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Hegseth Puts Chief Technology Officer In Charge Of DoD Innovation Efforts

By Cal Biesecker

Tuesday, January 13th, 2026

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Hegseth Puts Chief Technology Officer In Charge Of DoD Innovation Efforts

Emil Michael, under secretary of defense for research and engineering. Photo: Defense Department

Defense Secretary Pete Hegeth has directed the chief technology officer (CTO) to oversee the Defense Department’s sprawling innovation effort. Under secretary of defense for research and engineering (R&E) Emil Michael, the CTO, will be supported by a new CTO Action Group (CAG) to speed up decision making. “The CAG operates through standardized dashboards, highly prioritized topics, and management by exception,” Hegseth says in the Jan. 9 memorandum released on Monday night. In creating the CAG, Hegseth has disestablished the Defense…

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