Inside the Pentagon highlights

Some must-reads from this week's edition of Inside the Pentagon:

1. The United States has a "healthy," but tenuous lead over China in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, according to the head of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity.

Full story: Intel research chief wants to maintain 'healthy' U.S. lead over China in AI race

2. Architects of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure program envision a future where data moves freely between Defense Department users in a single cloud environment, enabling innovations like machine learning and artificial intelligence, but questions persist about the efficacy of their plan and the fate of other DOD cloud programs.

Full story: Pentagon plans multibillion-dollar bet on single cloud

3. The Missile Defense Agency's top unfunded requirement in fiscal year 2019 is a new space-based network of sensors to track enemy long-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse of flight, giving the Missile Defense Tracking System -- a program launched in FY-18 but curiously zeroed in MDA's FY-19 budget request -- a potential new path to funding.

Full story: MDA's top unfunded FY-19 requirement is new space-based sensor network project