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John T. Seward

John T. Seward is a Defense and National Security Correspondent at The Washington Times, delivering insightful reporting on key decision-making in Washington and new defense technologies for Threat Status.John previously worked at Sinclair’s The National Desk before helping stand-up the non-profit newsroom NOTUS as one of its first class of newsroom fellows.
John graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a B.S. in Philosophy and served seven years as a U.S. Army artillery officer before leaving the service to become a journalist. In 2021 he graduated from American University with his M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs.He can be reached at JohnS.13 on Signal and at jseward@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by John T. Seward

‘Innovation is now part of war fighting,’ says head of U.S. Army missile command

Rapid technological change is opening major new advantages but also creating long-term planning hurdles for the most sophisticated U.S. military units that are trying to stay ahead of fast-evolving missile and asymmetric threats from adversaries such as Iran, Russia, China and North Korea.

August 12, 2026

U.S. conducts secret Golden Dome tests, but funding for cutting-edge missile shield is uncertain

The head of President Trump's ambitious Golden Dome for America project said Tuesday the military has already carried out two secretive tests of the multibillion-dollar missile defense shield, with new technologies and artificial intelligence being incorporated into the developing system.

August 11, 2026

U.S. space and missile defense at center stage in Huntsville, Alabama

The future of space-based military operations, the need for quicker replenishment of munitions stockpiles, and President Trump's Golden Dome missile shield are all in the spotlight as top Pentagon officials and defense contractors descend on a conference that opens here Tuesday.

August 10, 2026

Russian drone factory director injured in second targeted bombing this week

The director of a Russian drone factory was badly wounded and his driver was killed in a car-bombing that rocked a town hundreds of miles from Moscow earlier this week, according to local news reports.

August 6, 2026

Army’s AI-fusion system is ‘ready but not done’

An enemy drone flies overhead with its cameras trained on a collection of cinder block, plywood and shipping container structures that the Pentagon has constructed in the desert in California to mimic an austere war zone urban environment.

August 6, 2026

Trump halts strikes on Iran, says peace deal ‘perimeters’ are in place

A tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran held Sunday after President Trump announced that negotiators had hammered out a deal to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

August 2, 2026

Ocean-born testing of ‘Hammer of the Gods’ weapon part of U.S. Army’s technology experiment exercise

The U.S. Army has reported a successful test off the coast of California of the "Hammer of the Gods" -- a powerful electronic signal-scrambler designed to disrupt the navigation and communications equipment used by drones and enemy missiles.

July 30, 2026

U.S. Army begins shift to new AI-enabled command and control comms system

U.S. Army leaders on Wednesday announced the successful demonstration of a more than $3 billion Next Generation Command and Control digital communications prototype, saying the technology's development is on pace to catapult military planning and operations into the future.

July 29, 2026

Austin-based sea drone maker to build massive port in Texas

A futuristic transformation of American shipbuilding is accelerating, with autonomous surface vessel producer Saronic Technologies announcing plans to construct a multibillion-dollar new shipbuilding port in Brownsville, Texas.

July 17, 2026

Pentagon’s new low-cost cruise missile push includes contract for cargo-plane-capable weapons

The Pentagon has announced new agreements with three defense companies to mass-produce more affordable air-to-ground cruise missiles, including a set capable of being launched out of the back of cargo planes.

July 16, 2026

Space-based aspect of Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ shield gets boost with $1.75 billion in new contracts

The Trump administration's Golden Dome missile defense project is expanding its secretive network of space-based, missile-detecting satellites with a $1.75 billion dual contract for two defense technology companies, despite concerns on Capitol Hill about ballooning costs.

July 14, 2026

Despite Trump’s announcement, Patriot missile production in Ukraine may not start for years

Ukraine's actual production of Patriot missiles may not start for years, despite President Trump's announcement this week that the country could soon have a license to manufacture the defensive missiles.

July 9, 2026

Combat evolved: How data is taking over warfighting for the U.S. military

Defense companies are racing to build artificial intelligence-powered tools that help warfighters access, understand and capitalize on the mountains of data needed for modern combat.

July 8, 2026

Iran war accelerates the race for mobile military data centers

The military is using ruggedized mobile data centers in extreme environments around the world, and some of the nation's top defense companies are competing to provide them.

July 6, 2026

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is building ‘decision superiority’ tools with AI

American warfighters equipped with the latest technology increasingly find themselves grappling with an endless sea of information -- so much so that the U.S. military needs new tools to cut through and make sense of the data overload.

July 1, 2026

Why an expired wiretapping law is a sticking point in Washington

The law that authorizes the federal government to conduct electronic surveillance has lapsed, thanks to an ongoing dispute between the White House and Congress -- stripping national security agencies of one of their most powerful tools for tracking foreign targets at a time when terrorism and espionage threats directed at the U.S. are surging.

June 29, 2026

Investment in defense tech is soaring as Pentagon encourages venture capitalists to participate

The venture capital industry is pumping record levels of private cash into American defense technology companies -- considered a controversial investment in the past -- in a way that national security insiders say is transforming the U.S. military industrial landscape.

June 18, 2026

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