Processes remain a challenge as US Army modernises, says army chief

The US Army’s 30 mm counter-UAS turret in the mobile-low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft integrated defeat system (M-LIDS) fires at a target in Udairi Range, Kuwait. Counter-UAS and unmanned technologies are modernisation priorities for the army. (US Army)

The US Army is working to modernise its processes so that it can rapidly field the latest capabilities. This has become more important as software, which can be quickly updated, has become the key to capability.

The army is working to address the problem through its Transforming in Contact initiatives, which “basically started when we knew we had a counter-UAS [unmanned aircraft system] problem in the Middle East, and rather than waiting to go through all the normal processes that we would do, we would send stuff immediately over there”, US Army Chief of Staff General Randy George said during Govini’s Defense Software and Data Summit in Washington, DC, on 26 February. This could include prototypes, but the key was putting soldiers on the ground with developers to understand the problem and act quickly.

This has been applied to the brigade combat teams participating in the initiative, which has demonstrated that when given new technology and networks, they are more lethal, more mobile, and operate with a lower signature, all things needed to address future threats, Gen George said.

“This is process change that we can bring big systems as well with digital engineering” and other capabilities, he continued.