The ultimate purpose of the U.S. Army Futures Command “is all about output. It’s not about process … The output is about the lethality of the American soldier. And ultimately, it is about the American soldier,” Gen. John M. Murray, commanding general of the new command, said Oct. 10.

That output will include new concepts to match the rapidly changing world, Murray told the national partners luncheon at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition. “It’s not all about material, it’s also about concepts.”

“The stakes could not be higher,” Murray said. “The velocity of change in technology, the speed of innovation we see in the world today, demands, demands the Army change how we develop and deliver concepts and capabilities for our soldiers.”

The conflict between “our current slow, industrial-age model” of producing new weapons, and the rapid technological and social change “is likely to be catastrophic,” he warned. That is why the Army “established Futures Command to maintain our standing as the world’s most lethal army.”

Murray said the command will reach full operational capability in the coming year. And it will work with “our partners” – U.S Army Forces Command, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and U.S. Army Materiel Command, to build and deliver lethal and effective capabilities combatant commanders will need.

“This is a team sport. We’re all in this together.”

Murray also promised close cooperation with industry, academia and other innovative organizations. “We must turn ideas into action” and deliver concepts and tools “with constant warfighters’ feedback.”

The command and its partners will create an “agile, adaptive, innovative organization” that will enable the Army to “regain and maintain our conventional overmatch” against the great power competitors, Russia and China.

The general made a direct appeal to the many industry representatives in the audience to bring to his command innovative ideas of material and processes to accelerate the drive to increase the lethality of the Army.

“We cannot succeed without your support. We cannot be successful without you,” he said.



-Otto Kreisher for AUSA