ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

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.

Speed, flexibility and teamwork are critical as the Army moves forward with its transformation for the future, the service’s top acquisition and modernization officials said.

Speaking March 27 on a panel at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama, Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the Army cannot do what it needs to do without teaming up with industry.

The Army is creating a new team focused on helping the force better see, sense and target deep into the battlefield.

The All-Domain Sensing Cross-Functional Team will be stood up out of the Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing/Space Cross-Functional Team, Army Futures Command announced March 26 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama.

As warfighting innovations advance, a “quiet revolution” is taking place in the Army that promises to change the way the service does business with industry, Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo said.

“Our innovation challenges aren’t technical, they really are institutional,” Camarillo said March 26 in his keynote address at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium and Exposition in Huntsville, Alabama.

Dominance on the future battlefield will depend on the Army’s ability to quickly adapt to new technology and transform while on the move, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said.

In remarks during a virtual event hosted by Defense One, George cited the importance of quickly putting new equipment into the hands of soldiers, including some who are deploying, so that the Army and its industry partners can adjust equipment and technologies based on their feedback.

A combination of proper fuel and wearables can help soldiers achieve optimal performance, particularly in hot-weather conditions, experts said during a forum hosted by the Army Heat Center at Fort Moore, Georgia.