Mikayla Easley

Mikayla Easley reports on the Pentagon’s acquisition and use of emerging technologies. Prior to joining DefenseScoop, she covered national security and the defense industry for National Defense Magazine. She received a BA in Russian language and literature from the University of Michigan and a MA in journalism from the University of Missouri. You can follow her on Twitter @MikaylaEasley

Articles by Author

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., addresses the audience during the Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee Leadership Award ceremony at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., Jan 27, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Brown: Future space-based ISR will require ‘paradigm shift’ for air battle management

Emerging Tech

Rendering of a L3Harris missile warning satellite. (L3Harris image)

L3Harris lands contract for Space Force missile warning sensor to track hypersonics

Space

A U.S. Marine Corps Hero-400 loitering munition drone is staged before flight on San Clemente Island, California, May 25, 2022. The Hero-400 is a loitering munition that the United States Marine Corps and other Department of Defense entities are beginning to incorporate into specific mission sets. This initial training flight develops the unmanned aerial systems pilots’ confidence and abilities to be able to operate the Hero-400 in any clime and place, and enabling 3rd MAW to remain a more lethal and ready force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Childs)

Marines to develop air-launched loitering munitions with swarm capability for Indo-Pacific operations

Weapons

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Timothy Brady, the commanding officer of 3d Marines, conducts command and control (C2) of an air assault utilizing the Network On-the-Move Airborne (NOTM-A) communications system during Large Scale Exercise 2021, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2021. The NOTM-A provides a C2 capability to mission commanders while airborne, enhancing battlefield management and awareness. LSE 2021 is a live, virtual, and constructive exercise employing integrated command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and sensors across the joint force to expand battlefield awareness, share targeting data, and conduct long-range precision strikes in support of naval operations in a contested and distributed maritime environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Josue Marquez)

Marine force design plans include overhauling C2, data capabilities to support ‘all-domain’ ops

Emerging Tech

(Getty Images)

SDA seeks industry input on next batch of experimental communications satellites

Space

Artist rendering of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (Northrop Grumman image)

Space Force’s next-gen deep-space radar passes critical design review

Space

Crews of the National Space Defense Center at provide threat-focused space domain awareness across the nation security space enterprise. The NSDC was originally established in 2015 as the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center and was renamed in 2017 to more accurately reflect its mission. (U.S. Space Force photo by Kathryn Damon)

A look at Space Operations Command’s ‘needs list’ for AI, machine learning

AI

U.S. President Joe Biden announces his intent to nominate Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. to serve as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during an event in the Rose Garden of the White House May 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. Brown is currently serving as the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff. If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would be the second African-American man, after Colin Powell, to hold the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior military adviser to the president. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Gen. Brown, evangelist for a more digital military, officially tapped to be next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Tech

Members of the 56th Air and Space Communications Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam operate cyber systems using a Enhanced communications flyaway kit during the Global Information Dominance Experiment 3 and Architect Demonstration Evaluation 5 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, Michigan, July, 12, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Amy Picard)

Space Force to shift all cyber guardians to defending mission systems and performing ‘core’ tasks

Space