The Pentagon’s research and engineering enterprise is entering one of its most decisive restructuring periods in more than a decade. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael has formally trimmed the department’s sprawling list of 14 “critical technology areas” down to six streamlined priorities, a shift he said will finally allow the Defense Department to focus resources, accelerate delivery and avoid “diluted” effort across disconnected portfolios, Breaking Defense reported.
This moment, and the technologies Michael has elevated, will be central to discussions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29, where top DOD R&E officials — including confirmed keynote speaker Dr. Thomas Rondeau, principal director for FutureG and 5G at the Pentagon — will examine how these priorities reshape the defense innovation landscape. Sign up today!
In a social media announcement on Nov. 17, Michael said the previous list of priorities had become too broad to meaningfully guide investment.
“Fourteen priorities in truth means no priorities at all,” he said in a video posted to X, adding that the reduced list will drive “the fastest results and the most decisive advantage on the battlefield” by concentrating the R&E organization on capabilities that can be delivered in 36 months or less.
The shakeup, combined with Michael’s earlier moves to realign the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office under R&E, signals a unified push to modernize defense technology at unprecedented speed.
What Are DOD’s New Tech Priorities?
Michael’s consolidated list now focuses Pentagon R&E on:
1. Applied artificial intelligence
Covering everything from back-office automation to frontline targeting systems, applied AI is the department’s largest opportunity going forward, Michael said at the NDIA Emerging Technologies Conference. The category absorbs several legacy portfolios, including human-machine interfaces and advanced computing.
2. Quantum and battlefield information dominance (Q-BID)
Q-BID merges former portfolios like futureG, integrated sensing and cyber, and elements of space and networking. The goal is to ensure resilient communications, navigation and electromagnetic dominance in conflicts with adversaries able to jam traditional systems.
3. Biomanufacturing
By harnessing engineered microorganisms to produce oils, lubricants and coatings, this effort aims to eliminate supply chain vulnerabilities and reduce reliance on petrochemical processes that have migrated overseas.
4. Contested logistics tech
A mission-focused portfolio, contested logistics brings together tools needed to sustain operations in highly disrupted theaters — including in the Indo-Pacific, where resupply lines are most vulnerable.
5. Scaled hypersonics
Michael wants to move the Pentagon beyond prototypes to mass production of hypersonic systems capable of keeping pace with Chinese and Russian investments.
6. Scaled directed energy
As drone swarms, cruise missiles and low-cost threats multiply, directed energy systems promise cost-effective defense by providing near-limitless intercepts at low per-shot expenses.
These six areas will now command the majority of the department’s attention, while other legacy efforts will be consolidated beneath them. Importantly, Michael said none of the current principal directors are being reassigned.
Expert-led panels at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit will explore nearly all of these topics: quantum and national security; AI as a mission enabler; smart installation and logistics modernization through 5G; Golden Dome; and much more. Register for this critical all-day GovCon event now!
What Role Does AI Play in the Critical Tech Areas?
AI runs through nearly every part of the critical technology areas, which Breaking Defense dubbed the “big six,” and Michael has elevated it to a defining priority. Speaking at a Politico event in September, he said DOD plans to put AI capabilities on all 3 million Pentagon desktops “in six or nine months,” according to Defense One. He described these tools as essential for corporate workloads, intelligence analysis and frontline warfighting.
Michael’s control of the CDAO — a shift that moved the AI office from reporting to the deputy secretary to reporting to him — is part of the effort to unify research, deployment and operationalization. Michael said the change empowers the office with more “muscle” by aligning it with DARPA, the Missile Defense Agency and other core innovation bodies.
He also said he spends “at least a third, maybe half” of his time rethinking DOD’s AI deployment strategy.
Why Does the Big Six Matter to Contractors?
For GovCon companies, the “big six” are both an investment signal and a road map.
Michael’s emphasis on speed, scaling and industry partnership is clear. He said private industry invests “$2–300 billion per year” into AI — money the Pentagon said over the summer it intends to leverage rather than duplicate. Similarly, he highlighted the need for shared risk with contractors to accelerate delivery, especially in areas like unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which can move from concept to prototype in 18 months.
His message to industry:
- Be prepared for milestone-based sprints
- Expect faster adoption cycles
- Anticipate larger demand signals in AI, directed energy and hypersonics
- Position for growth as the Pentagon seeks to expand the defense industrial base
The big six are not theoretical — they are a practical signal of what DOD wants to buy, test and scale now.
Who Is Emil Michael?
Emil Michael became under secretary of defense for research and engineering earlier this year and quickly took charge of the Pentagon’s modernization agenda. A former Silicon Valley executive with leadership roles at Uber and other tech firms, he brings private-sector speed and scaling experience into DOD. He is also serving temporarily as acting director of the Defense Innovation Unit until a replacement is found.
Michael has emphasized that the Pentagon must move faster and expand its industrial capacity. He has spoken repeatedly about increasing supplier participation across the defense supply chain and ensuring the industry has clear signals about where DOD intends to invest.
What’s the Overall Takeaway About the Big Six?
Michael’s six tech priorities mark a strategic effort to streamline the Pentagon’s technology focus and deliver capability in three years or less. For contractors, the message is that speed, scalability and integration with private sector investment are now central to defense R&E.
These themes, along with deeper insights into DOD’s evolving modernization agenda, will be explored at the 2026 Defense R&D Summit on Jan. 29, where senior R&E officials will outline how industry can advance the department’s next generation of capabilities. Register now!
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