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. Navy Capt. Alan Eichelman (left), commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Marianas, briefs U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Heidi Berg (right), deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / Navy Space Command, on key infrastructure locations prior to an aerial tour of Guam, July 23, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by William J. Busby III)

Trump nominates Heidi Berg to lead Fleet Cyber Command

Cyber

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (May 23, 2025) The Secretary of the Navy John Phelan at the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 2025 graduation and commissioning ceremony at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. (U.S. Navy photo by Stacy Godfrey)

SECNAV Phelan orders major shakeup in Navy’s robotic, autonomous systems enterprise

Emerging Tech

The Secretary of the Army, Daniel Driscoll, looks at Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) equipment during a visit to Project Convergence – Capstone 5 at Fort Irwin, Calif., in March 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Janean Carr)

Lockheed Martin lands deal for Army’s next-gen C2 initiative

Tech

Service members assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps University, run during Leadership Decision Making Exercise I at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Aug. 22, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Capt. Colton Martin)

Marine Corps to host genAI workshop at Quantico

AI

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth tests a Dronebuster while touring static displays led by the 3rd Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (3/10 MTN) Warriors and Foreign Legion Force Poland Battle Group in Powidz, Poland, Feb. 15, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander C. Kubitza)

Hegseth orders Army secretary to create new joint interagency counter-drone task force

Weapons

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael tour multi-domain autonomous displays in the courtyard of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

Pentagon to trim list of critical technology areas

Emerging Tech

Emil Michael appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his nomination to become undersecretary of defense for research and engineering in Washington, D.C. March 27, 2025. (DoD photo by EJ Hersom)

Pentagon CTO Emil Michael becomes acting director of DIU

Tech

Defense Innovation Unit Director Doug Beck speaks to Master Sgt. Joshua Shelly, Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team, about the Neros Archer drone during the AI+ Expo in Washington D.C., June 2, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Matthew Romonoyske-Bean)

Doug Beck resigns as DIU director

Tech

Adm. Daryl Caudle salutes the sideboys during a U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) Relinquishment of Command ceremony aboard Naval Station Norfolk, August 6, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dustin Knight/Released)

Adm. Caudle sworn in as chief of naval operations

Emerging Tech