Signal US 2025 security moves: AI Action Plan, Department of War rename and FY2027 R&D priorities

Summary

At a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on 9 April 2025, former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt criticised Washington's complacency on building a technology-based security system and called for full control over energy, semiconductor and infrastructure supply chains. On 23 July the White House released its AI Action Plan, and senior officials publicly stressed its national-security importance, and on 5 September an executive order renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War. On 23 September 2025 the White House issued a memorandum on FY2027 federal R&D priorities, calling for investment in advanced military capabilities, core capabilities for the Golden Dome defence vision, and research strengthening resilience and preparedness. The New START treaty limiting US and Russian warheads expires in February 2026, and a new arms-control agreement is considered unlikely. The Pentagon is therefore expected to pour semiconductor, AI and quantum capabilities into the Golden Dome homeland-defence project.