Emil Michael Archives

Leidos’ new Low-Cost Containerized Munitions (LCCM) is expected to significantly enhance the country’s ground-launched combat capability. Image: Leidos

Pentagon signs deals with industry to rapidly field 10,000 low-cost missiles

Through the framework agreements, Anduril, CoAspire, Zone 5 Technologies and Leidos will scale production to deliver thousands of missiles within just three years.

3 days ago By Mikayla Easley

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

U.S. Army Maj. Steven McPherson, a joint doctrine team chief with the National Guard Bureau, looks at the interface of the Maven Smart System in Arlington, Virginia Feb. 20. McPherson was in a class to learn the MSS and its capability to process vast amounts of data from weather to troop locations. (U.S. Army Photo by Master Sgt. Whitney Hughes)

DOD planning to address compute ‘bottleneck’ that could hinder AI proliferation

“We've handed our warfighters a Ferrari, and my only sleepless nights come from … making sure we never, ever run out of the high-octane fuel that they…

May 7, 2026 By Jon Harper

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

GenAI.mil Excite Day featured: Representatives from Google and the GenAI.mil team to meet and greet, answer questions, and share what’s coming. // Three stations set up with computers/monitors: (1) Real-time demos with Google, (2) GenAI.mil Getting Started videos and web interactive, (3) Training opportunities and pre-registration for a specialty Agent Designer course. // Visits from USD(R&E) Honorable Emil Michael and CDAO Mr. Cameron Stanley. (DOD Photo by Photo by Jeffrey Herbert)

DOD expands its classified AI work with 8 companies — excluding Anthropic — amid ongoing dispute

DOD announced new agreements with SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle.

May 1, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

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 poster at the Pentagon, Dec. 12, 2025, lets employees know that a new artificial intelligence tool is available to use at the War Department, and that employees are highly encouraged to use it. (Credit: C. Todd Lopez, DOW)

Pentagon uses GenAI.mil to create 100K agents

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior leaders in the department are keen on generative AI.

Apr 23, 2026 By Jon Harper

Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command operating area, Nov. 23. (DVIDS -Courtesy Photo)

DOD’s arsenal of LUCAS drones ‘in the dozens’ amid their combat debut

“We’re not in full-rate production. So, we shipped what we had” to U.S. Central Command, Pentagon CTO Emil Michael told DefenseScoop.

Mar 17, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

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

Pentagon says employees can create their own ‘custom AI assistants’ with new tech

The tool is being integrated with Google Gemini capabilities, according to the announcement.

Mar 10, 2026 By Jon Harper