DoD repositions the CDAO into the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering
DoD repositions the CDAO into the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering  
Podcast: The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Published On: Tue Jun 16 2026
Description: The Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has been in a period of transition lately. Several years after its creation, Pentagon leaders decided last year to fold the CDAO into the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering. Before that, the CDAO reported directly to the deputy secretary of Defense. Andrew Mapes is the acting principal deputy chief digital and AI officer. He talked with Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis about the realignment and how it’s positioning CDAO to deliver AI capabilities at scale.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.