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Mikayla Easley

Mikayla Easley reports on the Pentagon’s acquisition and use of emerging technologies. Prior to joining DefenseScoop, she covered national security and the defense industry for National Defense Magazine. She received a BA in Russian language and literature from the University of Michigan and a MA in journalism from the University of Missouri. You can follow her on Twitter @MikaylaEasley

Articles by Author

(Image credit: Defense Innovation Unit)

DIU taps 4 vendors — including Ukrainian firms — for long-range kamikaze drones

Weapons

U.S. airmen participate in the Tactical Operations Center-Light experiment at the 805th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Shadow Operations Center – Nellis, Capstone 24A experimentation event at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 28, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Keith Keel)

How the Air Force is experimenting with AI-enabled tech for battle management

AI

Northrop Grumman’s first completed satellite for SDA’s Tranche 1 tracking layer. (Credit: Northrop Grumman)

Supply chain woes further delay launch of SDA’s first operational satellites

Space

Members of the 18th Space Defense Combat Squadron, a unit assigned to U.S. Space Forces – Space under the USSF Force Generation model, observe orbital data at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Oct. 4, 2024.  (Photo by David Dozoretz)

Space Force challenged to scale new cloud-based satellite ground control system

Space

Barracuda-500 (Anduril photo)

DIU, Air Force move forward with 2 vendors to next phase of Enterprise Test Vehicle program

Weapons

Located in the Mission Control Station at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, the Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Battlespace Awareness Center (OBAC) provides near-real-time OPIR data exploitation products that deliver situational awareness to Space Delta 4 operators and other users. Space Systems Command recently delivered the first of two scheduled Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution (FORGE) data processing framework software deliveries to the OBAC. OBAC operations on FORGE bolster the OPIR battlespace awareness and technical intelligence missions with significant cyber-security improvements and enhanced missile detection and tracking. (Space Force photo)

Space Force embraces incremental approach to fielding new missile warning ground segment

Space

Credit: General Atomics — (Credit: General Atomics)

Air Force designates CCA drones as first unmanned fighter aircraft

Weapons

(Getty Images)

GAO: Space Development Agency has not matured important laser link technology

Space

A medium range ballistic missile target is launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, as part of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Flight Test Aegis Weapon System 31 Event 1a (FTM-31 E1a), held on March 30, 2023 in cooperation with the U.S. Navy. (MDA photo)

Space Force stands up planning team to assess tech for Trump’s ‘Iron Dome for America’

Space