Paper: Army Doctrine Must Evolve for Future Fight

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Soldiers on vehicles in a convoy
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Paper: Army Doctrine Must Evolve for Future Fight

Army concepts and doctrine must evolve as the service looks to a future battlefield that arguably will be dominated by artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, according to the author of a new paper published by the Association of the U.S. Army.

“The Principles for the Future of Warfare and Stand-off Warfare” by Lt. Col. Amos Fox is the third paper in a series focused on future warfare and how the military thinks about it. Fox is a doctoral candidate at the University of Reading and a freelance writer and conflict scholar writing for AUSA.

‘Best’ Partners Needed for Robotic Combat Vehicles

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Robots in the desert
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‘Best’ Partners Needed for Robotic Combat Vehicles

In its pursuit of robotic combat vehicles, the Army is prioritizing speed, ease of use and the best products and industry partners it can find, two senior leaders said recently.

“The winner is the soldier, at the end of the day,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, director of the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. “The goal is I want the best that we can get. If I can have company A and company B bring their best thing, instead of company A trying to do what company B does, I’d rather have every company doing what they do best.”

Soldiers Must Learn to Trust Robotic Technology

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Panelists at Global Force
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Soldiers Must Learn to Trust Robotic Technology

As robots are integrated into the operational environment, soldiers will need to shift from a mindset of doing it all to trusting the new technology and understanding its potential, according to senior Army leaders.

Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard, commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Moore, Georgia, formerly known as Fort Benning, said he observed the human dynamic at play in a recent training scenario involving robotic platforms.

Soldiers Team With Robots in Key Experiments

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A Warriors Corner presentation at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Soldiers Team With Robots in Key Experiments

The Army is moving forward with efforts to integrate robotic vehicles and unmanned aerial systems with human operators.

One example is the robotic autonomous systems platoon, which the Army has tested at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and Fort Moore, Georgia, formerly known as Fort Benning.

Rainey: Service Needs Help Designing Army of 2040

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Industry partner controlling robot
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Rainey: Service Needs Help Designing Army of 2040

The Army needs help from industry, academia and others as it envisions and designs the Army of 2040, the commander of Army Futures Command said.

From transforming its formations to improving human-machine integration, “we need some help,” Gen. James Rainey said during a keynote speech at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition earlier this year.

“War will remain a contest of wills between humans,” Rainey said. “What’s not going to change about the future? I would offer that. That is indisputable.”

Army Urged to Develop Common Battery Chargers

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Soldier controlling robot
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Army Urged to Develop Common Battery Chargers

A House subcommittee will urge the Army to concentrate on common battery charging systems rather than relying on so many different types.

In its draft report on the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on readiness asks the Army to do what the Marine Corps has been trying to do since 2016. “Common charging solutions exist,” the report says. “The Army’s use of such platforms has been limited in scope and capability.”

Soldier Feedback Shapes Future Army Technology

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Robots
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Soldier Feedback Shapes Future Army Technology

Input from soldiers in the field is a priority for the Army as it continues to develop new, next-generation equipment and technology, a panel of leaders said. 

The Army has made soldier-centered design a critical part of its modernization effort because it’s essential to understanding the tactical and operational needs of the Army, said Charneta Samms, the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Science and Technology-Integration chief technology officer. 

AI, Robots Could Make It Harder to Deter Conflict

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AI, Robots Could Make It Harder to Deter Conflict

The rise of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems could make it more difficult for the U.S. Army and its allies to deter potential adversaries, according to a recent Rand Corp. report.

“Up to this point, deterrence has primarily involved humans attempting to affect the decision calculus and perceptions of other humans,” the report says. “But what happens when decision-making processes are no longer fully under the control of humans?”

Science Fiction Comes Alive with Unmanned Systems

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Science Fiction Comes Alive with Unmanned Systems

Unmanned ground vehicles have made the transition from science fiction to reality, with platforms already proving their value to land forces. 

There are limits, though, on how fast progress can be made. Alexander Kott, an Army Research Laboratory scientist specializing in cyber resiliency, said the only limit on unmanned systems will be the speed of advances in science and technology. He said transformational, game-changing unmanned systems can be expected. 

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