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

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) defeats a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea, Oct. 19, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau)

DIU helping Navy find cheaper drone interceptors

Weapons

(Army photo)

Army rechristens drone-killing maneuver air defense system, eyes next increments

Weapons

Abraham Denmark, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for AUKUS, left, Adm. James F. Caldwell Jr., director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, right, Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead, director-general of the Australian Submarine Agency, Royal Australian Navy Lt. William Hall, Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, Chief of Navy, and Erik Raven, Under Secretary of the Navy, pose for a photo during a United States Naval Nuclear Power School (NPS) graduation ceremony at Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC), July 7, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dart D. De La Garza)

Pentagon’s top AUKUS adviser and coordinator steps down

Emerging Tech

Soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) along with The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) participate in a Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle (JTARV) exercise on Fort A.P. Hill, Va., September 22, 2017. (U.S. Army photos by Pfc. Gabriel Silva)

White House bashes idea of creating Army Drone Corps

Weapons

Steven Butow greets U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III at the DIU offices in Mountain View, California. (Photo courtesy of DIU)

DIU gets new military deputy

Emerging Tech

Sailors from Special Boat Team 12 conduct boat operations supporting a West Coast-based SEAL team during their maritime operation training cycle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Henderson/Released)

SOFWERX to help special operations forces tackle contested logistics challenges

Emerging Tech

Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA) (L) and full committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) (R) appear at a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on April 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., and Department of Defense Comptroller Michael McCord are on Capitol Hill to present the 2025 budget request for the Defense Department. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

House appropriators propose more than $1.3B for DIU, other tech acceleration initiatives

Emerging Tech

U.S. and Canadian service members participate in the third series of Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE 3) at North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command Headquarters, July 8-16, 2021. (DoD photo)

Pentagon getting ready to onboard new vendors and applications for CJADC2 tech

AI

Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The CAOC is comprised of a joint and coalition team that executes day-to-day combined air and space operations and provides rapid reaction, positive control, coordination, and de-confliction of weapon systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Strang)

Combatant commands poised to scale targeting capabilities via Palantir’s Maven system

AI