The undersecretary of war for research and engineering has identified six technology focus areas – applied artificial intelligence (AI), biomanufacturing, contested logistics technology, quantum battlefield information dominance, scaled directed energy and scaled hypersonics – for the US Department of War (DoW) to ensure that US warfighters can prevail in the future battlespace.
Quoted in an article posted on the US DoW website on 19 November 2025, Emil Michael stated, “Our adversaries are moving fast, but we will move faster. The warfighter is not asking for results tomorrow; they need them today. These six critical technology areas are not just priorities; they are imperatives. The American warfighter will wield the most advanced technology to maximise lethality.”
US President Donald Trump’s ‘Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan’, which was released on 23 July, directs the US DoW to aggressively adopt AI to maintain global military pre-eminence, and to ensure the use of AI is both secure and reliable.
“When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the department from the enterprise level to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting,” Michael said.
Biomanufacturing, meanwhile, which uses specially designed genetically modified living organisms, such as bacteria, to manufacture needed materials, “harnesses living systems to produce capabilities at scale”, Michael said, adding that the DoW “will accelerate the development and deployment of biomanufacturing solutions to support critical missions of the department”.
Michael noted that with biomanufacturing the department can expect to develop bio-based alternatives for critical chemicals, minerals and energetics for use in warfighting systems.
The focus on directed energy, Michael said, would enable the US DoW to achieve a rapid scaling of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems with widely accessible, low-cost-per-shot response options.
Lastly, by scaling hypersonics the department will focus on scaling production, lowering costs and allowing hypersonic weapons to be more widely fielded to the US armed forces.
Commenting on the more narrowly defined technology focus areas, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was quoted as stating, “Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear. Undersecretary Emil Michael’s six critical technology areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality. The War Department is committed to remaining the most deadly fighting force on planet Earth.”
