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The Future of the U.S. Army: Options for Force Modernization

In the midst of two land wars and challenging economic times, critical decisions are being made on the future structure of the United States Army. The Center for National Policy hosted a discussion on the future of army modernization. CNP Vice-President Scott Bates led the discussion and was joined by Lt. Gen. Joseph Yakovac, who previously served as Director of the Army's Acquisition Corps and as Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems; and the Center for American Progress' Lawrence Korb, who served as an assistant secretary of defense in the 1980s.

Both speakers agreed that the United States Armed Services face great challenges going forward. General Yakovac suggested that the Army faces a greater challenge than the other services. Dr. Korb expanded on this assertion by citing specific points including that the Army and Reserves are stretched by two wars, additional troops added to the ranks will stress training and budgets, Army reset needs are acute (i.e., worn out equipment will need to be repaired or replaced), lowered entrance standards have caused discipline problems, and severe budgetary pressures make every other challenge more difficult.

Both speakers identified the lack of a coherent national security strategy as the most significant short term challenge for Army modernization. General Yakovac reminded the audience that modernization is about much more than just equipment; it also includes changes in training, doctrine, leadership development and organizational structure. Without a clearly articulated strategy, or at least an idea about what the Army is expected to do in the future and what wars will likely look like, focused discussion on modernization is difficult.

The speakers also agreed that the Army of the past decade has been additive- meaning new capabilities have been added but no capability has been taken away. This means costs will continue to rise and budget pressures will become more severe. General Yakovac is of the opinion that army modernization will be largely an exercise in prioritization. Tough choices will have to be made in times of shrinking defense dollars.

When asked specifically about new ground combat vehicles, the speakers agreed that Army planners should seek to salvage as much from the Manned Ground Vehicle component of Future Combat Systems as possible to recoup the billions of dollars already spent on development. General Yakovac argued that the most important part of the work has already been developed in the electronics, computers, and software that power the system. The hull of the vehicles is the easy part, and if survivability is a priority then a new hull can be designed. The General stressed that the network of FCS is the linchpin of army modernization- it ties all the individual pieces together. He argued that the network linking weapons systems and troops should continue to be at the core of Army modernization and is the best way for the U.S. Army to achieve agility across the spectrum of operations.

CNP Event in the News:
More troops mean more waiting for FCS, By Jen DiMascio, POLITICO
Use FCS Guts: Yakovac, By Greg Grant, DoD Buzz