The US Army continues to (mostly) make progress with its core set of priority modernisation programmes, although it has made some adjustments to accommodate both technological challenges and budgetary constraints.
In 2017, the Army identified 31 modernisation efforts as top priority programmes essential for military transformation. Subsequently another four development and acquisition programmes were added to this list, which became known as the ‘31+4 signature systems’. In particular, these ‘signature systems’ are considered vital for conducting multi-domain operations (MDO).
Established in 2018, the Army Futures Command was given responsibility for the original 31 development and acquisition programmes, while the Pentagon’s joint Rapid Capabilities Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) assumed guidance of the remaining four (all of which pertain to either long-range missile systems or defensive high-energy laser systems). The 35 programmes are grouped into eight capability portfolios: Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF); Next-Generation Combat Vehicles (NGCV); Future Vertical Lift (FVL); Network; Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD); Soldier Lethality; Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT); and Synthetic Training Environment. The first six categories are officially designated as modernisation priorities, while the final two are described as “enabling areas”.
The Pentagon has determined the need to accelerate the development and acquisition of the key transformational technologies. In October of 2021, the then Army Chief of Staff, General James McConville, announced that 24 of the 35 systems and technologies would be “in soldiers’ hands” by Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. He subsequently clarified that this phrasing referred not only to operational fielding of systems, but also to testing and evaluating of prototypes and demonstrators by operational units. In fact, by the end of Fiscal Year 2023 (31 October 2023), the Army missed McConville’s goal by only one system, but only by including so-called “soldier touchpoint” events into the calculation; these involve gathering feedback directly from soldiers during the prototype research and development process, to ensure that systems will actually work effectively in the field, and not only under laboratory conditions.
In the 12 months since then, there have been additional significant developments. Some systems have achieved initial operational capability (IOC) or early operational capability (EOC) and begun initial deliveries to operational units, while tangible progress is being made with other developmental programmes. On the negative side, some programmes are lagging behind their original timeline, while others have been cancelled outright.
Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF)
The LRPF portfolio originally included the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA), a self-propelled howitzer intended to double the range of current tube artillery; the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) capable of hitting targets at distances of 499 km; the Strategic Mid-Range Fires (SMRF) system with a range beyond 500 km (originally designated the Midrange Capabilities System; MCS) – this is essentially a ground-based launcher for Tomahawk and SM-6 missiles; and the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) with more than 2,775 km range. The three missile projects are cumulatively referred to as the Strategic Fires portfolio.
ERCA prototyping was terminated in March 2024 due to excessive barrel degradation during firing. As the requirement for enhanced-range tube artillery remains, the service is now studying currently available foreign and domestic artillery systems for their potential to utilise new, high-range munitions. The Army’s FY 2025 budget request includes USD 55 million for extended-range cannon efforts.
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The PrSM successfully concluded its production qualification flight test in November 2023. This satisfied the criteria for acceptance of the Increment 1 (PrSM Inc 1) EOC missiles beginning in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (Q1 FY 2024). On 8 December 2023, the Army announced the delivery of the first PrSM Inc 1 missiles, beginning the multi-year replacement effort of the Army’s ATACMS missile inventory. PrSM Inc 1 IOC is scheduled for 2025. Budget documents cite plans to introduce PrSM Inc 2, which will be equipped with a multi-mode seeker to attack moving targets in FY 2026, with IOC for PrSM Inc 2 anticipated in FY 2028.
The SMRF (also known as the Typhon weapon system) incorporates the SM-6 missile and the Tomahawk cruise missile, adapting both weapons for ground launch from a transporter erector vehicle. Delivery of prototype Typhon systems began in December 2022. The first units equipped a prototype battery assigned to the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1st MDTF), which conducted successful test launches in the first half of 2023. The second SMRF battery was activated in January 2024. One battery was temporarily deployed to the Philippines in April– May 2024, demonstrating EOC. Plans call for a minimum of four batteries Army-wide.
The hypersonic LRHW has been plagued by technical delays and is behind schedule. Recent Army statements anticipate a full system flight test by the end of FY 2024. If successful, such a test – whenever accomplished – would pave the way for certification of the weapon system and subsequent equipment of the first operational battery (at EOC status). The Army has stated that the first battery could receive its eight missile complement within 11 months of certification.
Next Generation Combat Vehicles (NGCV)
The NGCV portfolio includes four projects: the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), now designated the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle; the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV); the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) vehicle (now designated the M10 Booker); and the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV).
The XM30 is currently a Middle Tier Acquisition Rapid Prototyping (MTA-RP) programme. In June 2023, the Army awarded Phase 3 and Phase 4 (detailed design/prototype build and testing) contracts to General Dynamics Land Systems (offering the Giffin III) and American Rheinmetall Vehicles (offering the KF41 Lynx). The Army plans to transition from MTA-RP to a Major Capability Acquisition Pathway at Milestone B in Q2 FY 2025, and downselect to one vendor at Milestone C in FY 2027. LRIP is planned for Q1 FY 2028, with a Full Rate Production (FRP) decision in FY 2030.
The AMPV entered low-rate initial production (LRIP) in 2019. COVID-19 and production challenges delayed delivery of testing vehicles, but by October 2021 contracted LRIP levels were reached. In March 2023, the first armoured brigade combat team (ABCT) received its full complement of AMPVs. In September 2023, the Army awarded BAE the FRP contract. Army budget documents show plans to fund the third order of FRP with the procurement of 81 vehicles in FY 2024. The total acquisition goal is 2,897 units.
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The first M10 Booker LRIP unit was delivered to the Army in February 2024. LRIP units are currently being evaluated by airborne units, with an initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) event planned for January 2025. If the IOT&E results are satisfactory, an FRP decision could be made in Q3 FY2025. The Army’s 2025 budget request includes funds for an initial FRP tranche of 33 vehicles. Fielding of operational systems is scheduled for Q4 FY 2025.
The RCV programme has undergone a major restructuring. The original concept of three different, specialised robotic platforms of varying size has been dropped in favour of a single, modular platform capable of accepting a broad array of mission systems. Phase 1 prototyping contracts were awarded in September 2023 to four companies. First prototypes were delivered in August 2024. Downselect for the Phase 2 Full-System Prototype Design and Build is planned for FY 2025, with a production decision in FY 2027.
Future Vertical Lift (FVL)
The FVL portfolio originally included the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), and the Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (FTUAS). All aviation programmes are being developed with a Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) to ensure seamless technology insertion of future operational systems.
FARA was officially cancelled in February 2024 as part of an aviation rebalance. Senior Army leadership cited lessons from the Ukraine war that show manned aerial reconnaissance is now best conducted by large numbers of sensor-equipped unmanned platforms. The money saved by cancelling FARA will flow into UAV development and acquisition.
The FLRAA tiltrotor, by contrast, achieved Milestone B on 2 August 2024, and is now an acquisition programme of record. The Bell Textron V-280 Valor, which won the development contract in December 2022, will move into the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. The FY 2025 funding request covers post Milestone B activities including continued development of a digital backbone architecture to fulfil MOSA objectives. The first FLRAA prototype is planned to fly in 2026, with LRIP beginning in 2028. The Army aims to field the first unit in 2030.
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The FTUAS is a MOSA-compliant vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with a modular sensor payload. On 25 April 2024, the Army announced that Phase 2 of the Rapid Prototyping Programme had concluded with the Critical Design Review, establishing the prototype baseline. The same news release announced that Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems had received awards for Phase 3, which will culminate in a flight demonstration, and Phase 4, which will lead to the Production Readiness Review. The Army plans to equip the first operational unit in FY 2026.
Network projects
The United Network Plan (UNP) seeks to ensure a fully and securely connected force at all echelons, including links to airborne and mobile ground sensors. It will encompass multiple communications systems and is intended to constantly evolve to keep pace with technological development. A critical component of the UNP is the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) which is intended as a tactical network for expeditionary, mobile forces from the division to the small unit leader level. ITN is a rapid prototyping programme being developed in two-year increments. Capability Set 21 (CS 21) is operational with selected infantry brigade combat teams (ICBT). CS 23 aims to expand the capability to Stryker brigades as well as to the division echelon. According to the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E), “the Army is transitioning the ITN away from the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) approach of rapidly prototyping and fielding commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment and is moving towards a continuous experimentation and modernisation effort.”
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The Command Post Common Environment is another Network portfolio programme that has made good progress. Major subsystems include the Command Post Computing Environment and the Mounted Computing Environment, software systems intended to provide command staff and mobile vehicles with a common situational awareness on a single workstation. Both subsystems have been fielded to operational units, and are being upgraded in two-year intervals.
The Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2) programme seeks to make command posts leaner, more mobile and agile in order to enhance survivability. The initial Increment 0 variant underwent limited user testing in 2023. The Army plans to field Inc 0 brigade sets by the end of calendar year 2024. The more advanced Increment 1 achieved Milestone B decision authority in 2023. Following the Inc 1 EMD contract award and platform production, the Army intends to field the first Inc 1 unit set in FY25.
Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD)
The IAMD portfolio includes Maneuver – Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD), lndirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC), the Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor (LTAMDS), as well as Directed Energy (DE) M-SHORAD, and High Energy Laser (HEL) and High-Power Microwave (HPM) systems for IFPC.
Three active duty battalions of M-SHORAD (now designated the ‘Sgt. Stout’) have been fully outfitted since 2022. A fourth unit is scheduled for activation in Q3, FY 2025. If funding is allocated, the Army plans to also equip National Guard battalions in the 2026–2030 timeframe.
The Army plans four M-SHORAD increments. Systems fielded to date belong to Inc 1 which utilises a Stryker vehicle, originally armed with one pod of four FIM-92 Stinger family missiles and two AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles (though they are all scheduled to transition to two pods of four FIM-92 Stinger missiles), and a 30 mm chain gun. The Stryker-mounted Inc 3 will incorporate the Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI), which is slated to replace Stinger; LRIP of the new munitions is expected in 2028. Inc 4 is conceived as a lighter system to support dismounted forces, envisages as being able to be transported via C-130 aircraft, air-droppable and capable of being underslung beneath a helicopter. It is intended to be capable of being integrated onto a JLTV and/or a robotic vehicle. The Army hopes to field Inc 4 in the near term circa 2027–2028, followed by system upgrades in subsequent years.
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Inc 2 is the DE M-SHORAD consisting of a Stryker-mounted 50 kW HEL to defeat UAVs and artillery threats. Live-fire testing of a Raytheon-designed prototype in early 2023 showed success against drones, but unsatisfactory performance intercepting rockets, artillery, and mortar bombs (RAM). A platoon was equipped with four of these prototypes in September 2023 for further evaluation. In March 2024, the unit deployed for operational testing in Iraq, where Army officials reported unsatisfactory performance. The RCCTO has delayed transition to a programme of record. Instead, prototyping contracts were awarded to two other developers in March 2024, with delivery slated for 2025. Evaluation and comparison of the three systems is expected to take until late 2026.
IFPC is needed to protect high-value fixed or semi-fixed sites from cruise missiles, UAVs and RAM threats. Iron Dome batteries acquired under Inc 1 in 2020–2021 were never utilised due to difficulty integrating with the US battle command system. Under Inc 2, the Army awarded Dynetics a three-year contract in September 2021 to develop a launcher prototype for AIM-9X interceptor missiles; the system was dubbed ‘Enduring Shield’. The prototype completed its risk-reduction flight demonstration in December 2023, and proceeded to the Army’s developmental test programme in early 2024. IOT&E is scheduled for 2026, with plans to field Enduring Shield in Guam in FY 2027.
Evaluation to date has found the AIM-9X effective against drones and rockets, but inadequate against supersonic cruise missiles. In June 2024, the IFPC programme office announced plans to develop a second launcher and interceptor optimised for these threats. The effort is likely to take five years, with LRIP in the 2029-2030 timeframe.
IFPC increments armed with HEL and HPM were also planned. In October 2023, Lockheed Martin was contracted to deliver four 300 kW-class laser weapon systems to the IFPC-HEL prototype programme. However, citing shifting priorities, funding for IFPC HEL was slashed in the FY 2024 budget, effectively freezing the programme. Funding for the IFPC HPM programme (designed to counter drone swarm attacks) was similarly reduced in the FY 2025 budget request. Epirus had delivered four contracted ‘Leonidas’ HPM prototypes in 2024.
LTAMDS is due to replace existing AN/MPQ-53 and AN/MPQ-65 radars used with PATRIOT. Several successful tests were executed during the 1st Quarter of FY24 and demonstrated the ability of LTAMDS prototypes to integrate with the Army’s Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). In August 2024, the Army announced a USD 2 billion award to Raytheon for delivery of an unspecified number of operational systems through 2028. The 2025 budget request calls for acquiring four LTAMDS in 2025, ramping up production to eight units annually by 2028.
Soldier Lethality (SL)
The SL portfolio includes the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW), the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B), and the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).
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The NGSW family consists of the XM7 NGSW Rifle (NGSW-R) and the XM250 NGSW Automatic Rifle (NGSW-AR), both mounting the Vortex XM157 fire control system (NGSW-FC). The firearms utilise a new 6.8 mm cartridge in a variety of ammunition natures. The NGSW contract was awarded to Sig Sauer in 2022. The weapon system officially entered service in March 2024 with delivery of rifles to the 101st Airborne Division. The FY 2025 budget proposal would fund procurement of approximately 20,000 firearms and an equivalent number of NGSW-FC.
The ENVG-B combined image intensification and thermal night vision device provides high situational awareness at night and in low-light environments. It entered service with the Army in 2019 as the AN/PSQ-42. L3Harris had delivered circa 13,000 units to the Army by mid-2024. In April 2024, the Army placed a USD 256 million continued production order; this was the first order placed under the ENVG-B’s Programme of Record full-scale production indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, which will total nearly USD 1 billion over ten years.
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The IVAS augmented reality headset features a heads-up display (HUD) projecting overlays intended to improve soldier situational awareness. The Army acquired 5,000 units of IVAS 1.0 and is purchasing 5,000 of IVAS 1.1 for limited use, to be distributed to selected units in Q1 FY 2025. User feedback about both variants was mixed during testing, with many soldiers complaining of head and neck pain, along with disorientation. The third variant, IVAS 1.2, is currently in prototyping, and is designed to address these issues. Testing began in August 2023 and will continue until a company-level user assessment planned for Q2 FY 2025. This assessment will inform the FRP decision slated for Q4 FY 2025. Since late 2023, the Army is also discussing a fresh competition for a new project, IVAS Next. Whether this is a failsafe option in case IVAS 1.2 does not meet expectations, or would be pursued alongside 1.2, remains the subject of speculation.
Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT)
Jamming and spoofing can interfere with GPS. A-PNT enhances traditional GPS timing by using additional sources to augment GPS and provide redundancy, so forces can continue to manoeuvre, navigate and target with certainty.
The Dismounted A-PNT System (DAPS) Gen II handheld Military-Code (M-Code) GPS receiver integrates multiple PNT sources to ensure forces have the PNT data necessary to effectively target, manoeuvre, and communicate in GPS-challenged environments. The DOT&E concluded that DAPS Gen II performs better than the current Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) under GPS electronic interference. A limited user test conducted in November 2022 supported advancement to Milestone C. In March 2023, the Army awarded TRX a seven-year, USD 402 million IDIQ contract to deliver DAPS GEN II systems. Deliveries have been ongoing since October 2023.
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For mounted forces, the equivalent programme is designated MAPS. MAPS Gen I fielding began in September 2019; by November 2022, all relevant Army units had been equipped. In September 2022, the Army awarded Collins Aerospace a five-year contract for MAPS Gen II procurement. An FRP decision is expected by the end of 2024.
Synthetic training environment
The synthetic training environment portfolio aims to acquire virtual training systems for the soldier and squad level, and other enhanced training tools utilising modern technology to replicate the battlefield experience. The Live Training System Inc 1 utilises a mix of live, virtual and constructive elements to offer soldiers more realistic training. Elements include replica weapons capable of mimicking battlefield effects and capturing projected impacts while minimising training costs and risks. The system is currently in service at Army training grounds. The Soldier/Squad Virtual Trainer (S/SVT) is designed as an immersive, virtual-reality supported tool using adaptive learning and intelligent tutoring methods to address training gaps. The mobile unit can be rotated through various garrisons, reducing travel time and expense for soldiers and units. Up to 15 soldiers can be trained at one time. It entered service in FY 2021, and continues to be upgraded.
2030 and beyond
The Army modernisation strategy seeks to reshape the force by the year 2030, in anticipation of changing operational environments and development of advanced adversary capabilities and operating doctrine. The ability to conduct multi-domain operations (MDO) is considered vital for achieving victory on the post-2030 battlefield. The majority of the 31+4 signature technologies are considered directly relevant – even essential – to MDO, or at least complementary to acquiring MDO capabilities. However, none of the technologies is considered an end state – the Army expects to continue refining and enhancing them, until even more potent technologies are devised to replace them. Individual elements of the priority list will change over time, but the concept of signature programmes will remain a constant feature of force modernisation.
Sidney E. Dean