Pentagon Research Chief Streamlines Top Technology Priorities to Six Critical Areas
November 18, 2025 — Emil Michael, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, has significantly narrowed the Department of Defense’s (DoD) list of critical technology priorities, reducing it from 14 to just six key focus areas. This strategic move aims to concentrate resources and efforts on technologies deemed most vital for ensuring future U.S. military dominance on the battlefield.
Sharpening the Focus on Key Technologies
In a recent press release and social media video, Michael emphasized that the six designated “critical technology areas” (CTAs) are not merely priorities—they are imperatives for maintaining American warfighter superiority. “The American warfighter will wield the most advanced technology to maximize lethality. This is how the War Department wins wars,” Michael stated, referencing a longstanding alternate name for the Defense Department.
Michael’s list trimming reflects a shift from previous administrations: the prior set of 14 priorities was established by former research and engineering head Heidi Shyu in 2022, who herself expanded the list from 11 items under her predecessor, Michael Griffin, during the Trump administration. In August 2025, Michael indicated at the NDIA Emerging Technologies Conference that the broader list diluted focus and suggested a “pyramid hierarchy” where only a select few areas would receive top-tier prioritization.
“Fourteen priorities, in truth, means no priorities at all,” Michael warned, calling this tightening of the list a “decisive shift” toward faster results and more decisive battlefield advantages.
The New Top Six Critical Technology Areas
The six focal critical technology areas identified by Michael include:
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Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI): Poised to revolutionize decision-making and operational efficiency, AI is expected to transform battlefield command and control.
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Biomanufacturing: This area aims to harness biological systems to improve supply chain resilience and eliminate vulnerabilities, a critical capability in contested environments.
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Contested Logistics Technologies: A newly highlighted category, it focuses on enabling uninterrupted operations and resupply even under hostile and challenging conditions.
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Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance: Technologies here will empower warfighters to maneuver precisely, even when communications and data links are degraded or denied.
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Scaled Directed Energy: Directed energy weapons promise cost-effective, high-precision neutralization of threats.
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Scaled Hypersonics: Delivering weapons capable of flying at speeds exceeding Mach 5, hypersonics aim to strike with unprecedented speed, survivability, and lethality.
Michael noted that dominance in these areas will equip U.S. forces to counter adversarial threats and maintain operational superiority across any theater of conflict.
What’s Dropped and Realigned
Contested logistics technologies, a new inclusion, did not appear on Shyu’s previous list, which featured items such as Future-G Wireless, Advanced Materials, Integrated Networks and System-of-Systems, Microelectronics, Space Technology, Renewable Energy and Storage, Advanced Computing and Software, Human-Machine Interfaces, and Integrated Sensing and Cyber as top priorities.
Several of these earlier priorities were considered “enablers” rather than direct, actionable technology targets, leading to the conclusion that a broader list reduced focus. Some experts also critiqued inclusion of certain technologies like 5G wireless as more of a “technology hobby” than an urgent priority.
One former Pentagon official remarked to Air & Space Forces Magazine that grouping related technological capabilities under broader categories—such as incorporating microelectronics, software, and networks within the AI priority—could offer a more effective framework. Overall, the move toward a narrower, punchier priority list has been well received as “a good list” to drive the department’s innovation agenda.
Funding and Organizational Changes on the Horizon
Historically, many “principal directors” responsible for these technology areas managed roadmaps but did not control adequate funding, leading to a disconnect between planning and execution. This lack of budgetary authority caused some roadmaps to be ignored or underfunded. While Michael has not formally announced changes to budget authorities, sources suggest efforts to grant principal directors more control over resources are underway.
“The force moves fast,” Michael told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “Our adversaries are moving fast, but we will move faster.” He stressed that warfighters require these technological advances today, not in some distant future, underscoring the Pentagon’s commitment to innovation, speed, and operational dominance.
The realignment aims to drive “actionable, tangible solutions to the challenges that our warfighters face today,” according to Michael’s message. The prioritization will be pursued with appropriate urgency to ensure the U.S. military retains an edge against rapidly evolving global threats.
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