Author Archive
Patrick Tucker
Science & Technology Editor, Defense One

Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014). Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.
CXO Briefing
Space Force Will Look At How to Hack Targets From Space
“We're laying the groundwork for starting to figure that,” said the leader of Space Operations Command.
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
US Military Now Has Voice-Controlled Bug Drones
And next year, they might talk back.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
The Pentagon’s AI Chief Is ‘Scared to Death’ of ChatGPT
But other defense leaders are more eager to deploy new artificial-intelligence tools.
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
Why the Pentagon’s Response to the Discord Leaks Won’t Fix the Problem
The Defense Department keeps too many secrets, uses old approaches to secret storage, and does not apply data-driven strategies to classification.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Soldiers Can Now Steer Robot Dogs With Brain Signals
A small sensor tucked neatly behind the ear allowed soldiers to mentally guide robotic quadrupeds.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Don’t Expect Navy Robots In South China Sea Anytime Soon, CNO Says
Navy pursues big AI ambitions with gradual approach.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Pentagon Mobilized to Support Tech Startups After Bank Failure
The failure of Silicon Valley Bank presents the Defense Department with warnings—and opportunities.
- By Patrick Tucker and Marcus Weisgerber
CXO Briefing
Pentagon Requests Science & Tech Research Boost, But China Remains Ahead
Beijing funds much S&T research outside formal military channels.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Pentagon Looking to Make Sure SpaceX Doesn’t Abandon Them in War
Spooked by the company’s new limits in Ukraine, military leaders are mulling new types of contracts.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
The Reaper UAV Is Getting Its Own Drone Swarm
Air Force special operators are rigging the venerable uncrewed aircraft with an ISR swarm that may take just one person to control.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
DARPA To Launch High-Speed, No-Runway Aircraft Program
Will it be a helicopter? A seaplane? Or a whole new thing?
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
White House Launches Effort to Examine Policy Choices for Shooting Down UFOs
NORTHCOM has changed radar settings to get “better fidelity on seeing slower objects,” general says.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Decrying Starlink's 'Weaponization,' SpaceX Cuts Support for Ukrainian Military
But Wednesday's explanation by the Elon Musk-founded company is at odds with its continuing work for the U.S. military.
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
New Institute Will Study How the Defense Department Manages Itself
To “compete on a global stage,” DOD must get a handle on its management practices, Deputy Defense Secretary says.
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
When May a Robot Kill? New DOD Policy Tries to Clarify
An updated policy tweaks wording in a bid to dispel confusion.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Is This New Microwave Weapon the Answer to Iranian Drones?
Army awards $66 million contract to develop an EMP device that fries the electronics of incoming drones.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
Is China About To Destroy Encryption As We Know It? Maybe
A new research paper claims to offer a quantum-powered code-breaker of spectacular power. “If it's true, it's pretty disastrous,” says one expert.
- By Patrick Tucker
News
UFO Sightings By US Troops Surge
Intelligence officials cite recent efforts to reduce the stigma of reporting odd aerial phenomena. Many cases remain unexplained.
- By Patrick Tucker
Emerging Tech
The Physical Obstacles to the Pentagon’s Connect-Everything Vision
Jets, destroyers, and soldiers are very different data customers, but the Pentagon wants to serve them all equally.
- By Patrick Tucker
CXO Briefing
Ukraine Is Getting Nervous About Elon Musk
Kyiv is looking for alternatives to Musk’s Starlink internet terminals and worrying about rising misinformation on Twitter.
- By Patrick Tucker