US Army Modernization Focusing on Reducing EM Signatures, Countering Drones, Undersecretary Says

The U.S. Army’s modernization priorities revolve around hiding bases, enhancing anti-drone capabilities and addressing artificial intelligence challenges, according to Army Undersecretary Gabe Camarillo.

Noting Ukraine’s ability to target trackable Russian command posts, Camarillo, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, emphasized in a Defense One interview the importance of reducing Army field headquarters’ signatures, saying the service is now searching for the capability “to hide in plain sight.” 

Efforts are underway to reassess the Army’s networking and communication systems, with outdated communication antennas to be replaced with equipment less visible on the electromagnetic spectrum, Camarillo added.

On enhancing anti-drone capabilities, the undersecretary said the Army is exploring microwave technologies and other directed energy weapons, which have been proven effective against drones. According to Camarillo, the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office has been tasked with researching gun and missile systems to combat drones.

The undersecretary disclosed that the Army faces challenges in harnessing AI’s potential because of inconsistent data formatting and aggregation. According to Camarillo, it is crucial to bridge the gaps in workforce skills in AI algorithms and their applications to address the challenges, Defense One reported.