Original broadcast 6/24/25
Presented by HII Mission Technologies
John Bell, Chief Technology Officer at HII Mission Technologies is immersed in the fast-moving world of advanced defense technologies. In this episode of DefenseTech TV, he lays out a clear roadmap for how artificial intelligence, autonomy, and quantum computing are rewriting the rules of national security and reshaping how defense systems are designed and deployed.
At the center of this shift is artificial intelligence. Bell describes how AI and machine learning have moved from theoretical capabilities to foundational components across the defense enterprise. "AI/ML is going into every aspect of the warfighter experience," he explains—from weapons and sensors to intelligence, targeting, and decision-making. The transformation is both broad and deep, with implications for every stage of military planning and operations.
One of the most exciting developments, Bell notes, is the rise of agentic AI—systems that don’t just respond to prompts but act as independent agents that collaborate, communicate, and problem-solve. He points to research from institutions like Stanford, where AI agents can simulate entire teams working together to complete tasks. These agents interact as if they were people on a staff, communicating in human-like dialogue while performing complex processes at machine speed.
Bell sees this model applying directly to military planning and execution. Imagine AI agents acting as digital staffers for a human commander, quickly testing operational strategies, discarding bad options, and recommending the best path forward. "It’s not about replacing people," Bell emphasizes. "It’s about giving them tools to make better decisions, faster."
The power of agentic AI lies in its ability to manage the growing complexity of modern warfare, where the speed and scale of information surpass human processing capacity. These systems allow warfighters to spend less time sorting data and more time acting on it. Bell believes this shift—from low-value to high-value work—is already happening in the commercial world and will be even more transformational in defense.
Looking further ahead, Bell highlights quantum computing as a looming breakthrough with the potential to upend everything from cryptography to decision modeling. While full-scale quantum machines may still be years away, the risk they pose to existing cybersecurity infrastructure is immediate. Algorithms that currently protect military data could be rendered obsolete in a matter of minutes by a functioning quantum computer.
But Bell is equally interested in quantum’s upside. Quantum sensors, for example, are already nearing operational viability and could revolutionize targeting and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) capabilities. And quantum computing itself, once harnessed, could enable faster, more secure methods of encryption and massively parallel modeling of complex scenarios.
To prepare for this future, Bell advises the Department of Defense to double down on infrastructure. A major hurdle for AI and quantum isn’t talent or innovation—it’s compute power and data access. While data centers are expanding, the real frontier is at the tactical edge. AI tools need to run on aircraft, drones, and battlefield systems—not just at headquarters.
Bell highlights platforms like NVIDIA’s DGX Spark, which compresses datacenter-level performance into a form factor small enough to be integrated into forward-deployed platforms. Though not yet small enough for the most compact applications, these systems demonstrate how fast AI performance is evolving—and how quickly defense agencies need to be ready to adopt it.
And none of this works without data. "AI is 100% reliant on data," Bell says. Yet many DoD systems are still stovepiped, segmented by classification level, service branch, or platform. HII has developed big data integration platforms and command-and-control tools that are already in use by the Navy and other agencies. Bell believes these systems should be more widely deployed as part of a broader CJADC2 architecture.
Access to large volumes of high-quality, interoperable data is a prerequisite for effective AI. But achieving that access isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a policy one. "One of the biggest challenges isn’t technical," Bell explains. "It’s how we authorize systems to talk to each other and how we allow that data to flow."
In the end, Bell’s view of the future is one of urgency and opportunity. He recalls that five years ago, AI was a niche conversation in defense circles. Now it’s in everything. The same will be true, he believes, for quantum and autonomy—and the winners will be those who plan now.
"We didn’t talk about AI much five years ago," Bell concludes. "Now it’s in everything. Imagine what we’ll be doing five years from now."
Key Takeaways:
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AI/ML is transforming every layer of warfighting, from sensing to decision-making.
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Agentic AI acts as a digital teammate, enabling faster, smarter operations.
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Quantum computing poses both risk and opportunity across encryption and sensing.
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Edge computing is closing the gap between lab innovation and deployed capability.
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Policy and infrastructure are just as vital as technology for unlocking AI’s potential.
Excerpts from this conversation are featured on DefenseTech TV. Watch the full program at DefenseTech.TV.