US Army continues pivot to large-scale combat operations from counter-insurgency in the shadow of world events
The Gray Eagle ER UAS will be expected to be fielded this year. (Photo: General Atomics)
US Army Aviation has been pivoting to face a different kind of war. On the platform front that has meant investing in proven systems and improving platforms already in service.
US Army Aviation has continued down the road of reshaping its forces in the face of a changed threat compared to that which dominated the first two decades of the century by implementing fleet changes and changing priorities.
In the 2000s and 2010s, the US Army developed a force more adapted to dealing with non-conventional forces, but in the face of Chinese boldness and military glowering along with Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, Army Aviation has begun to rapidly adopt a new posture.
Speaking at Defence iQ’s International Military Helicopter conference in London on 27 February, Maj Gen Walter Rugen, director of
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![TAI and Airbus collaborate on Hurjet trainer for Spain]()
TAI and Airbus collaborate on Hurjet trainer for Spain
The Hurjet is pitched as the front runner for the Spanish Air Force’s Advanced Jet Trainer replacement programme for its ageing F-5M aircraft.
-
![UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year]()
UK RAF’s Protector programme hits new milestones, more aircraft expected this year
Further tests will be carried out on the existing fleet, ahead of the Royal Air Force’s anticipated transition from MQ-9A Reaper aircraft to the MQ-9B Protector by the end of 2025.
-
![US approves $1.45 billion sale to UAE for CH-47 Chinooks and F-16 sustainment]()
US approves $1.45 billion sale to UAE for CH-47 Chinooks and F-16 sustainment
Both the possible sale for six Chinook helicopters and F-16 sustainment will bolster existing UAE fleets and the country’s position as a US partner and ally, according to the DSCA.
-
![US Army cancels FTUAS and the MQ-1 Gray Eagle as part of the Army Transformation Initiative]()
US Army cancels FTUAS and the MQ-1 Gray Eagle as part of the Army Transformation Initiative
Last week, it was revealed that the US Army intended to cancel the long-running Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS). The revelation, no doubt part of the Army Transformation Initiative (ATI), came a week after the force highlighted that it would cancel the procurement of Gray Eagle aircraft.
-
![UK receives two additional F-35B aircraft as deliveries resume]()
UK receives two additional F-35B aircraft as deliveries resume
The two aircraft were delivered in the TR-3 configuration, bringing the RAF one step closer to fulfilling its order for 48 F-35B aircraft.
