The United States military is preparing for a decisive path forward, with a final decision expected within the next two years on what the 2040 US Army Ground Forces will look like and how it will be organized. General James Rainey, a key figure responsible for modernizing the armed forces, outlined these plans at the Global Forces Symposium during the US Ground Forces Association forum. He underscored the essential work ahead and the urgency of aligning future capability with strategic deterrence.
The head of the U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) has framed a tight timeline — 18 to 24 months — to define the differences between future battlefields and today’s operating environment. The aim is to ensure accurate assumptions, avoid misjudgments, and place the U.S. military in a position of advantage relative to potential adversaries. The AFC emphasizes developing a clear concept of the future work environment and initiating its draft this fall.
Since its founding in 2018, AFC has been tasked with modernizing the Ground Forces and preparing them for the wars of the future, with General Rainey serving as AFC vice president. The plan for all future work is anchored by a 2040 benchmark set by the Army Advanced Development Command. The sequence begins with understanding how warfare will unfold and then shaping the organizational and personnel constructs needed to execute it effectively.
General Rainey noted ambitious targets, including plans to field more than 30 advanced weapon systems and specialized equipment by 2030, while ensuring access to key regions and domains. The focus will be on transforming formations to a qualitatively higher level, ensuring that acquisitions seamlessly integrate with evolving battlefield formations. The objective is clear: more combat-ready formations for the battlefield of the future.
Accordingly, the approach blends procurement with strategic transformation. Weapons and equipment purchases are matched with a structural question: how does each item fit into the promised formations? The overarching goal is to place ready, capable formations on the future battlefield rather than simply stockpiling hardware.
The commander stressed that numerous questions remain as Land Forces rapidly advance their combat and operational capabilities. Challenges that emerge will require quick, practical resolutions, and the urgency surrounding 2040 was a recurring theme. When 2040 is referenced, it implies a fully deployed Ground Forces by that year, while preparing for the steps needed now to achieve that end state.
Looking ahead to 2035, the timeline calls for active steps to build new connections and capabilities that will support a full deployment of new formations by 2040. If capacity needs to be ready by 2035, prototypes of brigades and divisions may need to begin in the near term to support small-scale production or equivalent efforts by 2031. The Army is currently operating under a five-year defense spending plan covering fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
Rainey said the concepts developed during that period will undergo rigorous testing through experiments. The Land Forces Project convergence campaign, launched in 2020, serves as a major platform for these experiments, advancing the modernization effort with real-world trials. Priorities in science and technology will require clear approvals from the Secretary of the Army and the command, with planning cycles guiding the allocation of resources. The fall timeline is expected to bring greater clarity about these intentions.
Ground forces aim to complete the first conceptual installations within six months to enable the Army Training and Research Command and the AFC Office of Capability Development and Integration to collaboratively craft new concepts for core functions such as firing, reconnaissance, and maneuvering, in coordination with the Air Force Command and the fiscal year 2024 framework.
Rainey highlighted a bold vision for integration, envisioning a hybrid of human and machine elements that could dramatically reshape battlefield dynamics. The modernization effort is described as highly ambitious, including the prospect of replacing traditional tanks with robotic platforms where feasible. The AFC plans to shift significant responsibilities to automation, reserving manpower for higher-level tasks.
General Mike Murray, the first AFC chairman, stressed that there are no plans to alter strategic goals retroactively. The focus remains on outthinking potential competitors and acting decisively, with the United States aiming to stay ahead of peers in the evolving security environment. The discussion touches on broader strategic work and the potential implications of relative strength in a modernized force.
As the modernization push continues, observers note that developments in China have driven a parallel track of improvements in Beijing. Official statements from Beijing promise accelerated modernization across military theory, personnel, and weapons, signaling a continuing competition in technology, doctrine, and capability. In response, U.S. leadership has emphasized strengthening advantages in air, sea, and land power while pursuing faster, more capable modernization.
Ultimately, the contemporary trajectory aims to sustain a robust U.S. military posture through targeted modernization, rapid experimentation, and a clear focus on strategic advantage. The parallel emphasis on keeping pace with or outpacing potential adversaries shapes the planning and resource allocation across services as they prepare for the complex security environment ahead.