Latest news with #ArmyTransformationInitiative
Business Insider
21-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
One launcher, many allied munitions — this is what a top general says the US Army wants for future war
A top general said that the US Army wants common launchers that it and its allies can use to easily fire a range of munitions across arsenals. Gen. Christopher Donahue, the commanding general of US Army Europe and Africa, talked last week about what weapons systems and technologies the service is focused on with its industry partners. One was under the topic of long-range fires and air defenses. "What we want to develop is a common launcher," he said at the LANDEURO Conference in Germany, "that is both offensive and defensive capable." Such a system, Donahue explained, would have a common fire control system that any US ally or partner can use. "Right now, there are many nations that if they buy a platform and another nation buys that platform, they're not interoperable because of that lack of common operating system." "We want it to be one system optionally manned," he said, "and we want to be able to take munitions from any country and shoot through that." The emphasis on building an optionally crewed system reflects broader efforts across the US military to embrace uncrewed elements to reduce risks to personnel, who, unlike a machine, can be killed or wounded. Modularity, likewise, has also been highly desired in newer military systems, especially in uncrewed systems. Such systems can be reconfigured with different hardware and software depending on mission objectives, combat environments, enemy countermeasures, and individual soldier or personnel wants. At LANDEURO, Donahue said interoperability was one of the top concerns from US allies and partners and needed to be considered by defense industry partners. Cost-effectiveness was also highlighted at the event as something to watch. "As a general rule, whatever you're shooting at, whatever weapon system or munition you shoot at another adversary's capability, it should be cheaper than what you're shooting down," he said. In recent months, Army leadership has been pushing ahead with a sweeping review of its force structure, weapons, and programs, cutting what it sees as unnecessary to be prepared for future conflicts. The Army Transformation Initiative ranges from vehicles and helicopter formation changes to heavy investments in new drones. The efforts in the directive are estimated to cost around $36 billion over the next five years and represent one of the largest Army overhauls since the end of the Cold War. Long-range fires are a priority in the initiative. In a memo from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year, the Army was directed to field long-range missiles that can strike moving land and maritime targets by 2027. Some existing systems could fit that bill, including the surface-to-surface Precision Strike Missile, the Mid-Range Capability Typhon system, and the Long-Range Hypersonic Missiles. The interest within the Army in more long-range fires, air defense, and evolutions in offensive and defensive capabilities has been there, but new efforts stem from recent conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and developments like the Patriot missile defense engagements with Iranian threats. The latter was highlighted by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Gen. James Rainey, commanding general of Army Futures Command, during a recent interview with Business Insider. Driscoll said integrated air and missile defenses are "one of the most demanded and deployed capabilities we as an Army have," explaining that the Patriot battalions would see increased investment and recruitment going forward.
Newsweek
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Army Sends HIMARS to Pacific to Boost Long-Range Fires
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States has strengthened its long-range fire capabilities in the Pacific theater as a Hawaii-based Army unit received the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, which prioritizes long-range precision fires, the 25th Infantry Division—based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii—is set to complete the replacement of howitzers with HIMARS launchers within weeks, the Pentagon announced. Why It Matters Amid China's rapid military buildup, the U.S. military has designated the Indo-Pacific as its "priority theater," deploying its most capable units across the region—including land-based missile systems capable of targeting the Chinese navy, now the world's largest by hull count. In alignment with the Pacific Ocean's vast maritime expanse, the U.S. Army is undergoing a transformation—divesting "outdated, redundant and inefficient" weapons—to enhance its lethality. The delivery of HIMARS launchers to the 25th Infantry Division coincides with the U.S. military's simultaneous participation in two large-scale Pacific war games: Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 in Australia and the Air Force's Department-Level Exercise series. What To Know Photos released by the 25th Infantry Division show that its first batch of HIMARS launchers was delivered by a C-5 transport aircraft to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Monday. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers assigned to the United States Army 25th Infantry Division staged on the flight line after being unloaded from a C-5 transport aircraft at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in... High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers assigned to the United States Army 25th Infantry Division staged on the flight line after being unloaded from a C-5 transport aircraft at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii on July 14. More Spc. Taylor Gray/U.S. Army The Army infantry unit is scheduled to replace 14 howitzers with 16 HIMARS launchers. According to the Pentagon, this transformation in firepower will enhance the unit's long-range precision strike capability and bolster its warfighting readiness in the Indo-Pacific. The truck-mounted HIMARS—widely known for its use by Ukraine in its war against Russia—is capable of launching "versatile, accurate, precision-strike munitions" such as rockets and missiles with ranges from 9.3 to over 310 miles and can be rapidly deployed, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. In comparison, the 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers being phased out by the 25th Infantry Division—both classified as towed artillery systems—have maximum ranges of about 8.5 miles and almost 20 miles, respectively, according to defense outlet the War Zone. U.S. Army Major General Marcus Evans, the commander of the 25th Infantry Division, said the introduction of the HIMARS would extend the division's operational reach and enhance soldier protection by allowing troops to fire munitions and quickly relocate to safer positions. A total of 73 soldiers assigned to the 25th Infantry Division are transitioning from operating howitzers to HIMARS, according to the Pentagon. Of those, 27 have trained with the National Guard as part of their effort to learn how to operate the HIMARS on the battlefield. A HIMARS launcher firing a rocket during a joint military exercise between the United States and the Philippines in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, the Philippines, on August 9, 2024. A HIMARS launcher firing a rocket during a joint military exercise between the United States and the Philippines in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, the Philippines, on August 9, People Are Saying U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote in a memo to senior Pentagon leadership in April: "To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems. Simultaneously, the Army must prioritize investments in accordance with the Administration's strategy, ensuring existing resources are prioritized to improve long-range precision fires, air and missile defense including through the Golden Dome for America, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities." U.S. Army Major General Marcus Evans, the commander of the 25th Infantry Division, said in a news release on Wednesday: "And so now soldiers, instead of working behind a cannon system and towed artillery, they will work with a weapon system that [not only] has increased survivability, but increased operational reach with the range that [HIMARS] have." What Happens Next It remains to be seen which U.S. military units based in the Pacific theater will be next to undergo a similar transformation to enhance their operational capabilities in the region.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
4 top execs of Silicon Valley are joining the US Army as Army Reserve Lt. Colonel; here's what the mission is
President Donald Trump salutes during a military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary, coinciding with his 79th birthday, in Washington, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and first lady Melania Trump watch. (AP/PTI)(AP06_15_2025_000056A) The U.S. Army is establishing Detachment 201: The Army's Executive Innovation Corps, a new initiative designed to fuse cutting-edge tech expertise with military innovation. Under this, The US military recently announced that four executives from some of the top tech companies in Silicon Valley have joined the Army Reserve as direct-commissioned officers. The four new Army Reserve Lt. Cols. are: Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer for Palantir; Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer of Meta; Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer of OpenAI; and Bob McGrew, advisor at Thinking Machines Lab and former Chief Research Officer for OpenAI. What is US Army's Detachment 201 project Detachment 201 is an effort to recruit senior tech executives to serve part-time in the Army Reserve as senior advisors. In this role they will work on targeted projects to help guide rapid and scalable tech solutions to complex problems. By bringing private-sector know-how into uniform, Det. 201 is supercharging efforts like the Army Transformation Initiative, which aims to make the force leaner, smarter, and more lethal. What is the mission of the US Army's Detachment 201 project The swearing-in of the four Silicon Valley top executives is, as per an official press release from the US Army: To be just the start of a bigger mission to inspire more tech pros to serve without leaving their careers, showing the next generation how to make a difference in uniform. The new reservists will serve for about 120 hours a year, according to the Wall Street Journal, and will have a lot of flexibility to work remotely. They'll work on helping the Army acquire more commercial tech.
CNBC
16-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
How the Army is cutting costs and rethinking policy to move faster on new tech
In western Louisiana, a Black Hawk helicopter ride away from the Fort Johnson military base, sits a vast complex of wilderness that the U.S. Army uses to train soldiers for combat. The expanse, what the Joint Readiness Training Center's calls the "Box," stretches 242,000 acres. It was there that the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division recently completed a two-week rotation and that the service's top military official, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, paid servicemembers a visit. "We immerse our units in the training that's here. We have a professional opposing force that also has the latest technology, and this is where we learn, adapt and transform," George told CNBC. "This is our fourth brigade that we have basically brought through here and we are completely changing the technology that they're using, how they're organized, and then how they operate." The 1st Brigade is a new type of military unit: a "transformation in contact" (TIC) brigade. The Army stood up the concept a year ago, and this one represents the most modern to date, equipped with artificial intelligence-enabled platforms, SpaceX Starlink internet connectivity, retrofitted autonomous vehicles and nearly 400 drones. "What makes this one unique is the scale," said Trevor Voelkel, commander of the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. "The technology has improved, and we're trying to maintain pace with that." George, whose military career spans four decades, said the Army is on the cusp of a "paradigm shift," ushered in by TIC brigades. Last month, America's oldest military branch unveiled the Army Transformation Initiative in what is expected to be its biggest restructuring in at least a generation. Greenlit by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and spearheaded by both George and his civilian counterpart, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, the initiative enables the Army to trim some jobs and reposition others. It also calls for shifting more defense dollars to products that can be made quickly and cheaply as battlefields become more autonomous and as "exquisite weapons systems" like tanks and aircraft that cost millions to make have proven to be vulnerable to drone strikes. Part of the reimaging is an effort to expand beyond the rigid, years-long acquisition process that has defined defense procurement and helped perpetuate legacy programs — whether services like the Army want to continue investing in them or not. "We know our formations want to move faster, and we are trying to get the whole system to move much more rapidly," said George. "A big part of that is stop buying the things that we know are not going to be as effective on the battlefield so that we can infuse our formations with the things that really will be." Army leadership has talked about improvements to bureaucratic processes for years, but it's been slow going. What makes this initiative potentially different is an extended continuing resolution coupled with a flurry of presidential executive orders — and the existence of the Department of Government Efficiency that could help a deeper cultural shift take root. "There's just so much change happening inside the Army, inside the [Defense] Department that wouldn't have been possible a couple years ago," said Katherine Boyle, a general partner at investment firm Andreessen Horowitz, who cofounded the firm's American Dynamism practice and has invested in startups like Anduril. "To see that culture of change, and that culture of DOGE-ing oneself, of cuts, of making sure that you're spending money in the right way, of innovation really hitting different agencies, I think, it's in some ways very hopeful for people who are building new technologies who want to work with the government," Boyle said in a recent interview with CNBC. In the Box, the TIC brigade soldiers were supplied with 40 new technologies from 10 different companies — many of them not traditional defense contractors. Engineers and executives from the companies were embedded alongside the soldiers to troubleshoot issues and ensure changes could be communicated back to production lines in real time. Take Skydio, the largest commercial drone maker outside of China, which sells products to the Army. Its drone wasn't flying the full range advertised during testing in the Box. "We were able to discover that it wasn't some crazy electromagnetic issue. It was actually an issue in the settings where the drone was set on low power," said Mark Valentine, president of Skydio's global government business. "So instead of going through weeks of trying to understand how that happened, within 24 hours, we were able to identify the default setting was low power, set it on high power, and that solved the problem." Then there's the example of autonomous vehicles. The Army has a fleet of 100,000 Humvees acquired and sustained over decades. The service needs new capabilities, and General Motors is manufacturing new infantry squad vehicles (ISV) based off a modified Chevy Colorado. Driscoll asked why commercial self-driving tech couldn't be adapted for military vehicles, and in 10 days startup Applied Intuition had retrofitted a GM ISV to be autonomous and to the Box it went, according to Applied Intuition cofounder and CEO Qasar Younis. "I think we can move faster than we are," George said. "Our troops can handle the move. They can go fast and so what we've got to do is break down all the bureaucracy … to make sure that we're moving at the speed that we need to for them." "Nobody's still using the VCR. We don't need to continue to buy a VCR just because somebody sells it," he said. "We need to have the latest technology that's on the battlefield."
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US Army's nerd force; Palantir, Meta, OpenAI tech bosses join Executive Innovation Corps, one sold knives in college
Army forms Detachment 201 to bridge civil-military tech divide The US Army officially launched Detachment 201: Executive Innovation Corps on June 13, 2025, as part of its broader Army Transformation Initiative. The new reserve unit aims to integrate top technology executives into the Army Reserve to support innovation and modernization across military operations. Participants are commissioned as part-time lieutenant colonels and will serve as strategic advisors, offering insight into emerging technologies and supporting the development of tech-driven defense capabilities. Also read: US Space Force: US admits China the preeminent space power with powerful weapons by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In National Capital Region - Watch What Happens Happy in Shape Four prominent figures from the tech industry were sworn in as the inaugural members of the Executive Innovation Corps. The founding cohort includes Shyam Sankar, Chief Technology Officer at Palantir; Andrew Bosworth, Chief Technology Officer of Meta; Kevin Weil, Chief Product Officer at OpenAI; and Bob McGrew , former Chief Research Officer at OpenAI and current advisor at Thinking Machines Lab. Here's more about who they are and why they are chosen to be the new nerds for US Army's invasion into military tech: Live Events Shyam Sankar: from Systems Engineer to Palantir's Chief Technologist Shyam Sankar is Chief Technology Officer of Palantir Technologies and one of the most vocal advocates for revitalizing the US defense industrial base. His professional journey reflects a deep commitment to applied technology, national resilience, and transformation of how government institutions work with private-sector software. Sankar holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. His career began in the early 2000s with ZeroChaos as a developer and later transitioned into business roles at Xoom Corporation, including VP of Network Management for Asia Pacific. These formative roles gave him early exposure to financial technology, distributed systems, and emerging markets. In 2006, Sankar joined Palantir Technologies, then a relatively young company, as Chief Operating Officer. For nearly 17 years, he played a leading role in building Palantir into one of the most prominent defense-tech software firms in the world. His work spanned operations, product strategy, and client engagement, particularly with national security and military institutions. In 2023, he was named Chief Technology Officer. Also read: China develops military tech to advance its aggressive cause Sankar is also Chairman of Ginkgo Bioworks, a synthetic biology firm, and a trustee at the Hudson Institute, reflecting his broader interests in biotechnology and strategic policy. He is a frequent public voice on the urgent need to modernize the defense industrial base in the face of rising geopolitical threats and technological stagnation. His commissioning into the Army Reserve's Executive Innovation Corps as a lieutenant colonel represents a formal extension of his work to bridge civilian and military technology. Sankar's perspective is shaped by his belief that the US must reawaken its Cold War-era spirit of industrial mobilization. His work champions speed, utility, and interoperability in defense software, values he sees as essential for modern warfighting and deterrence. Andrew Bosworth: from sales rep to Meta's Chief Technologist Andrew Bosworth, widely known in the tech industry as 'Boz,' is Chief Technology Officer at Meta and one of the company's most senior engineering leaders. His journey from selling knives door-to-door to leading Meta 's long-term technology vision highlights a career defined by relentless execution, product innovation, and scale. Bosworth's career began not in Silicon Valley, but with a headset and a kitchen demo kit. As a field sales manager at Vector Marketing, he sold Cutco knives door-to-door during college. His ability to train, motivate, and manage sales teams, while personally driving over $40,000 in individual sales in just 12 weeks, laid an early foundation in high-performance communication and leadership. He went on to manage over 100 representatives and helped drive $1 million in summer sales, giving him a rare edge in people operations and team dynamics. He graduated from Harvard University in 2004 with an A.B. in Computer Science, concentrating on the study of mind, brain, and behavior. Post-graduation, Bosworth joined Microsoft as a software design engineer on the Visio team, contributing to layout and routing systems for a $350 million-a-year product. The role gave him deep exposure to large-scale codebases and mission-critical software design. Also read: Trump awards Boeing $20 billion contract for Air Force's next-gen F-47 fighter jet to counter China's military advances In 2006, he joined Facebook as one of its earliest engineers. He was instrumental in building core products such as News Feed, Groups, and Messaging, some of the most widely used social features in the world. Over the next 16 years, he expanded into leadership roles spanning infrastructure, machine learning, and ultimately hardware. In 2017, Bosworth was tapped to lead Meta's Reality Labs division, overseeing Oculus virtual reality development and the company's push into augmented reality. His work helped shape Meta's strategy toward immersive computing and the broader vision of the metaverse. Appointed Chief Technology Officer in January 2022, Bosworth today oversees Meta's investment in foundational technologies like AI, AR/VR, and wearable computing. He is a key driver of Meta's efforts to evolve from a social media company to a platform for spatial and intelligent computing. His recent commissioning into the US Army Reserve's Executive Innovation Corps as a lieutenant colonel reflects a growing recognition that defense transformation requires private-sector technologists with deep operating experience. Bosworth's unique combination of frontline sales, engineering discipline, and executive leadership makes him one of the rare technologists equally comfortable pitching products and building platforms that touch billions. Kevin Weil: from Twitter visionary to OpenAI's Product Strategist Kevin Weil serves as Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, bringing over a decade of experience building consumer-scale products at the intersection of data, design, and emerging technology. At OpenAI, he leads the development and delivery of AI tools like ChatGPT and the OpenAI API, helping shape how billions will interact with artificial intelligence. Also read: Drone disaster? Famed U.S. Army faces backlash as ... Weil graduated from Harvard with a degree in physics and began his career as a software engineer. He rose to prominence during his tenure at Twitter, where he served as SVP of Product, helping shape its core timeline and ads platform during a period of exponential user growth. His product leadership was marked by an emphasis on simplicity, velocity, and impact. He later held executive roles at Instagram, where he helped build Stories and explore new formats, and at Facebook's blockchain initiative, Novi. At each stop, Weil's focus has been on making cutting-edge tech accessible, intuitive, and scalable for everyday users. At OpenAI, he is responsible for translating advanced research into widely-used products. Under his guidance, the company has rapidly expanded access to AI systems through partnerships, developer platforms, and consumer apps. His product instincts play a key role in how OpenAI balances innovation with responsible deployment. Weil was recently commissioned into the US Army Reserve as part of the Executive Innovation Corps. His inclusion signals the military's intent to work with product thinkers capable of rapid iteration, interface design, and aligning advanced technology with real-world usability. Bob McGrew: from OpenAI research to strategic AI advising Bob McGrew is an AI veteran whose work spans some of the most important frontiers of machine learning and safety. As the former Chief Research Officer at OpenAI, he led research programs focused on alignment, large language models, and responsible AI deployment efforts that helped lay the groundwork for tools like GPT-4 and reinforcement learning techniques. McGrew holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University, where his research focused on algorithmic game theory and computational economics. Before OpenAI, he worked at Facebook and other Silicon Valley labs where he applied ML at scale. At OpenAI, McGrew was instrumental in setting long-term research agendas and leading collaborations with academia, government, and other research institutions. He became known for his pragmatic approach to research translation: pushing theoretical work toward real-world impact. Now an advisor at Thinking Machines Lab, a Manila-based AI consultancy, McGrew focuses on building AI solutions for development, sustainability, and national resilience. His global perspective on AI's impact makes him a valuable bridge between frontier research and practical deployment. Recently, McGrew joined the US Army Reserve's Executive Innovation Corps as a lieutenant colonel. His background in both technical research and ethical AI frameworks positions him to advise on military AI applications that are safe, explainable, and aligned with democratic values.
