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

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NDAA would mandate new DOD steering committee on artificial general intelligence

AI

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (C) inspects reservists operating a Hummer 2 Drone during a training session at Loung Te Industrial Parks Service Center, in Yilan County on December 2, 2025. (Photo by I-Hwa Cheng / AFP via Getty Images)

NDAA pushes Pentagon to establish joint drone and counter-drone program with Taiwan

Weapons

U.S. Soldiers with 127th Military Police Company, 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB), utilize a Ground Based Operational Surveillance System (Expeditionary) (G-BOSS(E)), to increase overwatch capabilities during patrol base operations in Wellton, Ariz., Aug. 29, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Erica Esterly)

US military deploys 4 Army-built surveillance and reconnaissance systems for southern border mission

Tech

Matthew Swartz (Navy photo)

Adm. Caudle appoints new executive director, senior advocate for Navy’s civilian workforce

Tech

Adm. Karl Thomas, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC), salutes side boys during the USFFC assumption of command ceremony in the hangar bay aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dustin Knight/Released)

Adm. Thomas takes command of Fleet Forces Command

Tech

Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher, or CAML. (U.S. Army photo)

Army issues RFIs for Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher program

Weapons

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte shake hands during their press-conference following their talks in Kyiv on August 22, 2025, amid Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraine, NATO launch joint program to boost counter-drone tech, other defense capabilities

Tech

A Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle launches from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock. (Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Buliavac)

Navy identifies 4 vendors to compete for COCO drone ISR services

Tech

(Getty Images)

Air Force aiming to turbocharge wargaming with AI

AI