Futuristic scenarios involving telemaintenance, advanced manufacturing and the ingenuity of the American soldier are “exploding” across the Army, said Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, deputy commanding general and acting commander of Army Materiel Command.

In remarks March 26 at the Association of the U.S. Army's Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, Mohan called on industry to help the Army by working together to meet the rapid innovation taking place across the sustainment enterprise.

“We have a vision for the future that is not that far-fetched,” Mohan said. “We're a blue-collar organization, and we're doing blocking and tackling, and we know what that future looks like, and we know how to get there. We just have to have the intestinal fortitude and courage to do the right things, to pick winners and losers to accelerate successful initiatives.”

Evoking a scenario of what the future battlefield could look like, Mohan described a unit forward needing a part for a malfunctioning High Mobility Artillery Rocket System that’s delivered by an unmanned watercraft. Jumping on to a telemaintenance call, the crew talks with higher headquarters and to the engineer who designed the system.

The part is identified, produced through advanced manufacturing forward and delivered to the crew with an unmanned aerial system programmed, designed and developed to operate in contested environments.

“This is a future state, but let me assure you that we're much closer to this, this future state, than we've ever been,” Mohan said, noting that the Army’s depots and innovation centers are 3D printing parts and devising new ways of delivering goods and lethality every day.

Advanced manufacturing is happening across the Army, and soldiers are learning how to make parts, he said. Army depot contractors are going in larger numbers to make repairs to equipment, saving transportation costs of getting the equipment to the depots and boosting readiness among combat formations.

Addressing audience members, Mohan said, “We have to be agile, and this is where we really, really need your help, help us with our agility, challenge us.”

“I've got my list of things that we're attacking that we have not been able to get over the finish line, that now we see opportunity to do that,” Mohan said. “I'm sure you all have your list, so working together, we can get there.”