before flight on San Clemente Island, California, May 25, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Childs)

DOD intensifying search for new tech to defeat kamikaze drones

Weapons

A robotic combat vehicle navigates in the field during Project Convergence at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, on Oct. 20, 2021.

Army to release draft RFP for robotic combat vehicle rapid prototypes

Weapons

A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020, during a Department of Defense flight experiment. (U.S. Navy photo by Luke Lamborn)

Army assuming ‘a lot of risk’ as it moves to field hypersonic weapons by end of fiscal year

Weapons

A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020, during a Department of Defense flight experiment. (U.S. Navy photo by Luke Lamborn)

DOD moves to boost capacity for testing hypersonic weapons

Weapons

A robotic combat vehicle navigates in the field during Project Convergence at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, on Oct. 20, 2021.

New Army white paper lays out vision for high-tech force in 2030

Emerging Tech

(Getty Images)

York Space Systems lands contract to build T1DES satellites for Pentagon

Space

Students return to the University of Virginia for the fall semester on August 19, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

UVA receives $4.5M award from Pentagon for hypersonics research

Weapons

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear is interviewed by DefenseScoop Managing Editor Jon Harper at DefenseTalks, Sept. 15, 2022.

SDA taps Ball Aerospace to build satellites for new experimental testbed

Space