In that position, Michael will serve as the primary advisor to the secretary of defense and other Defense Department leaders on tech development and transition, prototyping, experimentation, and management of testing ranges and activities. He’ll also be in charge of synchronizing science and technology efforts across the DOD.

Michael comes to the job from the private sector, where he’s been a business executive, advisor and investor. He told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he’s been involved with more than 50 different tech companies during his career. Perhaps most notable, from 2013 to 2017, he was chief business officer at Uber.

In government, he previously served as special assistant to the secretary of defense when Robert Gates was Pentagon chief.

Michael was born in Egypt and his family moved to the United States when he was a child to escape what he described as hostility to Christians.

“Emil has lived the American Dream by building several successful Tech companies, including Uber,” then President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement in December when he announced his pick for Pentagon R&E chief, adding that Michael will “ensure that our Military has the most technologically sophisticated weapons in the World, while saving A LOT of money for our Taxpayers.”

Michael touted his business background during his confirmation hearing in March and in responses to written questions from senators. He noted that he previously served on the Defense Business Board, which provides independent advice to Pentagon leaders on business management issues.

“I am a firm believer that bringing best practices from the private sector into the Department is a top priority because, if adopted effectively, they will streamline operation and allocate resources more appropriately,” Michael told lawmakers.

He suggested that some research and development programs could end up on the chopping block under his watch, saying Pentagon officials need to have the discipline to “stop projects that are failing” and focus S&T investments on “only those things that are aligned on our ‘peace through strength’ mission.”

“Time must be a factor in all of our decisions as we confront an increasingly sophisticated adversary in China, which not only has lower labor costs, but is notorious for intellectual property theft, making its research and development … even faster and less expensive than we could have imagined only a decade ago,” he said.

Michael also told senators that he would work to “recast” the relationship between the Defense Department and the emerging tech sector.

“The DOD needs to foster a more robust and competitive defense industrial base by providing more realistic requirements, inviting smaller and innovative companies with less burdensome processes, becoming more agile in how and when we grant contracts. The private sector too should bear some more responsibility for the risks of their own failure. A healthy ecosystem will provide for weapons that are better, cheaper and faster,” he said at his confirmation hearing.

He suggested venture capitalists could play an even larger role in supporting the defense industrial base, particularly for small businesses that need additional funding to thrive in that marketplace. For example, he told lawmakers that, if confirmed, he would look for opportunities under Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs for small businesses to leverage VC investment.

The Pentagon’s R&E chief plays a key role in fostering next-generation military capabilities and overseeing work on the “critical technology areas” that the Pentagon has identified. Those areas currently include trusted AI and autonomy; space; integrated sensing and cyber; integrated network systems of systems; microelectronics; human-machine interfaces; advanced materials; directed energy; advanced computing and software; hypersonics; biotech; quantum; FutureG wireless tech; and “energy resilience.”

“If confirmed, I look forward to reviewing the work being done in all 14 Critical Technology Areas and ensuring the Department’s resources are focused on our most critical challenges with the right amount of weight behind each area,” Michael told lawmakers.

He highlighted AI, autonomous systems, quantum computing, directed energy and hypersonics as some of his top priorities, if confirmed.

The R&E directorate is also expected to play a major role in Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative.

Michael noted that Golden Dome will require systems engineers across the DOD to collaborate on architecture and software, in partnership with the development and acquisition communities.

After he’s sworn in, Michael will take over for James Mazol, who has been performing the duties of undersecretary for R&E during the early months of the second Trump administration. Heidi Shyu was the last person to hold the role in a Senate-confirmed capacity during the Biden administration.

Updated on May 15, 2025, at 4:15 PM: A previous version of this story stated that “renewable energy generation and storage” was one of DOD’s 14 “critical technology areas.” While that was the case during the Biden administration, the Trump administration has changed the focus to “energy resilience.” This story has been updated to reflect that change.

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Jewell’s nomination was sent to Capitol Hill Monday and will be considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to a notice posted on Congress.gov.

An experienced aerospace engineer, Jewell has spent decades in both academia and government working on hypersonics research and development. He most recently served as an associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University, where he was the director of the school’s Mach 6 quiet wind tunnel that’s able to test hypersonic capabilities. Jewell also spent two years researching hypersonics technology at the Air Force Research Laboratory, according to his LinkedIn bio.

The S&T job at the Pentagon that Jewell has been tapped for, was one of the new roles established in the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act as part of a reorganization within the department’s research and engineering directorate. Aprille Ericsson held that position during the Biden administration.

If confirmed, Jewell would be tasked to oversee the Defense Department’s extensive S&T enterprise — including emerging technologies, workforce, laboratories, and partnerships with industry and academia. Key initiatives for the office include FutureG, quantum science, advanced manufacturing and hypersonics research, among others.

Jewell’s experience with hypersonics would be helpful for the DOD. Development of the advanced weapons — able to fly at speeds of Mach 5 or greater while maneuvering through the atmosphere — has been a top priority for the department. However, several ongoing programs have struggled in recent years, largely due to limited test infrastructure and the technology’s complexity.

Since taking office for his second term in January, Trump has taken interest in bolstering the United States’ homeland missile defense via his Golden Dome effort, formerly known as the “Iron Dome For America.” The project looks to build a multi-layered architecture that can effectively track and defeat a range of threats, including hypersonic systems. To that end, the Pentagon will need kinetic and non-kinetic mechanisms — as well as infrastructure to test and validate them — to intercept adversary weapons.

The assistant secretary of defense for S&T is nested under the Pentagon’s undersecretary for research and engineering. Trump’s nominee for that position is Emil Michael, former chief business officer at Uber, who is awaiting confirmation by the Senate.

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Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, has identified 14 “critical technology areas” that she is prioritizing, including trusted AI and autonomy, space, integrated sensing and cyber, integrated network systems of systems, renewable energy generation and storage, and microelectronics. They also include human-machine interface, advanced materials, directed energy, advanced computing and software, hypersonics, biotech, quantum, and 5G/FutureG.

Although S&T funding for budget activities 6.1 basic research, 6.2 applied research and 6.3 advanced technology development only account for about 2% of the Pentagon’s overall budget, it’s considered critical for military modernization because it lays the seed corn for next-generation capabilities.

Of the $17.2 billion that the Pentagon has requested for these budget activities in fiscal 2025, 98% would be divided among those 14 critical tech areas, according to Shyu’s slide presentation during a webinar hosted by NDIA’s Emerging Technologies Institute on Tuesday.

“If you see where the bulk of our funding is going … the biggest bar chart is trusted AI and autonomy. So that’s not going to be surprising. The second area that we found a lot of money in is in the space technology arena. The third piece is the integrators sensing and cyber … Those three categories of areas we’re funding composed about 65% of our S&T budget,” Shyu noted.

The proposal includes about $4.9 billion for trusted AI and autonomy, $4.3 billion for space, and $1.9 billion for integrated sensing and cyber.

Additionally, it includes $1.6 billion for integrated network system of system, $1.5 billion for renewable energy generation and storage, $515 million for microelectronics, $458 million for human-machine interface, $414 for advanced materials, $355 million for directed energy, $333 million for advanced computing and software, $242 million for hypersonics, $224 million for biotech, $76 million for quantum, and $38 million for 5G/FutureG.

The majority of that — approximately $9 billion — is for advanced tech development, with $5.8 billion and $2.5 billion slated for applied research and basic research, respectively.

Among DOD components, about $8.3 billion would go toward “Defense-wide” agencies not aligned with the services — also known as the Fourth Estate — such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Innovation Unit, Strategic Capabilities Office, Missile Defense Agency, and other agencies and field activities under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, according to Shyu’s slides.

Among the services, the Army would receive about $2.8 billion, the Air Force $2.7 billion, the Navy $2.5 billion and the Space Force $840 million.

The total S&T funding request for fiscal 2025 is 3.4% lower than the 2024 request, per Shyu’s slides.

Shyu noted the importance of technology transition from the S&T enterprise as the U.S. aims to field new capabilities at scale.

A total of 105 projects in critical technology areas were transitioned in fiscal 2023, with trusted AI and autonomy topping the list at 30, according to the Pentagon CTO.

There are several potential transition pathways, she noted.

“The most typical way that people think about is transitioning into a program of record. Right. So that’s the one pathway. However, it could be a piece of software that we’re delivering capability to upgrade a capability that’s already been fielded. So that’s a different way of fielding a new capability. The other way could very well be, we have developed a technology, the technology is being utilized by a DOD prime or commercial company, [and] we then end up procuring that technology. And the fourth way is we’ve transitioned technology for the DOD [and] it could be used by another government agency,” she explained.

She highlighted the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) and the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) programs as examples of initiatives aimed at helping transition promising warfighting capabilities into production.

Several RDER-related technologies are on track to move into production, according to Shyu.

“We have developed some capabilities as part of … the RDER activities. Once we develop it and its mature and the services say, ‘We really would like to have it,’ there are ways that we can just put it right onto the [General Services Administration] schedule and literally a service that wants to procure it just can buy it outright. So it doesn’t have to go through a long procurement process into a program of record,” she explained.

In April, the Pentagon announced the latest tranche of APFIT projects to receive funding, geared toward small and nontraditional contractors. To date, the department has funded 38 companies via the initiative, Shyu said Tuesday.

“We’re helping to fund small companies to get into low-rate initial production. This is helping them to bridge the valley of death that they typically face from [budget activity] 6.3 to get into 6.4 and into-low rate industrial production,” she said, noting that technologies from the first tranche are being fielded by the services and the combatant commands.

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She also pledged to improve the department’s partnerships with small businesses in order to better integrate new capabilities into the services.

“In this complex and rapidly evolving security environment, my vision aims to boost our technical advantages by shepherding our critical and emerging technologies, strengthening our industrial manufacturing base and protecting our intellectual property,” Aprille Ericsson said Tuesday during her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “If confirmed, I will ensure the work of my portfolio is always aligned with the National Defense Strategy, and I will prioritize vital disruptive technologies like hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”

The S&T job that Ericsson has been tapped for is one of three new leadership positions established under the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that will foster technology research and development. The new posts will be overseen by Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu.

“The establishment of these roles within Research & Engineering better positions our team to execute upon our mission of preserving our nation’s technological edge, now and into the future,” Shyu said in a July statement announcing the reorganization.

An aerospace engineer, Ericsson worked at NASA for over three decades where she held numerous leadership positions. Most recently, she served as the new business lead for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s instrument systems and technology division.

If confirmed as assistant secretary of defense, she would be responsible for the oversight of the Pentagon’s extensive science-and-technology enterprise, including its workforce, infrastructure and partnerships with industry. She would also be responsible for four of the 14 critical technology areas designated by Shyu: advanced materials, quantum, biotechnology and 5G/FutureG.

In terms of emerging tech, Ericsson noted that one of her top focus areas would be the development of hypersonic weapons and quantum technologies. In written responses to senators’ advance policy questions ahead of Tuesday’s confirmation, she said that she sees significant benefits if the two technologies are able to be integrated into future warfighter capabilities.

“The United States is in a defining decade for technologies such as quantum and hypersonic/anti-hypersonic capabilities. These two technologies do not have many apparent commercial applications, and, therefore, the Department must oversee their rapid development and defense applicability,” Ericsson wrote. “We envision winning the race to beat our peer competitors and delivering on our quantum technology investments with realized applications in computing and sensors.”

Pentagon officials and lawmakers have publicly stated their concerns that the United States is much further behind in hypersonic weapon development and anti-hypersonic capabilities than adversaries, particularly China.

Ericsson told lawmakers Tuesday she is interested in leveraging some of the work done in hypersonics at NASA — such as the X-59 Quesst aircraft for the agency’s Low-Boom Flight Demonstrator project — to aid the U.S. military if she’s confirmed.

“I’m hoping that maybe some of the technology we’re developing at NASA, particularly with the X-59 [plane], if there’s ways that we can infuse that and bring together the two different agencies — the Department of Defense and our agency — to maybe further that technology,” she said.

As for quantum technology, Ericsson highlighted work done to accelerate and demonstrate quantum sensors for military applications. However, the DOD still faces challenges in standing up a domestic supply chain of the critical components needed to make quantum tech affordable and easy to scale, she wrote in her responses to lawmakers’ policy questions.

Beyond emerging technologies, Ericsson stressed that she would strive to bring in more small businesses to do work with the Defense Department’s S&T enterprise and close the so-called “valley of death.” The phenomenon occurs when a promising technology or capability fails to transition from research and development into production and fielding.

“The development of critical and emerging technologies by small businesses is another vital contribution to the technological capabilities of the Department,” she wrote. “If nominated for the ASD(S&T) position, I would prioritize providing support and streamlining [Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer] processes to ensure we create a transparent and efficient process for small businesses.”

Similar to her vision for hypersonics development, Ericsson told lawmakers she hopes to bring her experience working with small businesses at NASA with her to the Pentagon — especially in regard to SBIR/STTR programs.

“I’m looking forward to having roadshows and opportunities to have workshops and to listen and learn,” she said.

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Former Chief Naval Architect Howard Fireman will serve as vice chair and Maria Proestou — who is also a strategic acquisition adviser to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition — will be the board’s “designated federal official,” according to a release.

Justin Norman, acting technical director for AI and machine learning at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in Silicon Valley, has also been tapped. So has Robert Work, the former deputy secretary of defense and undersecretary of the Navy who for years has advocated for leveraging artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and autonomy capabilities to enable the U.S. military to operate more effectively.

Other panelists include:

• Andrew G. Alleyne, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota

• Jose L. Arrieta, CEO, Imagineer; Former Chief Information Officer, and Chief Data Officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Jesse H. Ausubel, Director, Program for the Human Environment at the Rockefeller University
• Steve G. Blank, Adjunct Professor, Stanford University; Co-Creator of Hacking for Defense; Author, Four Steps to the Epiphany 
• Lance Collins, Vice President & Executive Director, Virginia Tech Innovation campus
• Christine Fox, Former Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense; Former Director, DoD Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE); Senior Fellow, John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• James R. Gosler, Former Assistant Director Sandia National Laboratories, National Security Agency Visiting Scientist; Retired Capt., U.S. Navy; Senior Fellow at John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• Samuel Graham, Dean of the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland
• Chris Inglis, Former White House U.S. National Cyber Director, Former National Security Agency Chief Operating Officer; Retired Brig. Gen., U.S. Air Force; Visiting Professor of Cyber Studies, U.S. Naval Academy
• Thomas R. Kurfess, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Georgia Institute of Technology and Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute
• Cara LaPointe, Retired Capt., U.S. Navy; Co-Director, John Hopkins Institute for Assured Autonomy; Adjunct professor, Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service
• Gregory Robinson, Former Program Director of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA; Faculty, Columbia University, School of Professional Studies 
• Jocelyn Seng, Retired Maj. Gen., U.S. Air Force; Consultant, Institute for Defense Analyses

The Department of the Navy Science and Technology Board is being created to offer independent advice and counsel on issues and policies relating to scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, medicine and business management functions.

“We are eager to have the [board] work with us to amplify existing initiatives and suggest new possibilities that will strengthen our warfighting capabilities,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said in a statement. “I look forward to meeting with our nation’s leading experts, many of whom have served in multiple roles within the government, academia, and industry.”

Dangiz said: “The board’s highest priority will be to work with leaders in the Department of the Navy to match new opportunities in science and technology with present service needs.”

The group’s first meeting and swearing-in will be held next week at the Pentagon and is scheduled to last three-and-a-half hours.

Del Toro will host the meeting and “be tasking the Board with topics to study so the Board can make their recommendations to the Department and provide guidance on the Department’s priorities and key operational problems in regards to science and technology. There will then be classified discussions on the topics that are tasked by SECNAV and strategy briefings to follow,” according to a notice published in the Federal Register.

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But there will be challenges in convincing everyone in the Department of Defense to see beyond their own immediate needs, Brown said.

“The challenge here is having all of our service members understand the big picture, and why this is so important, why we need to modernize and what’s at stake,” Brown said during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. “From that perspective then, you step away from your own parochial interests, and then we do what’s best not just for your part of the organization, but what’s best for the entire organization.”

In his three years as the Air Force’s top officer, Brown has been a staunch advocate for the service’s modernization programs. In his “Accelerate Change or Lose” manifesto, he emphasized the importance of advancing the Air Force’s technological capabilities in order to deter U.S. adversaries.

While he acknowledged that some modernization efforts during his tenure have made more progress than others, Brown pledged to bring his aggressive mindset on modernization with him as chairman, if confirmed. 

“We’ve got to be able to do that a bit more across the force, and put what’s best out front for the force to ensure we’re doing the right things to protect the nation and our national interests,” Brown said.

In the past, Brown has been focused on fleshing out a number of Air Force modernization initiatives. He has prioritized investments in the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) — which serves as the service’s contribution to the Pentagon-wide effort known as Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) — as well as capabilities that would turn the Air Force into a more data-centric service.

In written responses to advance policy questions from senators, Brown also pointed to a number of key modernization initiatives that are needed to stay ahead of U.S. adversaries. 

In addition to enhancing interoperability between U.S. military branches and allies and partners, Brown wrote that the Defense Department “should focus investments on advanced technologies, such as cyber defense, space-based assets, and unmanned systems, that can help maintain a competitive edge.”

He committed to continuing the department’s efforts to defend against adversary hypersonic weapons, which are especially difficult to detect and defeat due to the high speeds they fly at and their ability to maneuver mid-flight. That includes the Space Development Agency’s upcoming constellation of missile warning and missile tracking satellites, according to his written responses.

“Active U.S. missile defense will require advanced technologies to provide greater efficiencies for U.S. active missile defense capabilities, to include space-based sensors and boost-phase defense capabilities,” Brown wrote. “The exploitation of space provides a missile defense posture that is more effective, resilient, and adaptable.”

There are other modernization efforts at the Pentagon experiencing shortfalls, Brown said in some of his written responses. For example, he noted that the joint force’s integration of electronic warfare into operations is a “work in progress.”

On a broader note, Brown acknowledged difficulties in internally developing innovative technologies at the DOD, as well as acquiring them from the commercial sector. He wrote that one of the challenges in this area is the inability to bridge the so-called “valley of death” in acquisitions where promising technologies fail to transition from research and development into production and fielding.

When asked about the Pentagon’s acquisition of new tech during the confirmation hearing, Brown said there is much to improve upon.

“We have great innovation here within our nation, and we want to make sure that we’re putting that into the hands of our warfighters as quickly as possible,” he told lawmakers. “I also believe there’s an iterative process to this. … There are so many things that are software-based today, and if we knock down any barriers to be able to move faster, I’m all for it.”

But like with accelerating change across the joint force, removing acquisition roadblocks that stifle innovation with commercial industry will also require a mindset shift, he said. 

“It’s not a flip of a switch, it’s a culture change that takes a bit of time to get it bought into the force and start to move,” he added.

Brown was mostly met with accolades from both Republican and Democratic senators during his confirmation hearing. If confirmed, he would succeed Gen. Mark Milley as the top officer in the U.S. armed forces.

However, his path to becoming the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff currently faces a roadblock due to Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blanket hold on senior military confirmations.

The senator’s protest of the Defense Department’s abortion policies has put a halt to the Pentagon’s senior leader appointments — a move that has since left the Marine Corps without a confirmed commandant in the wake of Gen. David Berger’s retirement earlier this week.

When asked about the holds during his confirmation hearing, Brown said the blocks to military appointments will eventually have a trickle-down effect and create issues that may exacerbate the Pentagon’s current retention challenges.

“Because we have more junior officers who now will look up and say, ‘If that’s the challenge that I’m gonna have to deal with in the future, I may not want to [stay in the armed forces]. I’m going to balance between my family and serving in a senior position.’ And we will lose talent because of those challenges,” Brown said.

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Via a recent letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other cabinet members and senior officials, including Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, a cadre of lawmakers led by Reps. Elise Stefanik and Mike Gallagher argue that Beijing is and will continue to use the Agreement Between the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation in Science and Technology (STA) solely to advance its own military objectives.

The Biden administration has identified China as the United States’ top strategic competitor.

“DOD is participating in the interagency process to review the current STA. We don’t have anything to announce today regarding the timing of potential renewal,” a Pentagon spokesperson told DefenseScoop on Tuesday.

“As a general matter, the State Department does not discuss internal deliberations or negotiations,” a spokesperson from State also told DefenseScoop.

The STA deal that the Republicans want scrapped has been renewed roughly every five years since it started decades ago — and it has supported cooperation on research topics encompassing atmospheric, agricultural, physics, chemistry and more.

But the next expiration date for the STA is Aug. 27, which is approaching as relations between the countries remain rocky.

“The United States must stop fueling its own destruction. Letting the STA expire is a good first step,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Reports suggest that research partnerships organized under the STA could have developed technologies that would later be used against the United States. In 2018, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) organized a project with China’s Meteorological Administration — under the STA — to launch instrumented balloons to study the atmosphere. As you know, a few years later, the PRC used similar balloon technology to surveil U.S. military sites on U.S. territory — a clear violation of our sovereignty,” they added.

Though they do not require any actions via the letter, the Republicans noted that under existing law their committee “has broad authority to ‘investigate and submit policy recommendations on the status of the Chinese Communist Party’s economic, technological, and security progress and its competition with the United States.'”

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Guided by the 2022 National Defense Strategy, the 11-page document outlines three key lines of effort for the department’s S&T initiatives: joint operations, rapid experimentation and prototyping, and ensuring the foundations for research and development.

The strategy highlights technological advancements made by China, considered to be the United States’ top military competitor, and emphasizes the need to stay ahead while evolving to support modernization. 

“The NDSTS articulates the science and technology priorities of the department and makes recommendations on the future defense research and engineering enterprise,” Nina Kollars, advisor to Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu, said during a roundtable with reporters Monday ahead of the strategy’s release. “The NDSTS articulates the fundamental steps the department will take to sharpen our competitive edge in science and technology in order to ensure enduring advantages.” 

The Defense Department will also send an implementation plan to Congress within the next 90 days, Kollars said.

“We will make the necessary adjustments to our internal processes, our engagement with the technological innovation base, and our industrial posture to address the emerging dynamics of this era of strategic competition,” the strategic vision stated. “Our strategy aligns new mechanisms for supporting research and development with more effective pathways for acquisition and sustainment. At the same time, we will divest from outdated legacy systems and leave behind risk-averse processes.”

Science and technology is considered a critical part of the Pentagon’s research, development, test and evaluation activities. In its fiscal 2024 budget request, the department is asking for $17.8 billion to fund S&T initiatives, including funding for basic research, applied research and advanced technology development.

The new strategy highlights the importance of leveraging critical emerging technologies and enabling them for joint operations. This includes making investments in the Pentagon’s 14 “critical technology areas,” better utilizing data that can be used for analytics, and conducting joint experimentation and prototyping.

During a webinar hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association in April, Shyu noted that joint operations are a driving factor for the NDSTS.

“Everything we’ve been doing is very much focusing on the joint warfighting capabilities, and what we need to do to fight as a joint force,” she said. “So the capability we need to develop in that arena is what’s driving a lot of our focus — especially in the prototyping and experimentation phase.”

These efforts are key for the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER), Shyu added. That initiative is aimed at identifying prototypes and putting them through their paces as a way for emerging technologies to be quickly fielded to combatant commanders to satisfy joint warfighting needs.

The push for better experimentation is also fueling efforts in physics-based modeling and simulation capabilities. That will help the Pentagon conduct technology tests and create data that will help inform how the tech impacts the joint mission, she said.

“Developing highly accurate campaign-level system-of-systems models and simulations will help us identify capabilities and determine the mission contributions of specific technologies,” the new S&T strategy stated. “Integrating physics-based models into campaign-level system-of-systems models will improve the accuracy of our assessments. These robust models and simulations will be coupled with comprehensive technology watch and horizon scanning efforts to inform future critical technology investments.”

The document also points to the need to foster a more vibrant defense innovation ecosystem and ensure that crucial tech is actually delivered to warfighters. It promises to bridge the so-called “valley of death” — a phenomenon that occurs when the Pentagon fails to transition promising technology from R&D into production and fielding — by spearheading new pathways to rapidly experiment with capabilities and deliver them at scale. 

This calls for the DOD to improve collaboration with its international allies and partners, as well as working with the Defense Innovation Unit and other organizations that regularly engage with non-traditional partners and commercial companies.

“We’re going to step away from conventionally thinking the Department of Defense can be solely responsible for science and technology that is defense relevant, and really think about this … as a collaborative effort from the very beginning — from early basic research all the way to acquisition,” Kollars said.

In addition, closing the S&T valley of death also will require innovation in industrial processes, protecting critical technologies from adversaries and frequently transitioning capabilities from prototypes into products.

Finally, the Pentagon plans to strengthen its research-and-development enterprise by revitalizing both existing laboratory and test infrastructure and modernizing digital infrastructure, Kollars said.

The department also plans to improve how it recruits, retains and cultivates its S&T workforce, she noted.

“Working with our allies and partners, as well as industry, we will align research and engineering with acquisition to rapidly field new capabilities at speed and scale. We will also ensure the foundation for future research and development by investing in our people and the infrastructure they need,” the NDSTS stated.

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The request is the department’s largest ever for S&T projects and marks an 8.3% increase over what was enacted by Congress in fiscal 2023, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said during a webinar hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association. 

Science and technology is considered a critical component of the Defense Department’s research, development, test and evaluation budget. It includes funding for basic research, applied research and advanced technology development. 

Shyu noted that basic research across the department would increase by 4% from fiscal 2023 to around $2.5 billion. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering would receive a 43% funding boost over last year, she said.

“We are very well posed in terms of wanting to make sure that we’re supporting basic research because that really provides the seed for future capabilities,” Shyu said during the webinar. 

Several of the Pentagon’s “critical technology areas” would also receive increased investment in fiscal 2024. The department is asking for $6.9 billion to fund continued research, development and prototyping of the 14 technologies considered to be vital to the United States’ national security.

The request includes funding across Shyu’s office, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Technical Information Center, the Missile Defense Agency, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office and the Test Resource Management Center, Shyu said.

Almost a quarter of the funding for these technologies would be allocated to microelectronics, Shyu noted. The Pentagon is seeking $1.7 billion to fund the critical technology, according to Shyu’s presentation during the webinar.

Microelectronics are key circuits and components that act as the “brain” for many military and commercial systems. But because a majority of microelectronics are manufactured overseas, the Defense Department in recent years has prioritized the need to secure its own supply chain within the United States.

In particular, microelectronics innovations are driving an increase in DARPA’s budget request of $4.4 billion for fiscal 2024, DARPA Director Stefanie Tompkins said during the webinar. The research agency is specifically seeking $892 million to fund its microelectronics projects as part of a five-year-long Electronics Resurgence Initiative, she said.

While other efforts — such as the State-of-the-art Heterogenous Integrated Packaging (SHIP) program and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) legislation — focus on near-term supply chain vulnerabilities, DARPA’s initiatives are looking at future advancements in microelectronics manufacturing, Tompkins said.

“We are focusing on 3D heterogeneous integration. We have spent a fair amount of time and resources in the last five years figuring out the science of that,” she said. “A big part of what we will be doing in the next iteration of our Electronics Resurgence Initiative is the manufacturing ability — so the actual science of scale. Now that we’ve proven that something is possible once, how do we make sure that it’s actually possible in the real world and will operate under real-world conditions?”

When combined with microelectronics funding, the requests for integrated sensing and cyber and integrated network system-of-systems make up over half of the Pentagon’s budget request for its critical technology areas in 2024, Shyu noted. The department is seeking $1.2 billion for integrated sensing and cyber and $763 million for integrated network system-of-systems.

For its other critical technology areas, the department is asking Congress for $629 million for trusted artificial intelligence and autonomy, $601 million for hypersonics, $407 million for biotechnology, $403 million for space technology, $318 million for future-generation wireless technology (FutureG), $280 million for directed energy, $249 million for advanced materials, $159 million for quantum sciences, $45 million for human-machine interfaces and $30 million for renewable energy.

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The DOD and its industry partners have been building prototypes for multiple variants of hypersonic missiles, and the Pentagon hopes to transition the technology into production and begin fielding the weapons over the next few years. But officials are also looking at developing more advanced capabilities.

“We’re taking our future look and creating a future strategy that we’re calling national hypersonics initiative 2.0.,” Michael White, principal director for hypersonics in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, said at a conference hosted by ExecutiveBiz on Tuesday. That initiative includes pursuing “disruptive and advanced warfighting capability.”

The initial set of systems that are already in the works include “capability phasing plans,” he noted, which will allow for incremental upgrades. However, the DOD is also pondering “what’s the next set of capabilities that give us that next leap and impact and effect that we can achieve with hypersonic systems,” and how the department can “repopulate” the R&D pipeline to pursue those, White said.

Defense officials are engaging with a broad set of government agencies, industry partners and the broader innovation ecosystem to figure out what the department should do to mature future concepts through organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or the Strategic Capabilities Office.

The aim is to use investments to replenish the pipeline of advanced capabilities moving forward for both offensive weapons and counter-hypersonics capabilities.

“That activity is moving forward and we’re working with the broader community … to populate that future set of concepts,” White said.

White didn’t lay out all the new concepts that are under consideration but noted that there is interest in reusable hypersonic capabilities that could be used for purposes other than blowing up high-value targets.

“We’re thinking a little bit further out about how do we develop reusable capabilities that would provide leap-ahead systems that allow us to operate both for responsive [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] and targeting as well as delivering effects on the battlefield — and maybe even responsive access to space in, let’s say, the first stage of a two-stage to orbit system. So we are looking at — beyond the expendable weapon portfolios — what we need to do to leverage hypersonic capability for reusable systems,” he said.

Another pillar of the hypersonics 2.0 initiative is to try to make new weapons more affordable so the DOD can buy them in large quantities.

“We will not be able to field capability and buy capability in the numbers we need if these systems are not, essentially, in parity relative to cost with traditional systems,” White said.

To tackle that affordability issue, the DOD included about $500 million in its budget plans for the next three years to bolster the industry’s ability to manufacture systems that would have a lower price tag than today’s prototypes.

“We’re working really hard to identify what the key investment needs are with industry first being driven by the current programs and what they need to move their production techniques and production environment in a direction that allows more affordable fabrication, as well as looking at future automation and how do we bring new technology into the production environment for future capability builds,” White said.

Other pillars of the initiative include investing more money in the science and technology ecosystem and the workforce so they can help develop new concepts for capabilities and production and materials development.

It also calls for boosting funding to improve test and evaluation infrastructure and to achieve “leap-ahead capability” in these areas. The fiscal 2023 budget request includes about $1.5 billion across the future years defense program (FYDP) for that purpose, according to White.

Overall, the Pentagon plans to invest about $25 billion on hypersonics efforts across the FYDP, according to White. Such weapons can travel faster than Mach 5 and are highly maneuverable, making it difficult for traditional missile defense systems to defeat them. The technology is a top modernization priority for the U.S. military as it tries to compete with China and Russia, which have already fielded hypersonic systems. The Army, Navy and Air Force are pursuing ground-launched, sea-launched and air-launched variants, respectively, and the Pentagon is working on boost-glide systems as well as hypersonic cruise missiles.

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