Warfare has changed and was predicted by principal military officers from the past, which has come to pass. In contemporary society, war has moved from fighting over land and sea to including other aspects such as space, information, cyberspace, and other human-centered threats such as biochemical weapons. Furthermore, the peers, advanced, and persistent challenges faced by the US military, such as advancement in military strength and equipment from countries such as North Korea and China, have also necessitated the better preparedness of the US is preparing its army to defeat the competitors. The US Army Futures Command is a research and development organization focusing on developing new technologies, methods, and architectures to improve the army’s capabilities. The US Army Futures Command (USAFC) was created in February 2016 through a directive from then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.^[1] The new organization is responsible for helping the US Army develop and implement strategies that enable it to defeat its peer and advanced and persistent challenges in the future operating environment. This paper discusses the organization’s main purpose in ensuring that the army has all the necessary tools to win future battles. The Futures Command is designed to be more agile than traditional commands by operating across domains or areas of focus. As a result, the command will be able to innovate faster than other organizations and adapt to changing situations faster than traditional organizations.

            Firstly, warfare is changing from military combat into non-military and non-state approaches. Initially, war conflict was mainly through deploying the military and forcing the target forces and government to give in to the aggressor’s demands. However, in the recent past, this has changed substantially. Governments such as the US use non-military approaches such as sanctions and forcing regime changes using non-military strategies to create an outcome of a friendly government that protects the interest of Americans.^[2] The hybrid war includes using informational strategies such as propaganda through national news channels like CNN, which tend to discredit a government.

The Application of Technology

The AFC has been created as a way for the US Army to enhance its capabilities by using technology and other forms of information they can use. The AFC applies diverse techniques to gather data from various social media and news outlets. The AFC also uses different methods, such as games and simulations, which help them understand how their decision would affect the outcome of it. The AFC aims to enhance the ability of the US Army through training and simulation so that it can be able to make better decisions when faced with any situation or challenge.^[3] They also want to improve their ability through training and simulation through different scenarios, allowing them to practice before going into real-life situations where they will face challenges or threats from other countries or organizations.

Low-Level Bureaucracy

The US Army Futures Command was established to be a “fast-moving” organization with a low level of bureaucracy, lacking in many other military branches. The main goal of this new organization is to ensure that its members can develop new technologies and weapons quickly enough so that the military can use them at large. In addition, it aims to provide training for soldiers interested in learning about new technology and how it can be used in combat situations. One way that this new command can help defeat its peer challenges is by providing training for soldiers on how to use their weapons more efficiently than their peers do today.^[4] For example, if a soldier knows how to operate his weapon more effectively, he will be able to take out more targets more quickly than if he does not know how to operate it properly. Lastly, the USAFC has several programs designed to identify potential problems before they become real issues facing troops in combat situations. One such program is called “Future Force Development,” which has been used by US Army soldiers since 2003, when it was first introduced at Fort Bliss, Texas.^[5] This program helps soldiers understand how new technologies will affect their jobs and provides them with an opportunity to try out new equipment.

Conclusively, this paper has discussed the US Army Futures Command as a news organization created to address future challenges. Indeed, the US Army Futures Command enables the army to defeat its peer with advanced and persistent challenges. The US Army Futures Command is a strategic command in the US Army responsible for planning and executing future operations, integrating military capabilities with partners from other nations and organizations, developing new technologies for future combat systems, and managing the sustainment of those systems. The command works closely with other US government agencies, universities, industry partners, non-profit organizations, and foreign militaries to develop new technologies that can revolutionize how the United States fights warfare across multiple domains (land, sea, and air). Experts recommend that more extensive research and investment be made in high-tech equipment, weaponry, installation of modern technologies, equipment, and structures as part of the modernization of the military, and collaborations for critical developments of the Army Futures Command in the advancement of the US army. That would aid in leveraging it to defeat the future peers, advanced, and persistent challenges it faces.

Bibliography

Barno, David, and Nora Bensahel. 2016. A New Generation of Unrestricted Warfare. April 19. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://warontherocks.com/2016/04/a-new-generation-of-unrestricted-warfare/.

Bartles, Charles K. 2016. Getting Gerasimov Right: Military Review. January. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://community.apan.org/cfs-file/__key/docpreview-s/00-00-00-11-18/20151229-Bartles-_2D00_-Getting-Gerasimov-Right.pdf.

Thompson, Maureena. 2021. Army Futures Command reflects on three years of modernization leadership. August 25. Accessed July 2, 2022. https://www.army.mil/article/249693/army_futures_command_reflects_on_three_years_of_modernization_leadership.