Army Undersecretary Says Manned-Unmanned Teaming a Key Focus for FY 2024

The undersecretary of the Department of the Army said the Army Futures Command will focus on human-machine integration in the fiscal year 2024 to promote warfighter safety.

Speaking at the Potomac Officers Club’s 8th Annual Army Summit on Tuesday, Gabe Camarillo shared that the Army Futures Command’s research and development focus in 2024 will be on the relationship between robotic and automated systems and the humans using them. He also noted that AFC will lead efforts to integrate autonomous systems across formations.

The other focus areas for the AFC for FY 2024 include software applications and weapon systems energetic materials research, Breaking Defense reported.

Manned-unmanned teaming is a recurring theme across the U.S. military, particularly the U.S. Navy.

In an April 4 Defense News interview, Vice Adm. Scott Conn, deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities, said the Navy plans to purchase and test unmanned systems between FY 2024 and FY 2028 and use manned platforms to deploy the systems in the following years.

In a separate event Navy Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday said the service wants to create formations akin to the U.S. Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance approach where unmanned systems accompany manned vessels.