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

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Central Command Public Affairs)

US Central Command hires new chief data officer

Tech

(Screenshot of Anthony Tata testifying at his confirmation hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee, May 6, 2025.)

Senate confirms Tata, Trump’s controversial pick to lead Pentagon’s personnel and readiness directorate

Tech

Pentagon, Department of Defense, DOD — (Photo credit: DOD / Lisa Ferdinando)

Pentagon reviewing payment applications from Havana Syndrome victims

Tech

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon, July 10, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Llanez Delgado)

Hegseth directive on ‘unleashing U.S. military drone dominance’ includes deadlines for major overhauls

Tech

Defense Threat Reduction Agency test personnel prepare to carefully offload the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator, or MOP, for a static test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. (DTRA photo)

Battle damage assessment from Iran strikes could lead to improvements in MOP bomb technology

Weapons

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Daniel Torres and Staff Sgt. Maxwell Carlson place an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle on level ground during a UUV Recovery rehearsal for exercise Kaiju Rain on Kin Blue, Okinawa, Japan, April 17, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kira Ducato)

U.S. military is on the hunt for killer UUVs

Weapons

A U.S. Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie, highly autonomous, tactical unmanned air vehicle, soars overhead during its second test flight at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Feb. 23, 2023. The XQ-58A Valkyrie test flight and the data collected inform future requirements for the Marine Corps. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John McRell)

Marine Corps requests more funding for collaborative combat aircraft development

Weapons

An aerial view of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 15, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. John Wright)

Trump taps former AWS exec for senior role in Pentagon’s research and engineering directorate

Tech

(June 26, 2025) An E/A-18G Growler, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139, launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during flight operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

US military gets new combatant commanders for Centcom, Eucom

Tech