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

Digital rendering of Amelia (Credit: General Dynamics Information Technology)

Navy’s AI-powered IT help desk agent, Amelia, launching this summer

IT

U.S. Marine Gen. Eric M. Smith, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, speaks to Marines from Marine Corps Recruiting Station Montgomery and Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion 23rd Marines at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, Feb. 10, 2023. The purpose of this visit was to communicate with the Marines to address questions and concerns about improving the force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Shannon Doherty)

Nominee for Marine Corps commandant commits to securing data rights, intellectual property

Emerging Tech

An aerial view of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 11, 2021. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase)

Legislators call for reorganizing Pentagon’s R&D office, shifting focus to commercial tech integration

R&D

Global network concept art. (Getty Images)

Space Development Agency taps SAIC to build battle management app factory

Space

Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, Jr., addresses the audience during the Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee Leadership Award ceremony at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Md., Jan 27, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)

Brown: Future space-based ISR will require ‘paradigm shift’ for air battle management

Emerging Tech

Rendering of a L3Harris missile warning satellite. (L3Harris image)

L3Harris lands contract for Space Force missile warning sensor to track hypersonics

Space

A U.S. Marine Corps Hero-400 loitering munition drone is staged before flight on San Clemente Island, California, May 25, 2022. The Hero-400 is a loitering munition that the United States Marine Corps and other Department of Defense entities are beginning to incorporate into specific mission sets. This initial training flight develops the unmanned aerial systems pilots’ confidence and abilities to be able to operate the Hero-400 in any clime and place, and enabling 3rd MAW to remain a more lethal and ready force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Childs)

Marines to develop air-launched loitering munitions with swarm capability for Indo-Pacific operations

Weapons

U.S. Marine Corps Col. Timothy Brady, the commanding officer of 3d Marines, conducts command and control (C2) of an air assault utilizing the Network On-the-Move Airborne (NOTM-A) communications system during Large Scale Exercise 2021, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Aug. 12, 2021. The NOTM-A provides a C2 capability to mission commanders while airborne, enhancing battlefield management and awareness. LSE 2021 is a live, virtual, and constructive exercise employing integrated command and control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and sensors across the joint force to expand battlefield awareness, share targeting data, and conduct long-range precision strikes in support of naval operations in a contested and distributed maritime environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Josue Marquez)

Marine force design plans include overhauling C2, data capabilities to support ‘all-domain’ ops

Emerging Tech

(Getty Images)

SDA seeks industry input on next batch of experimental communications satellites

Space