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From Code to Combat: Celebrating the Legacy of the Army Software Engineering Center and the Dawn of the Army Software & Innovation Center

Sunday, July 12th, 2026

For more than four decades, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Software Engineering Center has been a cornerstone of the Army’s technological advantage. Now marking a new era of service, the center has embarked on an exciting new chapter, adopting a new name that reflects its ongoing mission and future direction?the Army Software & Innovation Center. Building on its support?center origins, CECOM ASIC now plays a central role in giving American Soldiers a decisive edge on the digital battlefield.

The Early Days: A Foundation in a Hardware World

Throughout its history, the Army’s software offices demonstrated the ability to adapt and evolve in a constantly changing environment. The SEC’s story began in 1983 with the establishment of the Software Development and Support Center at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, created to centralize software management for the Army’s Battlefield Automated Systems. In these early years, the world ran on hardware. Software, while important, was not yet the pivotal force it is today.

The center’s creation was driven by the need to support massive, hardware-based programs that required extensive, coordinated software engineering. Early large-scale initiatives highlighted growing software demands, particularly the Tactical Fire system for automating truck-based artillery fire and the Joint Tactical Communications program for digitizing tri-service communications. These were followed by programs like?Mobile Subscriber Equipment, a multi-billion-dollar initiative that underscored the critical need for a dedicated organization to manage the complex software lifecycle.

“In the 1990s, software did not drive systems the way it does today,” Jennifer Swanson, who began her career as an SEC intern in 1992 and later served as its Director from 2017 to 2022, said. “It was a hardware-focused environment where development cycles stretched for years. Now, the only way to evolve on the battlefield is through software that can be updated daily, if needed. That is a very different need.”

Despite this, the center, under various names, quickly proved its value. It played a key role in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, earning the prestigious Association of Old Crows award for its electronic warfare support. In 1991, it became the first Army Materiel Command group to earn a Capability Maturity Model Level 3 certification, a significant achievement that underscored its advanced software capabilities at the time.

A Shifting Battlefield: Dominance Through Digital Agility

A major shift in 1996 consolidated Army software operations under CECOM SEC, boosting efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The SEC became a microcosm of CECOM from a software perspective, handling everything from research and development to project management and logistics. “They were responsible for full life-cycle efforts … they did it all, for every system, from a software perspective,” Ed Thomas, former Director from 2000-2007, said. “The SEC was such a unique organization … a rare combination of engineering, development, and operational capabilities, with the ability to go forward. Not many organizations have that lifecycle capability.” Thomas said. This comprehensive role was vital as the SEC led Y2K readiness efforts to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical Army systems.

In 2008, the SEC relocated its headquarters to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The move shifted its mission from Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, due to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The SEC provided life-cycle software products and services for a broad range of Army and Joint systems, including avionics, communications, logistics, and intelligence. The center’s work ensures warfighters have the advanced tools needed to succeed in any environment.

“The organization is not stagnant; it actively moves to where the Army is going,” Stephen Kovacs, former SEC Acting Director from 2007 to 2008, said. This ethos guided the SEC through decades of rapid modernization.

Key accomplishments during this era include:

Revolutionized Aircraft and Ground Protection: During the Gulf War, the SEC’s Army Reprogramming Analysis Team completely revamped the process for updating aircraft software that protects against surface-to-air threats. This overhaul reduced the reprogramming turnaround time from several weeks to 24-48 hours, providing a lifesaving, rapid-response capability. This process was later applied to ground-based systems, such as the Counter Remote-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare?Duke system.

Delivered Critical Infrared Countermeasures: When Army helicopters were attacked by shoulder-fired missiles in Iraq, the SEC delivered critical software updates to enable infrared countermeasures. These software systems enabled aircraft to automatically deploy evasive countermeasures, directly protecting aircrews in combat.

Received Commendation for Y2K Efforts: The SEC’s work on over 165 battlespace systems was so successful that it earned a Letter of Commendation from the Army Chief Information Officer/G6, Lt. Gen. William Campbell.

Pioneered Acquisition Efficiency: In the early 2000s, the center developed a new acquisition strategy by consolidating over 50 individual software support contracts into two large omnibus contracts called Software Support and Engineering Support. This innovative approach eliminated duplication, reduced contract management overhead, and improved overall support for soldiers.

Logistics Modernization Program:?The center was integral to the initial deployment of LMP, a massive undertaking to modernize the Army’s supply chain. Based on its foundational success and deep expertise, the SEC was then tasked with establishing the Army Shared Services Center, a new organization designed to provide permanent, dedicated software support for the LMP system and its users.

Intelligence & Electronic Warfare Support: During Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the SEC executed a mission-critical software overhaul of the Guardrail intelligence software. The system was originally designed for a conventional battlefield and to look across a defined front line from friendly territory. To meet the demands of asymmetric warfare, the center’s engineers re-architected the software, enabling the platform to conduct 360-degree surveillance. This fundamental transformation allowed Guardrail to continue its vital intelligence-gathering mission in a new operational environment without traditional battle lines.

Received the Army Superior Unit Award: The SEC earned the prestigious Army Superior Unit Award for its performance of providing software sustainment and technical support to the Army during the 2007 calendar year.

Centralized and Enhanced Field Support: The SEC fused all its forward-deployed personnel—including field support engineers, help desks, and call centers—into a single organization with a direct reporting line to its headquarters. This restructuring significantly improved operational performance and efficiency, leading to the transfer of the Digital System Engineer mission from Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical’s Technical Support Facility to the SEC.

The Modern Era: Forging the Army’s Tech Company

By the 2010s, the strategic importance of software in military operations had become paramount. The ability to update systems on the fly was essential for battlefield evolution, and cybersecurity had never been more critical. The organization’s focus shifted to modernization to meet these new demands.

Field Support & Continuous Delivery:?The SEC placed Software Readiness Officers with every active Army division and corps. These officers provided on-the-ground technical support. They ensured that software delivered through the modern repository is effective and user-friendly in real-world conditions.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: The center developed and deployed AI Flow, a secure, Army-owned generative AI platform. It automates and accelerates tasks for users across the Army. Work that once took days or weeks can now be accomplished in minutes.

Joint Service Collaboration: The center’s Army Reprogramming Analysis Team started a working group with the Navy and Air Force. This group shares threat analysis software, reduces redundant work, and enables faster responses to new and evolving enemy capabilities.

Cybersecurity and Zero Trust Architecture:?The SEC took a leading role in policy development for the Army’s Zero Trust cybersecurity framework, a crucial initiative to protect the service’s data and networks from advanced cyber threats by adhering to a “never trust, always verify” principle.

Army Food Management Information System: The SEC modernized the Army’s web-based food service platform, which oversees operations for more than 800 dining facilities globally. The center developed custom Application Programming Interfaces to connect the legacy system to modern platforms, successfully enabling advanced data analytics, automated supply ordering, and convenient CAC meal purchases.

This evolution was put to the ultimate test by global events. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, the organization’s agility and readiness were paramount. The SEC deployed a team to Germany to operationalize all Joint Battle Command Platform systems, ensuring full mission support capability.

The Heart of the Mission: People, Culture, and Leadership

Throughout its history, the SEC’s greatest asset has been its people. The organization has long been recognized for a culture that fosters growth and builds leaders from within.

“It is a family-type organization where everyone tries to look out for each other,” Kovacs said, adding that a guiding principle was always, “You can do no wrong by doing the right thing.”

This environment was crucial for talent development. The Software Engineering Intern Program has been a cornerstone for decades, bringing in new engineers and providing them with hands-on experience and advanced education.

“I am grateful I had the opportunity to grow as a leader at a place like SEC,” Swanson said. “It allowed me to learn. We all make mistakes, but I never felt a mistake was something I was going to get punished for. That helps you become a more confident leader.”

This practice of “leaders building leaders” created a foundation of trust and empowerment that remains central to the organization’s success, a success recognized with the prestigious Army Superior Unit Award.

The Future is Now

Today, as CECOM ASIC, the organization is the Army’s premier tech hub. Software has never been more important to the Army and CECOM ASIC is its tech company. There are many skilled professionals at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge solutions in AI, cybersecurity, and data analytics.

“We are incredibly proud of our history, because those decades of experience serve as the launchpad for what comes next,”?Garrett Shoemaker, Director of CECOM ASIC, said.?”Software is the foundation of the modern battlefield, and CECOM ASIC is drawing on that legacy to lead this future transformation for the Army as a whole. We are paving the way forward, ensuring our Soldiers have the agile, innovative digital capabilities they need to dominate tomorrow’s fight.”

From its origins as a small support directorate to its current role as a center of innovation, CECOM ASIC’s 40-year journey is a story of evolution. Its unwavering dedication to the mission and its ability to adapt and lead in a constantly changing technological landscape will continue to shape the future of warfare.

By SCOTT HOCHENBERG

Posted in Army, Forces Focus, Guest Post | Comments Off on From Code to Combat: Celebrating the Legacy of the Army Software Engineering Center and the Dawn of the Army Software & Innovation Center

Exercises Put Army’s Newest Multi-Domain Formation to the Test

Sunday, July 12th, 2026

FORT BLISS, Texas — When it comes to defending the vast Pacific Ocean, the Army is usually going to take a back seat to the Navy, at least until the fight hits land. But in an effort to increase its advantage in the Joint fight in the Pacific, the Army has created the 7th Infantry Division Multi-Domain Command-Pacific.

Two exercises in June, Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield, in the U.S. Pacific Command area of operations has allowed the U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Command and two assessment teams from the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command to look at the 7ID MDC-PAC and joint integration and capability improvements as they relate to the defense of Guam and other island chains in the Pacific.

The Army established 7ID MDC-PAC as a two-star operational headquarters out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and reached full operational capacity in mid-June. It merges the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force to synchronize space, cyber, electronic warfare and precision fires efforts across the Indo-Pacific. The new formation brings capabilities, sensors and effects that will help the joint fight in the Pacific, according to Maj. Caleb Bloom, assessment planner in JMC’s Operations Group A.

“In the Pacific, the Army is never going to be the main effort until we hit mainland on potential conflict,” Bloom said. “However, there are things the Army can do to support the joint fight, and the MDC-PAC brings a lot of sensors and effects that will allow success at an operational strategic level. The formation is really aimed at how the Army can support the Joint fight by providing kinetic and non-kinetic effects and sensors.”

The criticality of 7ID MDC-PAC’s mission and its contributions to the joint force is what drove JMC to send a robust team to JBLM to assess developing concepts and capabilities as part of Pacific Fury, said Col. Joseph Mukes, chief of JMC’s Operations Group A.

“Our partnership with 7ID MDC-PAC here in Pacific Fury and in future exercises will afford the Army a great opportunity to learn from an elite formation as they progress,” Mukes said. “We expect to glean new and innovative ways the Army will contribute to the Joint Force as they provide protection and stability to the Pacific. We also look forward to our partnership with MDC-Europe, where we also expect to learn great deal under a very different operational and strategic problem set.”

One of the benefits JMC experimentation experts bring to exercises like Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield is the ability to give units and commands an external view of their capabilities and progress, shared Maj. Kyle Shea, lead planner for JMC’s participation in Valiant Shield. JMC assessors bring the knowledge of how other units are operating and taking advantage of new capabilities, so they can provide some real comparisons beyond, “Yeah, that works well.”

“The main thing we bring that the participating units don’t have is the assessors, the subject matter experts, who can give them an external look,” Shea said. “It’s easy for units to say, ‘We participated, check the block; We did the thing.’ To get an outside perspective to look at you and say, ‘You know what, here are your strengths; But, also, here’s where we see some opportunity for improvements.’ Yes, this capability works really well, but we see other capabilities and other exercises constantly, so how does it measure up against those others? We can give the outside perspective that the units may have a tougher time seeing. We’re just looking at it from a little different perspective.”

For Valiant Shield, JMC will have teams in Guam, Hawaii and JBLM. Lt. Col. Zachary Quintana, the assessments team lead for JMC’s Operations Group A, said the teams will be looking for progress in how the joint team defends the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility.

“We’ll be looking for improvement in the integration of the Joint kill web; the best sensor, best shooter methodology, in a defense of Guam scenario,” Quintana said. “We are looking at the Air Force, Navy, Army, how we all work together to address the same problem: closing any sensor-to-shooter gaps that USARPAC and USPACOM are trying to address in their [area of responsibility].”

Participating in exercises in the Pacific offers the chance to work naturally with our joint and coalition partners, Shea said.

“This has the advantage of being an USPACOM-driven exercise, so participation of our joint and coalition partners is inherently already there,” Shea said. “We’re not pulling people to the table to participate, they’re already there, so it makes for easier opportunities to see our Army capabilities integrated into the joint force and into that joint kill web.”

Shea noted that Project Convergence Capstone 5 started this chain of persistent experimentation that will continue through Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield and into Project Convergence-Capstone 6 in July in California.

“We gained a lot of insight into Joint integration in the defense of the Pacific during Capstone 5, and this will be a continuation of that progress,” Shea said. “What does it look like as they introduce new capabilities and continue to refine their processes? What’s awesome about it is it’s a Joint capability. They have the Aegis Combat System integrated from the Navy. The Air Force is involved because the defensive counter-air fight is part of that.

“Seeing that progress is both a material improvement, where they’re introducing new capabilities, but also a system improvement in how they integrate them, how the systems interact and overlap,” Shea said. “They all have semi-proprietary systems for how they target and what radar capabilities can be used with what effectors, so getting them to work more seamlessly together and be integrated in a continuous layered defense system is what they’re working toward. You can see that improvement happening in real time as we assess them year over year.”

As the teams return from Pacific Fury and Valiant Shield, FCC will turn its focus to PC-C6, using the insights gathered to feed into the broader framework of persistent experimentation. In that way, both experimentation and readiness work hand-in-hand to improve today’s Army as well as the future force.

By Jonathan Koester

Posted in Army, Forces Focus, Guest Post | Comments Off on Exercises Put Army’s Newest Multi-Domain Formation to the Test

Dressed to Survive: How an Army Decision Aid Is Improving Cold-Weather Readiness

Saturday, July 11th, 2026

NATICK SOLDIER SYSTEMS CENTER, Mass. – Where there is little rest, comfort, or compromise in the world’s most austere cold-weather environments, a soldier’s clothing is more than just a uniform – it is survival. For leaders, clothing decisions are tactical decisions, and the Medical Research and Development Command’s U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine’s Cold Weather Ensemble Decision Aid – CoWEDA – is giving them the information to make the right ones.

Developed by biophysical mathematical modeler Dr. Xiaojiang Xu, CoWEDA is a research-backed decision aid designed to take the guesswork out of a leader’s most critical pre-mission decisions. By accounting for environmental conditions, physical activity levels, and clothing ensembles, CoWEDA gives leaders the data they need to make informed and confident decisions about what their soldiers’ clothing needs are before stepping into the field. The Air Force recognized that need more than 10 years ago when approaching Xu and USARIEM looking for their expertise to a simple but critical question — what types of clothing do Airmen need when operating, maintaining, or jumping from aircrafts in extreme cold weather conditions?

“Ultimately, the question became, is this specific clothing suitable for minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit? We realized there was no reliable method to answer that question,” said Dr. Xiaojiang Xu, a USARIEM biophysical mathematical modeler. “The only available method was to provide a single insulation number, such as if you go to minus 50 degrees, you need a clothing value of five, but for the average user, that number means very little in terms of actual injury prevention. It was at that point we began designing a new method. With CoWEDA, the standard compares gear performance directly against the risk of hypothermia and frostbite, making it the most practical and usable decision aid to assess whether clothing will prevent cold weather injuries, and if not, when they will occur.”

At the heart of CoWEDA is Xu’s Six Cylinder Thermoregulatory Model, or SCTM, a sophisticated framework that breaks the human body into six distinct areas: the head, torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet. By combining the physics and physiology of heat transfer across each of those areas, the model can predict not just whether a soldier is at risk, but when that risk may become critical. Rather than offering a blanket assessment, CoWEDA delivers time-based outputs by telling a leader, for example, that frostbite may occur within two hours or hypothermia within twenty, based on the specific clothing being worn, the environmental conditions, and the physical demands of the mission.

Built for the leader, rather than the individual soldier, CoWEDA allows decision makers to tailor those assessments by inputting expected weather conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed, alongside the planned physical activity level and the clothing ensemble available to the unit. Critically, the aid accounts for the reality that soldiers are not static. A soldier standing still at minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit in a standard Army glove presents a very different risk profile than one moving artillery shells in the same conditions, because physical exertion generates body heat and that changes the equation entirely. CoWEDA captures that nuance.

“CoWEDA is designed for any warfighter going out into a cold weather environment,” said Dr. John Castellani, acting division chief of USARIEM’s Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division. “It is really about prevention. If a leader has an idea of the operation, mission, or training their soldiers are going into, the predicted air temperature, the intended activity, and what clothing is available — CoWEDA will tell them what the risks are.”

Xu’s research has positioned CoWEDA as a resource that extends well beyond the Army with other military branches and federal agencies increasingly turning to the decision aid to inform their own cold weather decision making. One example is the Probability of Survival Decision Aid which USARIEM first developed for the U.S. Coast Guard in 2010. Today, the PSDA has been expanded to incorporate Xu’s thermoregulatory model. It is now mandated for USCG use and runs automatically whenever a rescue swimmer enters the water during a search and rescue operation. When the Coast Guard responded to search for workers who fell into Baltimore Harbor during the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in 2024, the model was immediately activated, informing leaders how long it was safe to sustain active search operations. Other agencies are adopting the decision aid as well to include: the United Kingdom Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. The science behind CoWEDA is not theoretical, it is already saving lives.

Beyond developing CoWEDA, USARIEM is responsible for producing and maintaining the Army’s cold weather injury prevention and treatment guidance — the doctrine that shapes how leaders think, plan for, and respond to cold weather threats across the force. USARIEM’s research data with CoWEDA affirms what many experienced leaders intuitively know: that no two soldiers respond to cold in the same way.

“The Army values uniformity, but in extreme cold, a one-size-fits-all approach to cold weather dressing can put soldiers at risk. What works for one soldier, may not work for another,” said Castellani. “By allowing a leader to input factors specific to their soldiers and operating environment, CoWEDA does not replace a leader’s judgment, it gives them the ability and researched backed information to exercise it better.”

For the Army and USARIEM, the next steps are about access and integration. Currently as a desktop application, CoWEDA is in the process of being developed into a web-based platform that would make it easier for leaders to access the decision aid without specialized software. The longer-term vision is more ambitious: embedding CoWEDA into the larger operational planning systems already used by military planners, so that cold weather medical risk becomes a standard input in mission planning alongside logistics, terrain, and threat assessments.

“Oftentimes, the medical side is that last part of planning,” explained Castellani. “The hope is that CoWEDA will be embedded into the Army’s broader planning systems such as the Android Tactical Assault Kit, so that the medical side is present from the outset. Then a leader might say, ’we are going to do this mission in these conditions with this clothing, what is our cold weather injury risk’ they will get an evidence-based response and be able to decide if they are willing to accept that risk.”

Ongoing research continues to sharpen the decision aid’s precision. Current studies are examining the specific role of socks in frostbite prevention; a gap identified directly from field feedback. Mannequin and human subject testing are currently underway to generate the data needed to make footwear selection as accurate within CoWEDA.

For now, the decision aid is available, the science is sound, and the need has never been clearer. As more soldiers are called to operate in cold and austere environments, CoWEDA offers leaders something no experience alone can provide, data, certainty, and the confidence to make the right call before the cold does.

Story by Danae Johnson

Medical Research and Development Command

Posted in Arctic, Army, Clothing, Guest Post | Comments Off on Dressed to Survive: How an Army Decision Aid Is Improving Cold-Weather Readiness

Armaments Center’s Zero-Defect Culture Embraces Agile and Other Modern Software Development Approaches

Saturday, July 11th, 2026

?PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center has become the nexus for cutting-edge, safety critical software systems that deliver battlefield advantages for U.S. Soldiers.

While the Armaments Center is synonymous with developing weapons and ammunition hardware that formulate the U.S. Army’s lethal backbone, its software operates unseen in a critical juncture where Soldiers and complex systems perform battlefield coordination, advanced command & control and precision fire control that safely delivers modern firepower.

Be it operating a Handheld Mortar Ballistic Computer, generating fires through the modern Artillery Execution Suite (AXS), or entering precise fire missions using the Portable Excalibur Fire Control System, Soldiers routinely carry out complex military missions swiftly, accurately and safely, using Armaments Center-developed software.

Writing code that operates lethal systems cultivates a culture with a fundamentalist’s focus on safety and quality. This was affirmed in January when the Armaments Center earned its second Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper Award for Software Maintenance, and in spending nearly two decades as the only Army organization appraised with a Maturity Level 5 designation in the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration Development scale.

Recently, the Armaments Center Director, Chris Grassano, signed the “Armaments Center Modern Software Engineering Policy” which embraces the use of modern software development tools and techniques. This includes Agile software development and Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) architecture, as well as Continuous Integration / Continuous Development (CI/CD) and DevSecOps workflows and tools aligned with the state of the art in the field.

Agile software development has seen growing influence since 17 software practitioners published a manifesto in 2001 that highlights values such as constant collaboration, early and continuous delivery of software, working directly with customers, embracing changes in requirements and favoring software delivery over documentation. It is now widely considered the industry-standard model for the software development lifecycle.

Drawing on best practices and Agile principles employed during AXS development, the Mortars Software Development Team has led the charge on this, working to modernize legacy mortar fire control software for both mounted and dismounted units. The team developed the Common Fire Control Framework, a modular, flexible software architecture designed to adapt to evolving requirements, which enabled the creation of the Mortars App. These initiatives thrived at the Department of Defense’s Weapon Systems Software Summit.

Additionally, the Mortars Team pinpointed opportunities to modernize external processes which had historically slowed delivery to the warfighter. They created a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to integrate Army Interoperability Certification (AIC) testing into its software development lifestyle.

Previously, an external agency had conducted AIC testing, which increased scheduling demands and costs. By leveraging integrated test teams and incorporating interoperability testing into planned test events, the new SOP reduced risks, costs, and delivery timelines.

Agile-based success can also be found in the AXS Development Team. AXS is software that helps streamline artillery operations, providing a more friendly and adaptable platform compared to its predecessor, the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System.

The AXS Team fuses government leadership and industry expertise to deliver secure, high-quality software to the Capability Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Network. Using the Scaled Agile Framework, the AXS team delivers capabilities in three-month increments while meeting the needs of the Army Capability Manager for Fires Cells and Targeting. Through continuous integration, continuous deployment automated testing and deep system knowledge, the team has supported live-fire experiments with major artillery platforms.

This government-led Agile approach allows the team to pivot on a dime in response to senior priorities, without delays caused by contract modifications. This transformative approach is occurring at an optimal time, as the Department of War has placed a tremendous focus delivering new capabilities at the speed of modernization.

The United States Ballistics Library (USBL), a modern, Agile-developed alternative to the NATO Ballistics Kernel, also stands at the forefront of the Armament Center’s software modernization efforts. Created at the direction of Army Chief Technology Officer Alex Miller, the USBL can be deployed as a standalone capability or integrated as a cloud-based microservice. It was launched in February 2025 and is well ahead of schedule, with full implementation in the cards this year.

The Armaments Center Software Factory (ACSF) was established to support the need to rapidly deliver weapons systems software such as United States Ballistics Library, Artillery Execution Suite, and the Common Fire Control Framework. The ACSF is a collection of people, tools, and processes that integrate enterprise tools into continuous integration pipelines to automate the build process, implement cybersecurity scanning early and often, and quickly produce working software that meets the needs of the Warfighter. ACSF is a unique software factory optimized for delivery of secure, high-quality weapons systems software.

ACSF integrates enterprise services such as the Army’s DevSecOps organization, with GitLab machines, project-specific tooling and custom continuous integration pipelines. It does this while maintaining compliance with Department of War and Army policies, including Army Directive 2024-02, which enables modern software development and acquisition practices.

Through initiatives such as CF2, AXS, USBL, and ACSF, the Armaments Center strives to redefine how safety-critical defense software is developed. The Armaments Center pursues a culture of improvement, embracing Agile-development and partnering with industry leaders, delivering secure, reliable and advanced software capabilities, and ensuring U.S. forces stay dominant on the modern battlefield.

By Ross Arnold, Maj. Johnathon Hardin, Marc Federico, Julia Gustafson, Christopher Fuller, David Bowlby, Picatinny Arsenal

Posted in Army, Guest Post | Comments Off on Armaments Center’s Zero-Defect Culture Embraces Agile and Other Modern Software Development Approaches

US Army Selects Four Contractors for Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability to Automate Battlefield Breaching Operations

Friday, July 10th, 2026

DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – The Capability Program Executive Mission Autonomy announced today the selection of four companies for the Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability (EABC) initiative, a key effort to modernize engineer support for Soldiers on the battlefield.

This project will develop and prototype autonomous systems capable of rapidly breaching complex obstacles and minefields under direct observation and fire, minimizing personnel exposure and ensuring the safe passage of follow-on forces. The selected contractors will provide advanced robotic systems designed for beyond-line-of-sight autonomous control, directly enhancing the Army’s ability to conduct multi-domain operations.

The four selected companies – Caterpillar (Irving, Texas), Forterra (Clarksburg, Md.), IDV USA (York, Pa.) and Overland AI (Seattle) — were chosen for their innovative approaches to autonomous breaching. Their proposed technologies range from autonomous commercial equipment to purpose-built robotic platforms, both featuring modular payloads to support varied breaching requirements.

Formal contract awards for the EABC initiative are expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. Once awarded, the project will advance into a series of demonstrations and assessments, culminating in a Transformation in Contact unit assessment in early 2027. This rotation will allow the Army to collect direct, unit-level feedback to inform the production decision for the next generation of autonomous engineer systems.

By Ashley John

Posted in Army, Breaching, Contracts, Guest Post, Robotics | Comments Off on US Army Selects Four Contractors for Engineer Autonomous Breaching Capability to Automate Battlefield Breaching Operations

Warfighter Milestone: Soldiers Successfully Remote Fire Next Generation Obstacle Emplacement Capability Autonomous Volcano

Thursday, July 9th, 2026

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – Marking the latest milestone in its history, the Army has expanded the capabilities of the M139 Volcano System with the first remote firing of the Autonomous Volcano next generation obstacle emplacement capability.

The demonstration took place at Camp Grayling, MI on May 19 during three days of hands-on training and included distinguished visitors from the United Kingdom’s Assistant Head Ground Maneuver Directorate – Col. James Fern, the Engineer Commandant, Col. Tim Hudson, and Future Capabilities Director, Col. Hector Montemayor.

The Autonomous Volcano system uses the reliable M139 Volcano mine dispenser, which can lay up to 960 mines to create a barrier about 120 meters wide and 1,100 meters long. It is mounted on the Palletized Load System (PLS) A1 truck and operates with an autonomous By-Wire/Active Safety Kit.

Autonomous delivery of obstacles is a massive force multiplier that shapes the battlespace at tempo. The Autonomous Volcano systems preserves combat power by removing engineers from the danger zone and forward line of troops while simultaneously allowing multi-vehicle remote firings that enable friendly forces to disrupt the enemy before they can react. This new technology also provides digital precision by automatically logging and injecting exact obstacle coordinates directly into the Common Operating Picture for seamless joint coordination.

In the first live-fire scenario, four Soldiers from the 576th Combat Engineer Company – Armored, 4th Engineering Battalion remotely fired M88 cannisters from a M139 Volcano for the first time marking a major milestone in advanced autonomous mobility for battlefield shaping.

The second scenario highlighted the robotic autonomy of the system and consisted of emplacing two distinct fix/disrupt minefields autonomously in two separate areas simultaneously. Autonomous Volcano achieved its objective with no human interference necessary.

The M139 Volcano was developed in the 1980s during the latter years of the Cold War and consists of a Volcano dispensing system mounted on the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). The move to an autonomous variant involved integrating the system into a PLS with the Forterra autonomy stack. “Autonomous Volcano leverages low-cost modernization to turn a legacy platform into a high-yield autonomous asset – securing asymmetric overmatch and closing a critical area-denial gap,” said Col. Vinson Morris, Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS). “It’s an example of how the Army is embracing the ‘fight tonight’ concept where readiness is not a static goal but a continuous process of adaptation and improvement.”

A joint program between the Army and the UK, Autonomous Volcano exemplifies collaboration both with international partners and within the Army. Both the CPE & AE and CPE AS worked together, within PAE AS&A, to support the project by combining their expertise and bringing together vehicles managed by CPE Combat Logistics and munitions developed under the Product Manager Terrain Shaping Obstacles (PdM TSO) team within the PM CCS office.

PdM TSO worked together with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s (DEVCOM) Armaments Center and Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), and industry partner Forterra to ensure seamless interoperability between platforms and munitions enabling enhanced operational effectiveness and streamlined logistics.

“This joint effort aligns directly with integrated deterrence. Our partnership with the UK on this development ensures seamless allied interoperability and shared Research and Development, strengthening our combined coalition posture,” said Bernie Theisen, Chief Technology Officer, DEVCOM GVSC.

By leveraging the expertise of the PAE AS&A team, the Volcano system demonstrates the Army’s ability to deliver integrated solutions that address complex battlefield requirements. This collaboration exemplifies the power of the Army Transformation Initiative.

After the successful proof-of-concept demonstration at Camp Grayling, the Autonomous Volcano program will demonstrate its capabilities at Project Convergence Capstone 6 at Fort Irwin, CA to transition from prototyping to operational testing. On July 13, Soldiers will operate the system in multiple realistic scenarios; then on 29 July it will be part of the “Best of Breed” demonstration to the Secretary of the Army.

By Michael Chambers

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US Army INSCOM Conducts Change of Command Ceremony

Tuesday, July 7th, 2026

FORT BELVOIR, Va. – On Friday, June 5, 2026, Maj. Gen. Rhett R. Cox took command of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), relieving Maj. Gen. Timothy D. Brown.

The ceremony, presided over by Lt. Gen. Michelle A. Schmidt, U.S. Army deputy chief of staff, G-2, brought together senior Army leaders and previous INSCOM commanding generals. Brown served as INSCOM’s commanding general from Dec. 10, 2023, to June 5, 2026. He retired from the U.S. Army after more than 35 years of service.

“Brown led operations that ensured that INSCOM delivered intelligence to drive decision advantage,” Schmidt said. “He optimized the force, strengthened the workforce, and delivered intelligence that protected the force and enabled targeting. You made INSCOM a more agile and responsive command.”

Brown led INSCOM’s 18,000 personnel across 40 countries and 180 locations and orchestrated a historical organizational transformation by consolidating 17 major subordinate commands into 15, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and agility across the global enterprise.

During his tenure, INSCOM and its units stationed around the globe made advancements in critical intelligence capabilities, such as the retirement of legacy aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (AISR) aircraft while transitioning to modern air frames, such as the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) and the Army Theater-Level High-Altitude Expeditionary Airborne (ATHENA) airframes, that allow the service to see and sense farther than any prior AISR asset.

Brown provided foundational intelligence support for National Defense Strategy priorities and major operations, including rapid surge support during crises such as Operation EPIC FURY where INSCOM enabled critical communications and multi-discipline intelligence support in contested environments. Among his other notable accomplishments, he strengthened global partnerships, enhanced intelligence production and information sharing, and developed and executed data literacy and AI training for over 10,000 Soldiers and civilians, upskilling the workforce to meet future intelligence challenges.

His vision for INSCOM has been to fight and win in contested spaces with his focus on the Soldier outside the wire and in harm’s way.

“Leadership is not about the person at the top. It’s our 18-year-olds that are guarding freedom’s frontier,” said Brown. “They are a national treasure. It’s the reason we serve at INSCOM – to give them intelligence before making contact with the enemy. Intelligence drives our strategy to fight and win, and those Soldiers are the key to defending the nation. They are the best of us, and they inspire me every day.”

Cox, INSCOM’s incoming commander, comes to INSCOM from his previous assignment as Schmidt’s senior military advisor. Before that assignment, he served at one of INSCOM’s major subordinate commands (MSC) as commanding general of U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command at Fort Meade, Maryland for three years.

“Rhett has operational, tactical, and strategic levels of service,” said Schmidt. “He understands operational challenges and INSCOM’s critical role to make sure the Army wins anytime, anywhere.”

In his final farewell to the command, Brown warmly welcomed Cox to the INSCOM team.

“The army built a weapon system in the form of Rhett Cox. There is probably no better prepared MI corps leader having the right job at right time performing the right way,” said Brown. “He’s my friend. My battle buddy. This is the moment to transition to up gun INSCOM and that’s with Rhett Cox.”

A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Cox commissioned into the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps in 1993. Cox has served within INSCOM in other positions, such as the commander of the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade (MIB), deputy all-source collection element chief, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion, 513th MIB Theater (MIB-T), and INSCOM deputy commander. His other previous assignments include deputy chief for counterintelligence integration in the Strategic Competition Group at the Defense Intelligence Agency, director of the Joint Intelligence Training Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, and the G-2 for NATO Allied Land Command in Turkey.

“I’m extremely honored to be the 21st commanding general of INSCOM,” said Cox. “All of us at INSCOM should never forget our duty to deliver intelligence. It’s been awesome to see this team rally around its commands to support them during recent conflicts, rapid technical change and strategic competition. We will do our best to ensure our enemies cannot operate uncontested in our area of responsibility. INSCOM has your back, and we will ensure you have what you need to meet your adversaries.”

By Erin Rohn

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Silent Professionals Set the Conditions for Red Flag Success

Saturday, July 4th, 2026

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska — In the brisk Alaskan air, on a steep hillside overlooking the vast terrain, U.S. Army Special Forces Soldiers assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) are preparing for one of the region’s most demanding combat training exercises: Red Flag-Alaska.

For decades, Red Flag-Alaska has provided aircrews with the opportunity to train against realistic threats under contested conditions, building experience and confidence before facing real-world adversaries. Yet while fighter aircraft streak across the sky above the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, another fight begins long before the first jet takes to the air.

Inside a nondescript room on Eielson Air Force Base, Green Berets huddled around maps, terrain imagery and mission graphics covering nearly every available table and wall space. Tactical communications equipment fills the corners of the room while planners refine timelines and routes. A briefing slide advances across a wall-mounted television, detailing the next day’s mission.

The ground force commander spoke with precision, pointing to a route displayed on the screen. It was a surprising shift. Moments earlier, the team had been smiling, joking and laughing with each other. Now, they were all business, shifted into attentive and deliberate professionals. Routes, contingencies and communications plans were discussed with the matter-of-fact tone of a team who had rehearsed the process countless times before. The mission is part of Operation Close Shave, the ground component executed by the Green Berets in support of the large scale combat operations exercise scenario.

While fighter aircraft may be the most visible element of Red Flag, they are rarely the spearhead of the operation, Green Berets shaping the battlefield before they leave the runway.

Before aircraft can operate freely in contested airspace, special operations forces work deep within contested or enemy territory to identify threats, gather intelligence and create conditions that allow the joint force to maneuver. An ODA, or Operational Detachment-Alpha, the foundational unit of action for U.S. Army Special Forces, provides commanders with the information required to help clear a path for the aircraft and paratroopers that follow.

A two-hour trip south, near Delta Junction, brings the ODA to a pothole-filled side road, Denali’s peak reaching out of the horizon like someone painted it onto the sky. Alaska’s natural beauty served as a somewhat dangerous distraction while in the opposing force’s territory; the simulated country borders indicated that the team was well behind “enemy” lines.

A group of individuals on the roadside approached the lead vehicle, the driver became cautious before realizing these were allied counterparts, operators and paratroopers from the Belgian 3 PARA (Regiment). From wary to relieved, all are smiling as introductions were exchanged and the Belgians offered to show the way to the “safe house.” Safe houses act as bases of operations for Special Forces operators; while not necessarily a house in many cases, they act as both a command center, shelter, cover, and concealment from enemy forces and civilian populations, respectively.

This particular safe house, The Alaska Flour Company is a real-world business and working farm that would function as the team’s base of operations for the next week, playing into their scenario simulated cover story as seasonal farm workers in the area; an effort to blend in with the local populace. Equipped with fake IDs and cover stories, the option to fight was only ever considered as a last course of action.

The wooden structure housing the teams was not much more than a long, wide, dark, open corridor used for grain processing, the structure being colder inside than it was out. The Belgians had set up a barrel fire outside to warm their extremities from the frigid interior of the flour plant. One of them said something in Dutch as the others around the fire laughed, stoking the flames. It was a moment of relaxation and comfort before the long days ahead.

Hours later, vivid colors painted the Alaskan sky as the multinational team of special operators moved quietly along a riverbank, carrying the equipment they would need for days of reconnaissance.

The absence of darkness during the far north’s summer nights increased the risk of detection during their no-fail reconnaissance mission. Heavy animal activity in the form of large predator’s leftover meals served as constant reminders of the dangers posed by the wildlife surrounding them. With the high-risk environment in mind, the operators set up fallback positions, established communications with rear command elements and edged toward their objectives.

Using a mix of fieldcraft and technology, the teams split into two-man elements and traversed through thick woods toward the scenario’s air defense objectives.

Through the brush, a fenced-off compound emerged ahead, revealing large mockup integrated air defense systems depicting surface-to-air missile launchers, radars and other mobile air defense equipment. The mock missile launchers hidden among the trees represented exactly the type of threat Red Flag planners wanted the ODA, and their allied counterparts, to confront.

In the exercise scenario, a network of integrated air defense systems, radar sites and command-and-control nodes formed layered barriers, designated to deny access and maneuvering capability to coalition aircraft. These systems force pilots to contend with threats capable of detecting and engaging their aircraft long before they reach critical objectives.

Finding those threats is where special operations provide a critical advantage. Small teams, specializing in operating in hostile, denied and contested environments, infiltrate challenge areas to observe targets, evaluate and/or confirm intelligence and develop a comprehensive picture of the operational environment. The information they collect helps commanders distinguish between suspected targets and verified threats, reducing uncertainty before air assets are committed.

In an era increasingly defined by technological advantages such as satellites, drones and electronic sensors, it may be tempting to assume technology alone can provide every answer. However, modern battlefields remain environments of constant adaptation, where adversaries actively employ camouflage, deception, electronic warfare measures/countermeasures and other techniques designed to obscure themselves and their operations. A target detected by one sensor may prove to be a decoy when observed from the ground. Even the most advanced collection platforms can produce incomplete or conflicting information when confronted by a determined adversary. In the end, commanders often still rely on someone physically confirming at the target site and reporting accurate and timely information.

“The problem with satellite sensors is they have a harder time maintaining eyes on,” said one of the Special Forces Soldier. “If we are able to get behind enemy lines and conduct an operation like this, there’s a constant ground sensor.”

For ODAs, fieldcraft, observation and direct confirmation remain indispensable tools. The ability to physically verify with eyes on a target provide joint forces commanders a level of certainty that technology alone cannot always deliver. In a contested environment, that assurance can mean the difference between a successful air campaign and aircraft flying into unknown threats.

“We are deep behind enemy territory trying to open the air corridor and allow conventional forces to parachute in and gain control of this area,” the Soldier said. “We’re here in support of the main effort, which is the joint force entry of the 11th Airborne Division, so they can jump in, get boots on the ground and begin taking control of key terrain or infrastructure.”

The ODAs remained concealed among moss-covered logs and dense vegetation bordering the clearing, quietly observing and transmitting information while remaining mindful of OPFOR operating in the area.

“No troop transport planes, C-17s or anything like that, can gain access to this airspace to conduct an air operation until these are taken out,” the Soldier declared. For the next several days, reconnaissance and observation remained the primary mission. Operators relied on their advanced knowledge of wilderness survival skills, keeping fire going, supplementing field rations with food gathering and demonstrating basic shelter construction. Despite the constant sunlight, temperatures plunged into the low 30s overnight. Frigid hours bundled in waterproof clothing without a heat source were but a glimpse into the conditions special operations personnel endure during real-world operations.

Although they had not yet encountered OPFOR, the implications of doing so remained top of mind.

“… The risk is detection and compromise,” the Soldier explained. “A mission like this in real life is extremely dangerous.” The Soldier emphasized, in no uncertain terms, just how perilous a task this can be. It was a sobering assessment. But how do operators mitigate that risk? “That’s why we do training like this,” he continued. “To figure out where our gaps are. Figure out where we need to improve. The only way you can infiltrate this deep, in my opinion, is by blending in, maintaining a very low signature and a very low pattern of life.”

During a quiet moment of the perpetual daylight, around 3 a.m., coffee simmered in a portable carafe one operator had carried into the field. A reminder that even among highly trained professionals, caffeine remains less a luxury than a necessity.

It was much the same for the next few days — observing and reporting — though it was hardly monotonous in the beautiful Alaskan wilds, especially when broken up by the appearance of wandering wildlife in the distance.

The day of the culminating event arrived, having moved to a mountainside near Fort Greely. Another Special Forces Soldier sat at an observation post overlooking an FLS, or field landing strip. Although runway-sized, was more or less a stretch of dirt that had been flattened and cleared of the pervasive brush that blanketed the rolling terrain.

The Soldier could see the opposing forces’ vehicles moving along the strip, ant sized from the nestled vantage point amongst the thick shrubbery adorning the mountainside. Crouched still while waiting for word on a strike mission, he discussed the role of the Belgian counterparts.

“So they’re going to be at the north end of the [drop zone]. Their leadership right now is co-located with [ground force commander] out here at the MSS,” the other ODA team member said, referring to the mission support site. “But they’re going to be at the north end of the DZ and they’re going to try to take a sniper shot to take out a guy with a man-portable air defense. He’s carrying an SA14. Going to try to find him… and then that way we can bring in [combat air support] and we can facilitate close air support, and help enable the joint forcible entry by the 11th Airborne Division.”

Put simply, the mission was to remove the threat preventing joint force aircraft from entering the area of operations — a task that was certainly easier said than done. Less than an hour later, the answer arrived with the roar of an F-16 Fighting Falcon overhead as it rolled in on its targets.

With the air defense systems neutralized, the spread-out teams gathered on the sloping overlook to watch the dozens of transport aircraft — American C-130s and Belgian A400Ms — begin to drop paratroopers by the score along the FLS. The ground forces’ mission was complete. Fighter jets and transports successfully reached the objective, and as the crack of the infantry’s weapons rang out over the peaks, the hasty exfiltration back to the vehicles began.

But the TACP, or tactical air control party, had one last surprise in store for the rest of the ODA. Confirming the transport craft had cleared the airspace, they radioed yet again, this time to the F-16s still circling the area and requested a “show of force.” While discussing what grid coordinates to give, one of the ODA members grinned and pointed. The unsuspecting range control contractors had been parked in their pickup trucks nearby for quite a while, breaking the illusion of the war game with their necessary presence. Still smiling, the TACP suggested, “How about them?”

Moments later, the F-16s screamed directly overhead, buzzing by the unsuspecting 4x4s, the frames of the trucks rattling as the contractors within suddenly jolted from their seats.

Descending toward the mountain pond vehicles were parked next to, Alaska revealed one last pleasant surprise. Grazing across the small body of water, a herd of caribou had come into the open, looking up and regarding the team with vague interest.

In the distance, the roar of jet engines was still audible, and as the ground forces’ role in Red Flag came to a concluded, the forces in the air were now free to dominate the battlefield, the conditions for success already set by the operators on the ground.

By SGT Nicholas Riccio

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