Smarter Gov Tech, Stronger MerITocracy

Lisbeth Perez

MeriTalk

Lisbeth Perez is a MeriTalk Senior Technology Reporter covering the intersection of government and technology.

The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 counter drone task force and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducted a high-energy laser test last week in an effort to advance the safe use of counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) in the United States. […]

The feud between the federal government and Anthropic escalated Monday when the artificial intelligence (AI) company sued the Trump administration over its decision to label the firm a “supply chain risk,” arguing the designation – and the resulting ban on its technology – was unlawful. […]

DoD

The Pentagon appointed Gavin Kliger, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee, as the new chief data officer (CDO) for the Department of Defense (DOD), placing him at the center of the department’s expanding artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. […]

The U.S. Army rolled out a new digital platform to track and manage soldier equipment and uniforms, a senior official said during the ServiceNow Government Forum 2026. […]

Pentagon Military Defense DoD

James “Aaron” Bishop has been nominated to serve as the deputy chief information officer (DCIO) for cybersecurity (CS) and the chief information security officer (CISO) at the Department of Defense (DOD), which the Trump administration has rebranded as the Department of War. […]

Air Force

The Department of the Air Force has developed a new dashboard designed to monitor software usage in real time and customize licensing across the enterprise, a move officials say will improve efficiency, reduce waste, and support a unified digital experience for airmen and their families. […]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the Pentagon is working on President Donald Trump’s directive to declassify files related to unidentified aerial phenomena, more commonly known as UFOs, but said the timeline for the effort remains unclear. […]

Army

The U.S. Army expects to finalize some initial agreements under its new strategic capital initiative by summer 2025, focusing first on projects officials describe as more easily attainable. […]

Lisbeth Perez
MeriTalk