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The U.S. Army awarded defense‑tech firm Anduril Industries a contract that could reach $1.8 billion over five years to move its Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) platform from prototype to field deployment. An initial $162.8 million tranche will fund the expansion of NGC2’s common data layer across I Corps, the command that oversees forces in the Indo‑Pacific. The AI‑powered Lattice operating system will let sensors, weapons, and software from disparate units plug into a single network, promising faster data processing and quicker kinetic decisions on the battlefield. <br /> <br /> Anduril’s work builds on earlier pilots with the 4th Infantry Division and large‑scale tests at Fort Irwin’s Project Convergence‑Capstone 6, where 10,000 troops and allies trialed 90 technologies. Subsequent exercises at Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon demonstrated the system’s resilience against simulated cyber and electromagnetic attacks, using more than 2,500 devices and 40 applications. <br /> <br /> The contract also lists other partners—Palantir, Raft and Striveworks—who helped lay the baseline architecture. By standardising the data foundation, the Army hopes to replace its legacy command‑and‑control suite, speeding up fire‑control, logistics and air‑space coordination. Former Army secretary Dan Driscoll warned that “the biggest risk to our national security is not moving fast enough,” underscoring the urgency of fielding the new system. If successful, NGC2 could give U.S. forces a decisive edge in contested environments, especially across the vast distances of the Pacific theater.

At the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting, Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve announced that the Futures and Concepts Command will now operate as the U.S. Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM). The rename signals a shift from concept‑making to fielding autonomous weapons, logistics and protection tools across the force. LaNeve told industry partners the Army is “sprinting toward” modernization, but warned that budgets are finite and the push must be responsible.<br /> <br /> FASCOM will focus on corps‑level autonomous capabilities, from long‑range fires to obstacle‑breaching robots, and will embed the Army’s first 390A Robotic Technicians. The command’s roadmap follows the newly released “How the Army Fights” guidance, which groups land power into convergence, strike, close battle and endurance. LaNeve stressed that the effort goes beyond drones, aiming to weave autonomy into every warfighting function.<br /> <br /> The move comes after criticism over the shutdown of a European experimental drone battalion earlier this year. Lawmakers had warned that closing the 600‑person Unmanned Assault Battalion could blunt U.S. learning from Ukraine’s drone warfare. Army officials argue the new approach spreads drone and autonomous tech across all units rather than concentrating it in a single brigade, with plans to field one‑way attack drones at the squad level soon.<br /> <br /> Overall, the announcement underscores a renewed commitment to high‑tech modernization while acknowledging fiscal limits, positioning the Army to keep pace with peer competitors in autonomous warfare.

At the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, BAE Systems introduced a two‑pronged air‑defense concept aimed at the surge of cheap drones and missile threats. The Multi‑Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) adds a kinetic layer using hyper‑velocity projectiles (HVPs) that can be fired from standard 155 mm howitzers. BAE says the rounds are smaller, cheaper and can be stocked in magazines of dozens to hundreds, letting units engage swarms or low‑cost missiles without burning high‑value interceptors. A new Scorpio‑XR HVP promises roughly double the range of current artillery‑launched precision munitions, while the system integrates with the Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) and can operate without GPS.<br /> <br /> Complementing MDACS, the High‑Power Microwave (HPM) weapon is a trailer‑mounted directed‑energy platform that blasts drone swarms with billions of electromagnetic pulses. BAE claims 99 % of its parts are commercial off‑the‑shelf, keeping costs down and allowing rapid fielding. Both systems are prototype‑level, with MDACS slated for a $646 million Army development contract through FY 2027 and a Technology Readiness Level of 6.<br /> <br /> BAE’s communication manager, Travis Langer, stressed that the duo fills a “capability gap” left by traditional procurement cycles, offering a scalable shield for forward bases and critical infrastructure. While final testing and government approval remain pending, the announcement signals a shift toward affordable, high‑volume defenses that could preserve expensive missile stocks and blunt future drone‑swarm attacks.

At Fort Bragg, soldiers ran a live test called Project Sandhills 2.0, flying Bumblebee V2 drones and trialing autonomous trucks, breaching robots and counter‑UAS turrets to help a brigade punch through obstacles while staying out of harm’s way. The exercise showed that a mixed crew‑uncrewed formation can keep workload manageable, but it also highlighted gaps in trust, communications and decision‑making when signals are jammed.<br /> <br /> Retired officers Dave Rowland and Brian Hester argue the real shift comes only when enough autonomous platforms operate together, reshaping how a brigade fights. Their vision: drones scout ahead, robots clear mines, autonomous trucks ferry supplies, and a human commander issues mission intent while machines handle the details. The Army is moving from experiments to procurement, earmarking funds in its FY‑2026 budget for an “Autonomy Formation” and signing a memo on Oct. 1 to stand up the Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM). FASCOM will pull autonomous tech into aviation, armor, fires, sustainment and training, with a goal to field integrated solutions by FY‑2028.<br /> <br /> Four firms have already been tapped for an Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability program, with prototypes expected to breach complex obstacles under fire by early 2027. Parallel Army Research Lab studies confirm that soldiers can coordinate air‑ground robot teams without overwhelming cognitive load, but they also warn that true brigade‑level autonomy—where a commander does not have to micromanage each vehicle—remains unproven.<br /> <br /> Ukraine’s battlefield use of unmanned ground vehicles offers a glimpse of what’s possible, yet most of those systems still rely on remote operators. The U.S. push signals a rapid acceleration toward more autonomous combat, but the path is still littered with technical, doctrinal and ethical hurdles.

The Army is gearing up to reshape its emergency stockpiles after a wide‑ranging review called TAP2E (Total Army Power Projection Equipment). Senior materiel commander Maj. Gen. Gavin Lawrence told Military Times the service will decide on the changes within the next calendar year, with the effort running through 2032 and a $702 million budget line for FY 2027. TAP2E will re‑evaluate where the Army keeps its forward‑deployed weapons, vehicles and supplies, aiming to place them in “the right places” to cut deployment times and back up U.S. allies. Currently, seven publicly known stockpiles sit in North America (two), Asia (two), Europe (two) and one afloat. The new plan adds an eighth site in the southwest Indo‑Pacific and boosts maintenance funding for European sites. It also shifts some gear from large “iron‑mountain” depots to smaller, dispersed caches that are harder for an adversary to hit, and leans more on Joint Theater Distribution Centers for expendable items like medical kits. The Army says the changes are being coordinated with combatant commands and the Pentagon’s overall posture decisions. If approved, the revamped network will give the Joint Force a faster, more credible response capability and reinforce the United States’ integrated deterrence stance across key theaters.

Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg will spend more than 200 million zloty (about $51 million) to build a new factory in northern Poland that will produce its San anti‑drone system. The move ties into a roughly PLN 15 billion ($3.8 billion) contract with state‑run Polish defence group PGZ to equip the Polish army with 18 anti‑drone batteries, 52 firing platoons, 18 command units and 703 vehicles. Funding for the deal comes largely from EU loans under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme.<br /> <br /> Kongsberg’s CEO Eirik Lie told the Warsaw Security Forum that the company has been in Poland for years and sees a local plant as essential for meeting current orders and future export demand. The factory, slated for a construction contract by the end of 2026, could start serial production in the first half of 2028 and is expected to create over 100 jobs once fully operational.<br /> <br /> The investment reflects growing concerns across Central Europe about hostile drone incursions and signals a deeper industrial partnership between Norway and Poland. While it strengthens Poland’s air‑defence capabilities and adds high‑tech jobs, it also underscores the region’s push to expand military readiness amid a volatile security environment. Kongsberg hinted the site could later host other defence products, potentially turning the plant into a broader hub for NATO‑aligned suppliers.<br /> <br /> Overall, the project blends economic stimulus with a clear security benefit, marking a notable step in Europe’s effort to counter the rising drone threat while bolstering local manufacturing.

The Army’s Enduring‑High Energy Laser (E‑HEL) program is on track to deliver its first operational directed‑energy counter‑UAS unit by early 2028. AeroVironment won a $464.8 million contract for the LOCUST X3, a palletized, modular laser that will ride on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and could be ready for testing by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027. Army officials say the goal is to push the system through validation and hand it to soldiers as soon as possible, with a “spring‑2028” fielding window being the target.<br /> <br /> The laser can be swapped onto several platforms – JLTVs, Infantry Squad Vehicles or future ISVs – and is designed for field‑level maintenance, allowing troops to keep it running and upgrade it over time without replacing the whole unit. In October’s Army Modernization Day the prototype logged eight successful drone kills, demonstrating that the technology can engage both single UAVs and swarms.<br /> <br /> Brig. Gen. Guy Yelverton and Col. Charles Kean stressed that the weapon is a piece of a broader air‑defense puzzle, not a “single‑bullet” fix, but its low‑cost, high‑speed engagement could blunt the growing threat of cheap, proliferating drones used by near‑peer rivals and irregular forces. The first batch will include more than 26 laser units, with the 7th Infantry Division mentioned as a possible early user.<br /> <br /> If the timeline holds, the Army will add a scalable, renewable counter‑drone capability to its arsenal, reducing reliance on kinetic interceptors and potentially lowering the cost per engagement. The move reflects a broader push to modernize U.S. forces against autonomous aerial threats while keeping acquisition cycles tight.

Anduril Industries announced a new family of surface‑to‑air interceptor missiles called Steelfin, designed to be cheap, mass‑produced and easily reconfigured for a range of threats. The two‑stage system uses a common airframe, avionics and software across all variants, letting the company swap boosters or tweak performance without redesigning the whole missile. By sharing parts and production lines, Anduril says it can crank out several thousand units a year and surge output on short notice.<br /> <br /> Steelfin is built to slot into existing land and sea launchers – from the M903A2 to the Mk 41 VLS and Typho – and to talk to fire‑control networks like AEGIS and IBCS. The company claims the modular approach cuts costs dramatically compared with legacy interceptors, while still covering point defense, integrated air‑and‑missile defense and even ballistic missile threats.<br /> <br /> The rollout comes as the U.S. Army looks to rebuild air‑defense stocks depleted after the recent Iran conflict, a process analysts estimate will take at least three years to reach pre‑war levels. Anduril’s move follows a new Army contract worth a base $162.8 million – potentially up to $1.8 billion over five years – to supply a “common data layer” for next‑generation command and control across the Indo‑Pacific.<br /> <br /> Ballistic testing of Steelfin prototypes is complete, and flight trials are slated for next year. If the promised production rates materialize, the system could quickly boost allied air‑defense capabilities while keeping unit prices low, a development that may shift the balance in contested regions without sparking a new arms race.

Lockheed Martin is scouting European partners to crank out PAC‑3 Patriot interceptors that could shore up Ukraine’s air‑defence gaps. Vice‑president Jason Reynolds told Defense News the firm is ready to discuss a production line for the cheaper ACE variant – a half‑price, single‑pulse missile aimed at simpler threats – if Ukraine’s industrial capacity and parts supply can keep pace. The company is weighing a “survivable” factory model, fearing Russian strikes on any plant sited in a war zone, and therefore prefers to start production in safe EU states and ship missiles across the border as needed. Germany has emerged as a leading candidate; a potential tie‑up with Diehl Defence would build on a 2025 parts‑co‑operation agreement, and a new Diehl facility in Lübben, Brandenburg, is already being readied for explosives work. Raytheon‑MBDA already churns PAC‑2 missiles in Germany, giving the country a foothold in the Patriot supply chain. The U.S. government still holds the final say on licensing foreign production of the sensitive system, and a decision on whether to allow PAC‑2 or PAC‑3 output outside the United States is pending. If approved, the move would give Ukraine a faster pipeline for modern interceptors while deepening NATO‑EU defence collaboration, but it also risks escalating Russian retaliation against European sites linked to the program.

At the Association of the United States Army’s annual show, General Dynamics Land Systems unveiled a suite of next‑generation combat gear aimed at keeping U.S. forces ahead of peer rivals. The centerpiece is the Wolf XM30, a full‑size prototype meant to replace the aging M2 Bradley. The company says the Wolf can carry more weight, offers better protection and packs a punch that the Bradley can no longer support. A first Wolf prototype hit the Army’s test range in August, and a rival Lynx XM30 from Rheinmetall is already in the running, setting up a head‑to‑head competition for the Army’s XM30 program.<br /> <br /> Alongside the Wolf, General Dynamics displayed PERCH 2.0, a system that lets M1A2 Abrams tanks and Stryker vehicles launch Switchblade 300 loitering munitions while crews stay under armor. One prototype is already at Fort Hood with the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry, and three more are on the way for further trials. The upgrade follows an earlier PERCH 1.0 version that was fast‑tracked after senior Army leaders studied the Ukrainian war’s drone threat.<br /> <br /> The firm also showed the M‑SHORAD Increment 4, a modular air‑defense kit that can be bolted onto different vehicles. It bundles a 7.62 mm machine gun, a surveillance drone, a loitering munition and a counter‑drone jammer, all designed to cut the mental load on soldiers facing swarms of hostile UAVs.<br /> <br /> Finally, the F600 Leonidas pairs a high‑powered microwave drone‑killer with a Ford F‑600 chassis, offering a rugged, road‑ready option for future air‑defense plans. The Army will test a prototype to decide where it fits in its evolving short‑range air‑defense strategy.<br /> <br /> Together, these demos signal a push toward heavier, more survivable platforms and integrated counter‑UAS solutions as the U.S. prepares for a battlefield increasingly dominated by drones and autonomous weapons.