Science & Tech
‘Hybrid constellations’ are making it hard for militaries to hide
Vantor plans to combine high- and low-resolution space imagery in its satellite fleet.
Army operations center is trying to solve battlefield data problems in real time
A 180-day task force is testing the concept.
As aircraft losses mount, Pentagon wants a software fix to see through the fog of war
The Defense Department is looking to update how older planes see each other and absorb data.
From launch to recovery: Here’s how Space Force is backing NASA’s Artemis II mission
The service is stepping up to support NASA’s first crewed moon mission since 1972.
AI may revive old-school tradecraft even as it transforms intelligence work
As electronic messages get harder to trust, human meetings will become more important than ever, a former CIA agent argues.
Startup debuts agentic AI assistant for war
As the Pentagon eyes agentic AI, a veteran-founded company introduces a tool that puts the military first.
The Army wants to use bullets, mortars, and artillery to take out small drones
How existing systems are being shaped to shoot at tiny targets.
The real danger of military AI isn’t killer robots; it’s worse human judgement
As Pentagon rushes to deploy LLM-based tools, research suggests they can undermine human thought and communication.
US Navy to use wall-climbing robots to inspect ships
Gecko Robotics scores $71m contract.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 205: New heat science and the future of soldiering
An Army researcher unpacks new initiatives to expand research into human performance.
AI-enabled watch towers set to proliferate along the border
GDIT pitches autonomous station with better sensors, more computing power.
New science on heat is changing the future of soldiering
Suffering in the sun doesn’t make better troops.
Meet the startups trying to build military-specific AI
The Anthropic-Pentagon feud revealed a giant gap between what giant frontier models do and what troops actually need.
25th ID helping the Army smooth out the wrinkles in its next-generation C2
Organizing data, automatic spectrum-switching and more from soldiers’ wish lists.
Special Report
Several trends are shifting defense tech toward Europe
War, regulation, and distrust of the United States are tilting a big market homeward.
Air Force test pilots used tactical AI to evade a missile
A Skunk Works project pushed pilots to give artificial intelligence control in the cockpit.
An MQ-20 drone just teamed up with an F-22 for mock combat missions
The drone was able to “exchange messages” with the pilot about patrols, maneuvers, and more.
Featured eBooks
New Army office aims to quickly develop and scale soldier ideas
Pathway for Innovation and Technology will connect rapid-acquisition hubs to program chiefs.
Move over, Best Ranger; the Army’s looking for the best drone pilots
The Huntsville competition is also meant to shape the selection and training of unmanned systems operators.
The Pentagon says it’s getting its AI providers on ‘the same baseline’
Military is still abiding by ethics principles, according to DOD research head.
