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

Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable John C. Phelan, stands during the national anthem at the commissioning ceremony of the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) in Norfolk, Virginia, April 11, 2026. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Oliver McCain Vieira)

Hung Cao to take over as acting SECNAV after Phelan’s unexpected exit from Trump administration

Tech

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (Feb. 5, 2024) The first four Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Crafts (GARCs) are delivered to Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3 (USVRON 3). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kelby Sanders)

Navy PAE for robotic and autonomous systems preparing to release marketplace roadmap

Tech

(Navy rendering of Defiant battleship)

Navy planning to spend more than $17B on first Trump-class battleship

Emerging Tech

A U.S. Navy Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean during UNITAS 2025. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

Air Force eyeing robotic boats for Tyndall AFB

Tech

Helicopter launching a Mayhem 10 drone. (Image courtesy of AeroVironment)

AeroVironment launches new Mayhem drone product line

Tech

Department of War Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies appears at a Senate Committee on Armed Services subcommittee hearing on cybersecurity on Capitol Hill on March 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Pentagon CIO announces new appointments

IT

(Getty Images)

Navy to use underwater drones to help clear Iranian mines from Strait of Hormuz

Tech

Coast Guard members conduct Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) training aboard Cutter Robert Ward (WPC 1130) off the coast of San Pedro, Dec. 18, 2025. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Roberto Nieves)

Coast Guard wants contractors to provide and operate drone services from cutters, shore-based sites

Tech

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 95th Clearance Company, 84th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command, conduct live-fire and breach training during a demolition range on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, March 26, 2026. The training enhanced Soldiers’ proficiency in obstacle reduction and explosive breaching, strengthening combat readiness and engineer capabilities in support of operations across the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devin Davis)

Army eyeing automated target recognition tech to detect explosive hazards, battlefield obstacles

AI