Army Turns Futures and Concepts Command Into FASCOM and Lines Up Autonomy Test Units
The Oct. 1 autonomy memo now has a three-star command and named test units, with a fiscal 2028 deadline to field priority autonomous systems.
The Oct. 1 autonomy memo now has a three-star command and named test units, with a fiscal 2028 deadline to field priority autonomous systems.
The Army redesignated Futures and Concepts Command as Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, or FASCOM, on Oct. 13, Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve announced at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting. "This goes beyond drones," he said. The Army's Oct. 1 announcement of FASCOM did not say which command it would replace.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FASCOM?
Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, the renamed Futures and Concepts Command. The Army says a three-star general will lead it and it will consolidate five organizations, including Combat Capabilities Development Command.
Who announced the change?
Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve, at the Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting on Oct. 13.
Which units will test autonomy?
Per the Army: I Corps (fires battery, watercraft company), III Corps (armored reconnaissance), V Corps (breaching), XVIII Airborne Corps (aerial surveillance and lift), plus a crewed-uncrewed helicopter pairing in 8th Army.
What is the deadline?
Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle's Oct. 1 memo sets fiscal 2028 to field priority autonomous systems.
How does FASCOM relate to Autonomous Warfare Command?
Telle's memo does not say, Military Times reported. Hegseth's memo calls for a plan by Oct. 30 setting command relationships and each service's forces.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.