Artificial intelligence will be an integral tool for reducing the cognitive load placed on U.S. Army soldiers and will be the driving force behind a leaner and more lethal fighting force, the leader of the Army Space and Missile Defense Command said this week.
ASMDC chief, Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence during his speech at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, on Tuesday, remarking that “the arc of warfighting is bending towards autonomous, remotely operated and artificial intelligence-enabled systems.”
Gen. Gainey pointed to the work SMDC is leading to implement the Army Air and Missile Defense Strategy 2040, which focuses on further integrating emerging technologies to enhance the Army’s ability to detect, track, and destroy threats.
“The Army AMD Strategy 2040 describes the fundamental changes in how we will fight in mid-century combat with tailorable formations that can be disaggregated across terrain for defense and to create pockets of air and missile superiority where needed most,” he said.
The Army is currently finalizing the 2040 Strategy, with the final updated report expected to be released sometime in September. The strategy will focus on emerging threats from rogue states like Iran, while looking for defensive solutions to near-peer states such as Russia and China. In particular, the strategy emphasizes next-generation threats such as hypersonic missiles and drone swarms.
According to Gen. Gainey, the SMDC is taking notes on lessons learned from battles around the world. Specifically, Gen. Gainey said his organization is investigating the various options that AI integration opens up for U.S. soldiers.
“Human and machine integrated formations, offensive and defensive integrated launchers, battle management with artificial intelligence functions to reduce cognitive load, cheaper and faster procurement, and continuous transformation across both time horizons and the breadth of our systems guide us as we continue to build combat ready formations that are leaner, faster, more lethal, and driven by the Army’s warrior ethos,” the general said.
The Army’s new AI-focused strategy could mirror the autonomous strategies already in place in other branches. For example, the Navy’s Phalanx Close-In Weapon System takes humans out of the equation almost entirely, relying on advanced radar to detect and fire upon approaching threats.
Gen. Gainey’s comments come as Russia and Iran continue to rely on drone warfare in their respective regions. Tehran and Moscow have worked together over the past four years to improve domestic drone production, with Iran’s Shahed drone taking center stage.
Russia dramatically increased its use of Shahed-type drones in Ukraine, launching more than 6,000 in July. This marks a substantial rise from the 423 drones launched during the same period last year, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Gen. Gainey acknowledged the progress rival nations have made in long-range lethal weaponry, but added that SMDC is working across the defense sphere to bring the world’s most advanced defense architecture to the U.S.
“At SMDC, we are leaning our shoulders deeper into the task of homeland defense. I look forward to working with U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Space Command, Missile Defense Agency and other stakeholders as we continue to build and develop the next-generation defensive architecture that will keep our nation safe for years to come,” he said.
Notably, Gen. Gainey did not mention President Trump’s “Golden Dome for America” project, which hopes to create an all-encompassing air and missile defense shield around the U.S. The president announced in May that the project will encompass a variety of ongoing air and missile defense programs and is expected to be completed at the end of his term.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.