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

U.S. Air Force Capt. Joe McArdel, 171st Air Refueling Squadron pilot, starts the engines on a KC-135 Startotanker at the start of a mission in support of the Global Information Dominance Experiment 3 and the Architecture Demonstration and Evaluation 5 event at Selfridge National Guard Base, Harrison Township, Michigan, July, 16, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sean Carnes)

Pentagon accepting video pitches from vendors looking to gain access to CJADC2 enterprise

AI

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Amado Saltosandrade, left, radio operator, and Lance Cpl. Miguel Alfaro, Right, electronics maintenance repairer, with the 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment set up the Marine Corps Wideband Satellite during the establishment of the 3d LCT command and control node at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Oct. 25, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cody Purcell)

Marine commandant’s new planning guidance emphasizes C2 investments

Tech

(AeroVironment image)

Army, AeroVironment ink nearly $1B contract for Switchblade killer drones

Weapons

(DIU image)

DIU wants to buy generative AI tech for Thunderforge initiative

AI

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Connor Reddy, low altitude air defense (LAAD) gunner, 3rd LAAD Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, scouts the area during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-19 at Range 220 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 26, 2019. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Colton Brownlee)

Marines searching for AI-enabled sensors to detect and track unmanned systems, other targets

AI

A U.S. Air Force Academy cadet wears a Task Force 99 patch at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, June 22, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Zima)

Air Force preparing to buy new long-endurance drones for Task Force 99 in Middle East

Tech

(Getty Images)

SDA adds new prime vendor for proliferated warfighter architecture

Space

Multinational ships sail in formation July 22, off the coast of Hawaii during Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz)

Navy’s Project Overmatch steams ahead at RIMPAC

IT

Autonomous underwater robot drone for seabed exploration and deep sea video filming in wireframe low poly mesh. (Getty Images)

Navy to test automated target recognition capabilities for undersea warfare

AI