New White House strategy clarifies military tech priorities: undersea, outer space and AI

Summary

The White House has issued the National Security Science & Technology Strategy, a 24-page document that imposes a four-tier hierarchy on military technology priorities. At the top sit three domains singled out for battlefield dominance and power projection: artificial intelligence and autonomy, undersea systems, and outer space capabilities. The strategy calls for clear technological superiority in the latter two areas, while seeking only a competitive advantage in AI, reflecting the view that these fields already form core elements of the current U.S. arsenal yet face sustained pressure from competitors such as China.

A second tier lists three supporting areas described as critical: airpower built on stealth, electronic warfare and missile defense; long-range precision strike able to penetrate layered defenses; and C5ISR—the integrated command, control, communications, computing, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance infrastructure that functions as the force’s nervous system. These domains overlap heavily, since aircraft and missiles depend on the same sensing and decision networks.

The third tier comprises key enabling technologies that underpin the higher priorities. These include advanced manufacturing methods such as additive production, hypersonic flight, nuclear power sources, and semiconductor fabrication. An appendix expands the list into a formal catalogue of critical and emerging technologies maintained by the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

At the base of the framework the document identifies a fourth category of potentially transformative technologies whose timelines and strategic effects remain uncertain. It singles out biotechnology for human-performance enhancement and biodefense, quantum computing, sensing and communications, and artificial general intelligence capable of surpassing human cognition. The strategy pairs this long-term watch list with a pragmatic acquisition stance that endorses both large numbers of lower-cost, attritable autonomous platforms and continued investment in high-end, “exquisite” systems—an updated version of the classic hi-lo mix first articulated in the 1970s.

Why it matters

This article is highly relevant for defense strategists and technologists as it outlines the US military's top technology priorities, heavily featuring AI and autonomy. Understanding these priorities is crucial for European and Dutch defense professionals to ensure NATO interoperability, guide local R&D investments, and anticipate future defense market demands.