The US Army is undertaking a comprehensive modernization campaign to counter growing air and missile threats, driven by adversaries such as China and Russia who are rapidly advancing their space and strike capabilities.
Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general of the service’s Space and Missile Defense Command, said at a conference in Alabama that the effort reflects a strategic shift toward integrated deterrence in increasingly contested domains.
Key elements of the effort include deploying artificial intelligence-enabled systems, enhancing counter-space capabilities, and strengthening coordination across air, missile, and space operations.
To support the strategy, the army is expanding its force structure and operational footprint. This includes fielding new Patriot battalions equipped with the Lower-Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor radar, Indirect Fire Protection Capability battalions, and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems batteries.
The new units are intended to build a more layered and resilient air defense posture, incorporating lessons learned from recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The service is also set to launch the 40D Space Operations Military Occupational Specialty in October, its first space-specific role for enlisted personnel, which will provide close space support to military operations and help integrate space capabilities into corps-level training and exercises.
‘Leaner, Faster, and More Lethal’ by 2040
At the event, Gainey noted that the army is building toward its 2040 Air and Missile Defense Strategy, which calls for modular, tailorable formations spread across terrains and integrated with joint and allied forces.
He stressed that today’s conflicts demand formations that are “leaner, faster, and more lethal,” integrating human-machine teaming, AI-driven decision-making, and offensive and defensive launch systems.
Aligning with the initiative, the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command will continue to play a key role in shaping future homeland defense systems in collaboration with the US Northern Command, Space Command, and the Missile Defense Agency.
“We’re not waiting for solutions to come to us,” Gainey said. “We’re creating them – because air and missile defense is the Army’s offensive line. If we don’t stop the rush, fires and maneuver can’t succeed.”
