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

A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing remotely piloted aircraft community checks weather during an Exercise Talon Spear at Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., June 20, 2023. (Photo by Senior Airman Alexcia Givens)

SOCOM looking to acquire new drone-launched glide bombs

Weapons

U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in the Oval Office at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Trump, Modi announce new US-India autonomous systems partnership

Emerging Tech

Gen. Gregory Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command hosted distinguished visitors at Falcon Peak on Fort Carson, Colorado, Oct. 30, 2024. Falcon Peak is a USNORTHCOM led counter-small unmanned aircraft system experiment. (U.S. Department of Defense photos by Josh Armstrong)

NORAD commander says hundreds of drone incursions were detected at US military installations

Tech

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Centre L) and British Defence Secretary John Healey react as they meet, on the eve of a NATO defence ministers’ meeting at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, on February 12, 2025. (Photo by Johanna Geron / POOL / AFP)

Hegseth puts onus on allies to provide ‘overwhelming share’ of weapons to Ukraine

Tech

White Sands, N.M. (February 09, 2020) — Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic engineers travelled to New Mexico to validated M-code on Joint Light Tactical Vehicle test platforms like the ones pictured here, resulting in the Marine Corps obtaining U.S. Space Force certification for next-generation GPS technology. (U.S. Navy photo by Joe Bullinger/Released)

Marine Corps looking for vendors to demo tech for mounted assured resilient navigation

Tech

A soldier wears an IVAS 1.2 headset. (Photo by Photo by Frederick Shear)

Microsoft plans to hand over reins of Army’s IVAS program to Anduril

Emerging Tech

US President-elect Donald Trump looks on as SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at a MAGA victory rally at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2025, one day ahead of his inauguration ceremony. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

Trump directs Elon Musk and DOGE to review Pentagon spending

Tech

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a press gaggle with media members after meeting with troops and U.S. Border Patrol agents to assess the operational control of the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso, Texas, Feb. 3, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

Hegseth hints at program cuts during talk with troops

Tech

220722-A-YK067-1035 MANAMA, Bahrain (July 22, 2022) Unmanned surface vessels sit as static displays, in Manama, Bahrain, July 22, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Terry Vongsouthi)

Central Command gets new chief technology officer

Emerging Tech