The Pentagon, well aware that private sector innovation has outstripped its own in key technologies, is expanding its courtship of industry with a new pilot program that encourages academic industry collaboration on what its calls “use-inspired basic research.” The program will concentrate on development projects aimed at creating applications that can be implemented in the field. […]

In a data scientist’s dreams, the Internet of Things (IoT) would cover the Earth. And in fact, that dream might not be that far off–ground-based sensors, unmanned vehicles, mobile devices of all kinds, and satellites already combine to offer a pretty clear picture of what’s going on around us, and the resolution is only going to improve. […]

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released a 33-page white paper detailing a $430 billion increase to the defense budget over the next five years. In addition to increasing spending and boosting the overall size of the military, McCain’s strategy calls for a re-balancing of high-tech and low-tech investments. […]

A new report by the Congressional Research Service found flaws in keeping track of the size of Federal agencies, and noted that the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security are having trouble recruiting and training cybersecurity professionals. […]

Small paragraph, big impact: A little-noted paragraph in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law Nov. 25 by President Obama, may alter the war against the Islamic State. […]