Transformation of the United States Army

[41] In January 2017, examples of pared-down tactical operations centers, suitable for brigades and divisions, were demonstrated at a command post huddle at Fort Bliss.

[63] Although the Army has enjoyed overmatch for the past seventy years,[24] more rapid modernization for conflict with near-peers is the reason for AFC, which will be focused on achieving clear overmatch[64] in six areas — long-range precision fires,[65][66] next-generation combat vehicle, future vertical lift platforms, a mobile & expeditionary Army network,[67][68] air & missile defense capabilities,[69] and soldier lethality[70] (i.e. artillery, armor, aviation, signal, air defense artillery, and infantry).

To me, ARCIC's [MDO] analysis means the Army's got to be able to sink ships, neutralize satellites, shoot down missiles, and deny the enemy the ability to command and control its forces.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command theater exercises with this MDTF participation helped inform the Army's Multi-Domain Operations warfighting concept, which has now evolved into doctrine.

[104][2] These MDTFs increase the "capability to connect with national assets" in space and cyber, with "the capacity to penetrate with long range fires, with the ability to integrate all domains".

[118] TRADOC designed exercises for Joint warfighter assessments —JWA 19,[119][120][121] at Fort Lewis, to clarify the jumps for Command Posts, to ensure their survivability during future operations.

[4] [127] Computer simulations (DOTMLPF), of the survivability rates for the units, were then compared with the interaction strategies, tactics and operations of JWA 19, a highly contested environment.

[131][132][133][134][135] Among the takeaways was to avoid overspecifying the requirements (in ITN[136][137] Information Systems Initial Capabilities Document) to meet operational needs,[131] such as interoperability with other networks.

Their staffs met again after 60 days to show their progress on connecting the Army's Project Convergence and the Air Force's ABMS into a data fabric in 2021.

Gen. Eric J. Wesley[153][1][154][155]In September and November 2019 the Department of Defense (DoD) "scheduled a series of globally integrated exercises with participation from across the US government interagency to refine our plans" —19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford.

[153] This exercise was designed to help 27th Secretary of Defense Mark Esper develop new plans, in the face of a change in chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

[225][227][228] Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) engaged in a Limited user test in August–September 2020 as preparation for the Milestone C acquisition decision.

[235] In addition the ability of F-35s to direct Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) was demonstrated during the 2020 Orange Flag event at Edwards AFB (Orange Flag showed the ability of an F-35A to collect targeting data, relay that data to an airborne communications node, as well as to a simulated Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System or IBCS station).

[235] In fall 2020, Futures Command is testing the data links between the Army's AI task force and its helicopters —Future Vertical Lift (FVL), its long-range missile launchers —Long range precision fires (LRPF), and its combat vehicles —(NGCV);[230][29][236] in fall 2021 and going forward, the links between ABMS and Multi-domain operations are invited when the Army's Air and Missile Defense capabilities (AMD's IBCS and MSHORAD —Maneuver short-range air defense) have undergone further testing.

[212] In March 2021, XVIII Airborne Corps hosted a Project Maven (DoD AI-based) live-fire experiment which shares targeting data among F-35s, A-10s, HIMARS, and satellites.

By FY2022 TITAN was meant to be a Program of Record, for CJADC2;[291] additional Soldier touchpoints will assess capabilities of two prototype satellite ground stations for downselect in 14 months by FY2023, and follow-on phases III and IV.

[312][161][313][314][315][316][11] For example, in 2019 the Army uses DoD's State Partnership Program, to link 22 National Guard Bilateral Affairs Officers (BAOs) with 22 allies or partners in the 54 countries in European Command's area to facilitate common defense interests with the US.

[319][320][321] See: Foreign Area Officer (FAO) DoD's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) has convened 100 online participants from 13 countries to discuss how to use AI in a way that is consonant with their national ethical principles, termed the 'AI Partnership for Defense' in 2020.

[aa] See Defender Europe 2022 In April 2019 Germany's 1st Panzer Division took the role of exercise High Command (HICON) at Hohenfels Training Area, primarily for German 21st Armored Brigade, the Lithuanian Iron Wolf Brigade, and their subordinate units; 5,630 participants from 15 nations took part in this Joint multinational exercise, which rotates the lead among the coalition partners.

[376] A reciprocal pact for US and UK capabilities in Future Vertical Lift aircraft and Long Range Precision Fires artillery was signed in July 2020.

[383] The 2nd MDTF (initially consisting of a headquarters element; an intelligence, cyberspace, electronic warfare, and space detachment; and a brigade support company) was activated at Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden on September 16, 2021.

III Armored Corps commander Pat White stated "the key goal of the exercise, to build international partnerships and increase interoperability, was realized".

[ag] The JSIL connection of experimental networks with Army battle labs is a way to determine the bandwidth needed for these vignettes, to prepare Project Convergence 2021 for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

[405] In 2021 the 28th Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, stated he expected to "review our posture in the Pacific from all aspects including presence, capabilities, logistics, exercises, infrastructure, and capacity building and cooperation with allies and partners" during his questioning by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

On 24 September 2021 the heads of state of Australia, India, Japan, and the US (the Quadrilateral Security Dialog) met face-to-face to discuss cybersecurity, and fix supply chain vulnerabilities, such as electronic chip, and 5G technology.

The exercises will involve 11 allied and partner nations, including Denmark, Estonia, Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, and Great Britain.

The commander of AFC's Futures and Concepts Lieutenant Gen. Scott McKean, and peers for the services and allies took this opportunity to mutually review their plans for the FY2022 event.

[471] This initiative, designed by then-DoD-Secretary James Mattis, exercises the ability of selected BCTs to rapidly surge combat-ready forces into a theater,[127] such as EUCOM, on short notice.

[472][473] In several such cases, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense in March 2019, troops were rapidly alerted, recalled and deployed to a forward position, under (simulated) emergency conditions, to prove a capability (such as an ABCT, and a THAAD battery)[474][475][476] against near-peers.

By 2020 the 27th Secretary of Defense signaled that ABMS, its Internet of Military Things, and JADC2 were important parts for Dynamic force employment (DFE) in the Joint All-domain Operations Concept.