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

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – JANUARY 30: Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided with a military helicopter while approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Army helicopter involved in fatal crash over the Potomac was not using AI, sources say

AI

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press as he and First Lady Melania Trump prepare to depart the White House aboard Marine One on January 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Trump revives push for space-based interceptors in ‘Iron Dome for America’ edict

Space

(Getty Images)

Report finds large gap in CMMC readiness among defense industrial base

IT

Dr. Lisa Costa, the U.S. Space Force’s first permanent Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, signed the Joint Task Force-Space Defense’s board during her visit to the organization at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, Apr. 1, 2022. (U.S. Space Force photo by Tiana Williams)

Former Space Force CTIO joins advisory board for artificial intelligence startup Seekr

AI

An image created with Microsoft Designer using an initial prompt developed within the #CalibrateAI tool. (Credit: US Army)

Army evaluating generative AI tools to support business ops

AI

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall visits the Anduril booth at the annual Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference in 2023. (Anduril photo).

SECAF Kendall, looking out to 2050, predicts war winners will be combatants with the best AI

AI

(Getty Images)

SDA demos laser link between 2 vendors for future SATCOM, missile tracking network

Space

An artist’s rendering of Kratos’ Erinyes hypersonic test bed (Credit: Kratos)

Pentagon awards Kratos megadeal worth nearly $1.5B for new hypersonic testbed

Weapons

(Photo by Brandi Vincent)

With growing presence, DIU continues efforts to lower barriers for new entrants

Emerging Tech