defense department Archives

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Dr. Joseph S. Jewell participates in the Department of Defense Lab Day at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 05, 2026. (DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Carson Croom)

New S&T chief supplies update on DOD’s pilot program for free tech patent licenses

The Defense Patent Holiday effort lets firms explore military technologies for commercial or defense applications, without fees.

May 11, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

Anthony Kavanaugh, left, a drone operator with a U.S. Army Unmanned Aerial Systems Mission Assurance team, operates a small-UAS while Ari Snipes, right, a drone operator with a U.S. Army UASMA team, prepares a s-UAS at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., April 23, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Hayden Hallman)

Pentagon counter-drone task force announces pilot program to get directed energy systems to 5 installations

"There is no 'silver bullet' to address this challenge," said the task force director. "And this pilot program integrates cutting-edge technology into the department's broader counter-drone toolkit."

May 8, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

Amid concerns sparked by Mythos, the Pentagon’s cyber policy chief sees ‘huge opportunity’ with frontier AI models

Defense officials discussed frontier models at the AI+ Expo.

May 7, 2026 By Jon Harper

Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael and Director, Department of Defense, Administrator Kelly Loeffler (Small Business Administration) attend a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency event at DARPA Headquarters, Arlington, Va., April 29, 2026. (DoW photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Milton Hamilton)

‘America’s seed fund’ is being revamped for modern warfare

Senior U.S. officials shed new light on their plans for the SBIR/STTR programs after a funding lapse and major reauthorization.

Apr 29, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

A view of the Palantir building is seen during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos Switzerland 2026/01/20 (Photo by Laurent Hou / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

Feinberg’s new Maven directive sets AI-enabled decision-making as ‘the cornerstone’ for CJADC2

Less than a month after the edict's release, experts said the full implications of this major transition remain unclear.

Apr 3, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

An aerial view of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 15, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. John Wright)

A policy gap is threatening the Pentagon’s AI innovation pipeline

The stakes are especially high because the future of U.S. military capability will depend heavily on technologies developed outside the traditional defense industry.

Mar 26, 2026 By Morgan Plummer

(L/R) US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn on the White House in Washington, DC, March 18, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

White House registers new ‘alien’-related .gov domains as DOD tackles Trump’s disclosure directive

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told DefenseScoop in an email to “Stay tuned!” and included an alien emoji.

Mar 18, 2026 By Brandi Vincent Madison Alder

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Aguilar, members of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration, and key leaders from White Sands Missile Range, N.M., support a high-energy laser test using the AMP-HEL system March 7, 2026. (Courtesy Photo)

Inside a ‘first of its kind’ counter-drone laser test in the American desert

JIATF 401 and the FAA, along with about half a dozen other agencies, conducted the test between March 7-8, an evaluation fast-tracked by back-to-back incidents involving counter-drone…

Mar 16, 2026 By Drew F. Lawrence

Watchdog urges DOD to address external factors affecting CMMC implementation

A new report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Pentagon has not completely identified factors beyond its control that risk the CMMC program’s overall success.

Mar 12, 2026 By Mikayla Easley

A U.S. Air Force XQ-58A Valkyrie, an autonomous, low-cost tactical unmanned air vehicle, flies over Eglin Air Force Base’s Gulf Test and Training Range. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ilka Cole)

Pentagon, IC want industry to provide an ‘evaluation harness’ to standardize testing of AI systems

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) launched a a program called MYSTIC DEPOT.

Mar 11, 2026 By Jon Harper