{"id":15841,"date":"2021-03-19T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/19\/this-could-be-army-futures-commands-moment-of-truth\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:35:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:35:05","slug":"this-could-be-army-futures-commands-moment-of-truth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2021\/03\/19\/this-could-be-army-futures-commands-moment-of-truth\/","title":{"rendered":"This could be Army Futures Command\u2019s moment of truth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific, Adm. Phil Davidson, warned<\/a> last week that China could undertake a military attack against Taiwan within the next six years. To convince Beijing that it cannot achieve its political objectives in Taiwan or elsewhere<\/a> with military force, the Pentagon is sprinting to transform ongoing research and development programs into fielded combat capabilities as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the U.S. Army is going to do that successfully, Army Futures Command must overcome persistent challenges that have plagued several of the service\u2019s high-profile acquisition programs in the past. In a discussion this week<\/a> hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies\u2019 Center on Military and Political Power, leaders of three of AFC\u2019s most important cross-functional teams pointed to significant initial progress in advancing much-needed R&D programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But R&D programs won\u2019t be enough. Retired Lt. Gen. Ed Cardon led the task force in 2017 that helped create AFC. As he said during the FDD event: \u201cResearch and development programs will not deter and defeat aggression. Fielded combat capabilities do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFC was created in 2018 to do just that: develop modernized combat capabilities and field them to soldiers as quickly as possible. And AFC will demonstrate in the next few years whether it can fulfill the vital mission it was created to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A review of history underscores both the causes of the current crisis and the ongoing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the 9\/11 terror attacks, successive administrations and congresses failed to provide the Army the timely, sufficient and predictable funding necessary to simultaneously conduct operations, maintain readiness and modernize forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the People\u2019s Republic of China was undertaking<\/a> the most significant military modernization effort<\/a> in its history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By February 2017, then-Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel Allyn warned that the Army had \u201cprioritized our near-term readiness to the detriment of equipment modernization and infrastructure upgrades, assuming risk and mortgaging our future readiness.\u201d Eyeing China and Russia, he told Congress the \u201cArmy requires modernized equipment to win decisively, but today we are outranged, outgunned and outdated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t