The US Army's plans to fill urgent capability gaps in 2019

In this Q and A, Major General (R) John Charlton shares his thoughts on the latest developments taking place in the combat vehicles space. He discusses which combat and acquisition priorities will take precedence in 2019, how our current portfolio of combat vehicles compares to those of our adversaries, what capability gaps need to be filled, lessons the U.S. Military can learn from the application of artificial intelligence in autonomous vehicles, and much more. MG Charlton is the Former Commanding General for the US Army Test and Evaluation Command (2016-2018).

In your opinion, what combat and acquisition priorities will take precedence in 2019?
I believe the focus will be on modernizing our ground combat capabilities across the board so that we can maintain our overmatch against potential adversaries. The Army will be focused on lethality and it's key modernization priorities such as the next generation combat vehicle, long-range precision fires and future vertical lift. The US Marine Corps will continue to modernize and enhance their ability to conduct expeditionary and amphibious operations.

How does our current portfolio of combat vehicles compare to those of our adversaries?
We still maintain overmatch against potential adversaries but we have some aging fleets that need to be replaced with modern platforms that integrate the latest technology. The M1 Abrams tank, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, M109 howitzer, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter are all tremendous systems and we continue to improve them. However, those platforms have been in service for decades so the time has come to develop a new generation of ground combat capabilities.

What capability gaps need to be filled?
There are many areas where we have gaps ... some are small and others larger and more urgent. One of the more urgent gaps is in the area of protection. Our armored fleets continue to get larger and more heavy as we continue to improve their passive armor protection against the latest anti-armor threats. We need to ensure future ground combat vehicles have integrated active protection systems to defeat current and future threats.

Autonomy and AI are other technologies that can be used to greatly reduce the risk to US military forces. One example would be to develop autonomous logistics convoys that reduce or eliminate the need for troops to man these vehicles. That means fewer troops are exposed to potential attack.

Speaking on an industry level, what lessons can the military learn from the application of artificial intelligence in autonomous vehicles?
AI and autonomy are coming fast in the commercial world. Autonomous vehicles are in use right now across the country and their use will continue to grow rapidly. One key benefit of autonomous systems is that they are safer than manned vehicles. They have sophisticated sensors that allow them to identify dangers and collision avoidance systems that better protect vehicle occupants from those dangers.

The US military can use AI in autonomous vehicles to reduce risk to our troops by either making manned vehicles safer to operate or by eliminating the need to man certain vehicles at all, thereby taking our troops out of harms way. This technology has tremendous potential to radically change how we conduct important military missions like reconnaissance and security as well as logistics.

As the chairperson at the upcoming Future Ground Combat Vehicles Summit, what is one message you hope attendees will take away from the event?
This event is intended to strengthen the relationship between the military and the defense industry. Strengthening that relationship is essential to helping the US Military achieve its modernization priorities.

Our military leaders have the opportunity to describe their capability gaps and modernization priorities while the defense industry can describe new technologies that close those gaps and meet those modernization priorities. This exchange of information is essential for rapid capability development and for ensuring our warfighters are equipped to defeat current and future threats.

About MG John W. Charlton:
MG Charlton served as an observer/controller at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, La., before becoming the Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General, and later Operations Officer, Fifth U.S. Army, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and United Nations Mission, Haiti. MG Charlton served as the Division Plans Officer for the 1st Infantry Division; Battalion S3 for 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry; and the Brigade Executive Officer for 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division while in Germany.

Upon returning to the United States, Charlton served as the Chief of Infantry Proponency at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning. He assumed command of 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry, in July of 2002 in Kuwait and led Task Force 1-15 Infantry through a six-month Operation Desert Spring deployment, followed immediately by combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Charlton continued to serve with the 3rd Infantry Division as the G3 during its conversion to a modular force and a combat deployment to Iraq from June 2004 to June 2005.

MG Charlton served as Commander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3d Infantry Division (Mechanized), and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq. In June 2008, he was appointed Chief, Iraq Division, J-5, on the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C. In March of the following year, he became Assistant Deputy Director and then Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Middle-East) J-5, in the same office a year later.

Charlton served as Deputy Commander, Regional Command-East, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan from January 2012 to March 2013. He also served as the Commanding General, Brigade Modernization Command, Fort Bliss, Texas.

Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the Vice Director J7, Joint Staff in Suffolk, Virginia. MG Charlton has earned master's degrees in Information System Management from Webster University, General Studies from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Meritorious Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with four Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with six Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge and Ranger Tab

Related Links
IDGA Future Ground Combat Vehicles Summit
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com

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