Author Archive

Patrick Tucker

Science & Technology Editor, Defense One

Patrick Tucker
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.