Mikayla Easley

Washington, D.C.

Reporting for @DefenseScoop, listening to loud music, complaining about sports | @UMich, @mujschool alum | find me on signal: mick.538

Articles

Space Force receives first two units of Meadowlands offensive satellite jammer

2 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

After recently accepting delivery of the new Meadowlands electronic warfare system, the Space Force is now conducting developmental and operational testing with guardians to prepare the platform for future deployment. Meadowlands is a mobile, ground-based offensive counterspace system that uses radio signals to jam adversary satellite communications.
GAO: Air Force’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Program Is Behind Schedule

2 weeks ago | realcleardefense.com | Mikayla Easley

Program delays will force the Air Force to reduce the number of flight tests it can conduct for the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile
GAO warns that Air Force’s hypersonic cruise missile program is behind schedule

2 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

Delays in finalizing design for the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) have put the program behind schedule, limiting the number of flight tests the service can conduct before it declares the weapon operational, according to a new report from the U.S. government’s watchdog organization.
Inside the Pentagon CIO’s push to overhaul antiquated software acquisition practices

2 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

For years, leaders across the Defense Department — as well as members of Congress and industry — have criticized the Pentagon’s inability to rapidly procure and integrate new software capabilities. Now, a key DOD official is spearheading an effort to replace outdated acquisition processes with a faster, modernized approach that leans heavily on artificial intelligence.
Allvin hints at new funding for Air Force’s ARRW hypersonic missile in fiscal 2026

3 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

After over a year of uncertainty over the fate of the Air Force’s efforts to develop boost-glide hypersonic missiles, the service’s top official told lawmakers that its upcoming budget request for fiscal 2026 will include funding for the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). Following a troubled flight testing campaign, the Air Force decided not to include any funding to procure ARRW in its budget request for fiscal 2025.
Space Force taps BAE Systems for next phase of MEO missile-warning satellite program

3 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

BAE Systems will deliver 10 satellites for the Space Force’s new missile warning and missile-tracking constellation that will be stationed in medium-Earth orbit (MEO), the service’s acquisition arm announced Monday. The $1.2 billion other transaction agreement from Space Systems Command (SSC) is for Epoch 2 of the Resilient Missile Warning and Missile Tracking – MEO (MEO MW/MT) program.
Allvin: AI adoption within the Air Force currently a ‘mixed bag’

3 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

Despite progress made in integrating artificial intelligence capabilities into the Air Force’s operations, bureaucratic roadblocks are still preventing the service from fully harnessing the technology, according to the service’s top officer. “Right now, [AI adoption] is a mixed bag. I think it’s not for lack of effort, but I think there are some institutional pieces there,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday at the AI+ Expo hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project.
Space Force launches second ‘rapid-response’ GPS mission

4 weeks ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

The Space Force successfully launched a Global Positioning System satellite on Friday — marking the second instance the service has demonstrated its ability to quickly put a GPS space vehicle into orbit in a fraction of the usual time. The GPS III SV-08 was launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It’s the eighth space vehicle for the GPS III constellation to go on orbit.
Jennifer Orozco named acting Air Force CIO

1 month ago | defensescoop.com | Mikayla Easley

Department of the Air Force Deputy Chief Information Officer Jennifer Orozco will serve as acting CIO while leadership searches for a permanent replacement for the role, an official told DefenseScoop. Orozco has been the deputy CIO since September 2024 following an organizational reshuffle under the department’s broader plan to reorganize for future large-scale conflicts.
Saltzman: Space Force underfunded for space control, other new missions

1 month ago | threatbeat.com | Mikayla Easley

Skip to content NEW Security news and analysis brought to you by the McCrary Institute | READ MORE → By Mikayla Easley • May 23, 2025 The Space Force intends to make defending the military from on-orbit threats a top priority in the coming years. But the service’s top official warned lawmakers that the mission — coupled with a slew of other additional requirements — is challenged by limited resources.