Overview
- Emil Michael announced on X that the Pentagon is consolidating its critical technology focus from 14 areas to six to sharpen investment and speed results, with Secretary Pete Hegseth backing the shift.
- The six priorities are Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy, and Scaled Hypersonics.
- The department will drive these areas through time-bound sprints intended to move capabilities from prototype to production, aligning with the White House AI Action Plan and an AI-first operating posture.
- Scaling efforts target mass production of hypersonic weapons and directed-energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves to counter drone swarms and missile barrages.
- Biomanufacturing and contested logistics aim to reduce foreign supply risks and sustain operations in denied environments, with execution requiring close coordination across the Pentagon, services, industry partners, and allied militaries.