How soldier centred-design requirements will reshape future US Army’s capabilities

The US Army has planned to increase the participation of soldiers in the procurement of future multi-domain capabilities as part of its digital transformation strategy. This human-focused design will be expected to impact current and future purchase requirements, as well as facilitate the introduction of new technologies.

Several lines of action will be part of this approach including involving troops in the early stages of acquisition and development programmes in addition to conducting more soldier touchpoint events in the prototyping and fielding phases.

The goal will be to collect feedback and identify obstacles and barriers that have prevented a broader deployment of new systems and solutions across the service.

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Speaking at the I/ITSEC 2023 in Orlando, Florida, Young Bang, principal deputy assistant secretary of the US Army for acquisition, logistics and training, claimed the branch was ‘really shifting to more of a human-centred design approach’.

‘We build technology for them [soldiers], capability for them,’ he stressed. ‘We are driving that whole notion of human-centred design and soldier-centred design principles as one of our guiding principles.’

This strategy will also affect ongoing efforts. The XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (previously named Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle) is one of the programmes that is likely to increase the use of soldier feedback in its next steps.

Under this initiative, the branch selected in June General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and American Rheinmetall Vehicles as providers for the detailed design and prototype build and testing phases.

The companies should deliver up to 11 prototype vehicles, two ballistic hulls and turrets, armour coupons and digital engineering data. After conducting trials, tests and soldier touchpoint events, the army will downselect one provider near the end of FY2027.

The XM30 programme will align with another guideline of the army’s digital transformation strategy: the focus on open architecture capabilities that can be easily upgraded during their lifetime.

Based on lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, better managing the signature of platforms and systems is also a priority for the army. In this domain, the branch is working on reducing either hiding the EW and detectable signal emissions.

‘We got to have a low signature. That is got to be a guiding principle for us,’ Bang claimed.

Soldier touchpoint event with the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle. (Photo: US Army)

Enhancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has been a digital transformation goal as the army intends to explore different applications of those technologies to increase survivability and resilience in the electromagnetic spectrum and contested cyberspace.

Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, stressed that AI is a ‘fantastic, powerful tool’, and ‘there is a lot more [in this domain] that we need to do and learn’.

Moreover, accelerating the process of purchasing and deploying new technologies has been a concern for the army. Although the branch has been taking advantage of the Other Transaction Authority mechanism, officials stressed that acquisition in certain areas should be faster.

Swanson highlighted that the service has ‘to be able to deliver software very rapidly to soldiers on the battlefield’ in addition to evolving in this area ‘really quickly to maintain overmatch over our adversary’.

Released in October 2021, the Army’s digital transformation strategy is intended to increase the use of innovative and transformative technologies to enable the branch to succeed on the battlefield through joint multi-domain operations.

In order to access cutting-edge solutions, the army intends to closely work with defence companies and suppliers of commercial solutions that can provide operational advantages in diverse warfare environments.

‘We are fairly early in the story,’ Swanson noted. ‘So, we have a lot of successes, but we also certainly still have gaps and needs, and we need help from industry.

Bang pointed out: ‘I do think that is critical to get industries’ perspective. We really need [its] input here.’