Jon Harper

Jon Harper is Managing Editor of DefenseScoop, the Scoop News Group’s online publication focused on the Pentagon and its pursuit of new capabilities. 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 (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) @Jon_Harper_

Articles by Author

Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering Heidi Shyu meets with Maj. Grover Smith of the Indiana National Guard during Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) 2023 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. (Defense Department photo).

Pentagon wants $450M for RDER tech experiments in fiscal 2025

Emerging Tech

KuRFS and Coyote provide the detect and defeat components of the U.S. Army’s counter-UAS solution, called LIDS: the Low, slow, small, unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System. (RTX image)

Army seeks more than $400M in fiscal 2025 for systems to counter small drones

Weapons

Ships from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Republic of Korea Navy, and U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1, sail together during a trilateral exercise, Jan. 16, 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Isaiah M. Williams)

Navy plans to spend more than $700M on secretive Project Overmatch across FYDP

IT

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to the 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, and the Artificial Intelligence Integration Center, conduct drone test flights and software troubleshooting during Allied Spirit 24 at the Hohenfels Training Area, Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Germany, March 6, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Micah Wilson)

Army issues new policy aimed at improving software development practices departmentwide

IT

(Image courtesy of Palantir)

Palantir wins $178M Army deal for TITAN artificial intelligence-enabled ground stations

AI

AFRL’s XQ-67A Off Board Sensing Station, or OBSS, designed and built by General Atomics, took its maiden flight Feb. 28 from Gray Butte Field Airport, Palmdale, California. XQ-67A completed several test points and safely recovered on the first of a series of flight tests. The XQ-67A is the first of a second generation of autonomous collaborative platforms. (Courtesy photo)

Air Force provides more details about plans for ‘battle management’ of AI

AI

The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the Threat Systems Management Office operate a swarm of 40 drones to test the rotational units capabilities during the battle of Razish, National Training Center on May 8th, 2019. (U.S. Army Photo by Pv2 James Newsome)

Army, Marine Corps ping industry for more counter-drone tech

Weapons

Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Frank Calvelli speaks during the panel discussion “Driving Change with Speed” at the Air and Space Forces Association 2024 Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colo., Feb. 13, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

Acquisition chief sees autonomous satellites as wave of the future for Space Force

Space

A Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System launches munitions from a MARTAC T-38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vehicle, attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59, during Exercise Digital Talon in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 23. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Justin Stumberg)

Navy pulls trigger on new robotics warfare specialist rating

Weapons