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Pentagon Sharpens Tech Focus to Six Key Priorities
The Pentagon has narrowed its technology priorities to six critical areas aimed at rapidly strengthening U.S. military capabilities and maintaining strategic dominance.
Defense Department Showcases Multi-Domain Autonomous Display in Pentagon's Courtyard by Getty Images
The Pentagon will concentrate its research and development efforts on six critical technology areas down from 14 previously outlined to ensure the United States maintains a strategic advantage over global adversaries, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael announced Monday.
The six focus areas include applied artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, contested logistics technologies, quantum and battlefield information dominance, scaled directed energy and scaled hypersonic. Michael detailed the significance of each area in a video message, Emphasizing their role in shaping future U.S. military capabilities.
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Michael said applied artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform decision-making and align with President Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence action plan. He noted that biomanufacturing is intended to eliminate vulnerabilities within the nation’s supply chains.
For contested logistics technologies, Michael explained that the aim is to ensure U.S. forces can operate and resupply effectively in hostile or disrupted environments. Battlefield information dominance will give warfighters the tools to operate even when communications are degraded or denied.
Scaled directed energy is expected to deliver cost-effective high-energy solutions, while scaled hyper sonics will provide the U.S. military with powerful, fast and lethal operational capabilities on the battlefield.
“These six critical technology areas represent the priorities that will deliver the greatest impact, the fastest results and the most decisive advantage on the battlefield,” Michael said.
He emphasized that narrowing the priority list will streamline development and speed the delivery of advanced tools to the War Department.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth echoed that message, saying the shift is essential to maintaining American military superiority. “Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,” Hegseth said. “Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six critical technology areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality. The War Department is committed to remaining the deadliest fighting force on planet Earth.”
As military planners reinforce the need for speed, readiness and adaptability, some observers point out that preparedness is a theme that extends beyond technology labs. Even everyday gear used by service members and firearms professionals reflects this emphasis. For example, products like the Don Hume J.I.T. Slide OWB Open Carry Holster for the Colt Officer’s ACP/Colt 1911 Combat are designed for efficiency, accessibility and reliability qualities that mirror the Pentagon’s push for streamlined, high-performance solutions. While unrelated to the policy shift, such equipment is often cited as a reminder that operational readiness depends on tools that perform under pressure, whether in the field or on the range.
Editor’s Note:
This article presents the Pentagon’s newly refined technology priorities exactly as outlined by Under Secretary Emil Michael and Secretary Pete Hegseth. All information has been reported strictly within the context provided, without additional interpretation or analysis.
