The Air Force has selected Eglin Properties LLC (Hunt Development and Dick Corp.) to develop the Emerald Coast Technology and Research Campus on Air Force property adjacent to the University of Florida’s Research Engineering Education Facility. Yet to come is an environmental impact statement, but USAF expects the privately funded venture to help establish Eglin AFB, Fla., as one of DOD’s centers of expertise for weapons armament. This would undoubtedly be a boon for the base, but awaiting final resolution is the planned move out of Eglin of its test assets.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week released strategies meant to focus the Pentagon’s “alphabet soup” of innovation organizations and proliferate artificial intelligence—moves that experts say could provide the structure needed to make the military’s efforts to integrate and field new technology more effective.

