Emil Michael Archives

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Dr. Joseph S. Jewell participates in the Department of War Lab Day at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., May 5, 2026. (DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Carson Croom)

Data-backed review exposes urgent friction points threatening U.S. defense research enterprise

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Joseph Jewell briefed DefenseScoop on the recently completed comprehensive report.

Aug 19, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (L) and Emil Michael (R), Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, tour an exhibit of Multi-Domain Autonomous systems at the Pentagon July 16, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Pentagon probes 30 U.S. academic institutions for potential ties to adversaries

A U.S. official shared the department’s full list of notified schools with DefenseScoop on Monday.

Aug 17, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael and Assistant Secretary of War for Science and Technology Dr. Joseph S. Jewell take questions from the press. following 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)

Pentagon’s S&T boss touts early benefits of re-org, including ‘virtuous cycles of collaboration’

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology Joseph Jewell briefed DefenseScoop on the DOD’s new structure to enable innovation.

Aug 12, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

Army ManTech, a member of the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP), exhibited innovative smart fabrics at the Pentagon, July 8, 2025. (DOD Photo by Rebecca War/DVIDS)

New DOD innovation hub will confront ‘unacceptable vulnerabilities’ in production of military fabrics

The Pentagon is standing up its ninth Manufacturing Innovation Institute in North Carolina.

Aug 10, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

While developing Odyssey, NPS computer science student U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Kyle Hicks turned to AI to write most of the code powering the application. Hicks’ Odyssey exemplifies the broader applications of AI in the U.S. Department of War, supporting the day-to-day work of service members across the force, from writing awards to managing projects to analyzing data. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Katherine Eldridge)

Marine Corps tees up hackathon featuring GenAI.mil

The hackathon is intended to deliver “tangible products that are useful across the enterprise and immediately deployed or adopted for further refinement,” according to an administrative message.

Aug 7, 2026 By Jon Harper

Pentagon CTO Emil Michael speaks onstage alongside Rep. Ken Calvert and Rep. Betty McCollum at an APFIT event in the Cannon House Office Building on July 21, 2026. (DOD Photo)

Pentagon’s next APFIT round will prioritize tech that ‘can be made cheaply at scale’

Applications will soon open for the next round of DOD's Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program.

Jul 22, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

A target is hit by a first-person view small unmanned aircraft system strike during an FPV sUAS live fire demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 29, 2026. I Marine Expeditionary Force, in partnership with Defense Innovation Unit, evaluated fiber-optic drones for use in signal-degraded environments. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Joshua Bustamante)

In its next chapter, DIU aims to reduce the military’s ‘cost per kill’

In an exclusive interview with DefenseScoop, Owen West shared new details about his vision to reshape DIU’s operational structure to fit its modern mission.

Jul 15, 2026 By Brandi Vincent

Pentagon announces more than $500M in new procurements for APFIT program, including software

The initiative aims to speed the delivery of new tech to the services and combatant commands.

Jul 14, 2026 By Jon Harper

Pentagon awards deals for laser weapons that could shoot down drone swarms

Defense officials have long-touted the benefits of directed energy systems such as their high-speed engagement, low cost-per-shot and deep magazines.

Jul 9, 2026 By Jon Harper

Trump administration announces ‘War Force’ effort

The Pentagon seeks experts in designing, building, integrating and maintaining capabilities like frontier AI, machine learning, automation and data systems.

Jun 30, 2026 By Jon Harper