US Army soldiers on with modernisation priorities
26 January 2021
by Ashley Roque
New civilian leadership inside the US Army and Pentagon will be central to forthcoming budget plans and moving ahead with new equipment development. However, for now, US Army Futures Command head General John Murray said he is not anticipating sweeping changes when it comes to service plans to develop new weapons to better compete with peer competitors.
The four-star general answered questions during a 25 January virtual Center for Strategic and International Studies event on the army’s six modernisation priorities – Long-Range Precision Fires (LRPF); Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV); Future Vertical Lift; The Network; Air and Missile Defense; and Soldier Lethality – and addressed potential funding questions as the service prepares for a new secretary.
By Garrett Reim2021-01-26T08:08:00+00:00
China poses several awkward challenges for the US Army.
First, the US Army is a land-based military service and China is an ocean away. Second, the wide-open spaces of the Pacific Ocean would seem to make it more difficult to hide in-bound helicopters and tiltrotors from radar.
Source: Sikorsky
Sikorsky Raider X, a contender for the US Army’s FARA competition
Nonetheless, the US Army is making the case that its Future Vertical Lift aircraft, combined with clever tactics, can bring something unique to the Indo-Pacific region. The service thinks its in-development Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), a replacement for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter, and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), to replace the retired Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior scout helicopter, will create new dilemmas for the Chinese military.
Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn slated to command US Army Pacific, and 14 other promotions January 26 Lt. Gen. Charles A. Flynn, assistant deputy chief of staff for G-3/5/7, has been tapped to lead U.S. Army Pacific. (Staff Sgt. Scott Longstreet/Army) Fifteen general officer assignments were announced by the Army chief of staff Monday, including the ascension of Lt. Gen. Charles A. Flynn to command U.S. Army Pacific out of Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Flynn, who currently serves as deputy chief of staff for Army operations, plans and training at the Pentagon, was key in crafting a new Army force generation model that was introduced this fall.
5 REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Under the guidance of a new leader, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center will continue to deliver what the Army has come to expect from the Warfighter-focused valued team of world leaders in aviation and missile technologies and life cycle engineering – excellence.
“We’re supposed to be the smart scientists and engineers that provide the very best data and analysis to our customers,” said DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center Director Jeff Langhout. “We’re the aviation and missile science and technology experts for the Army. We have got to excel in that role.”
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