The U.S. Department of the Navy (DON) has unveiled its top five technology priorities, placing artificial intelligence (AI) at the core of future investments. 

The Navy issued the “DON CTO Priority Technology Areas” memorandum, outlining the service’s top technology focus areas to drive modernization and inform industry, academia, and mission partners. 

The memo highlights five key investment priorities: Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, Quantum Technologies, Transport and Connectivity, C5ISR and Naval Space and Cyber Operations with a focus on Zero Trust architecture. 

These areas are intended to shape innovation efforts and accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities across the naval enterprise.

“They are designed to accelerate adoption of emerging capabilities, enhance information advantage, and align with broader DoD goals. The PTAs will be updated regularly and paired with the DON’s Investment Horizons framework to identify gaps and rapidly field solutions for operational impact,” the Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (DON CIO) said in a LinkedIn post.

The DON’s Priority Technology Areas (PTA) framework categorizes technologies across three levels, with Level 1 focused on the most strategic needs.

AI and autonomy lead the list, with the Navy seeking solutions that enhance real-time data analysis, decision-making, and human-machine collaboration. Supporting technologies include applied machine learning, natural language processing, and edge AI infrastructure.