🇺🇸 From the archives: what the US Army expected multi-domain warfare to look like In 2017, the US Army Science Board presented its Multi-Domain Battle (MDB) concept, later known as Multi-Domain Operations (MDO). The idea was to coordinate forces across land, sea, air, space and cyberspace against an adversary capable of denying access to an area. Its example was a hypothetical Iskander ("Искандер") missile system protected by S-400 ("С-400") air defences. The scenario combined satellite and cyber reconnaissance with aircraft and long-range missiles, including AH-64 helicopters, F-35s, ATACMS, JASSM and Tomahawk. It also considered how forces might continue operating after losing satellites or aircraft, drawing on UAVs, electronic warfare, submarines and ground artillery. By the start of the medium-term phase (2026–2035), some predictions had materialised. The US is introducing AI-assisted command systems such as CJADC2 and NGC2, low-Earth-orbit satellite reconnaissance through the SDA, inertial navigation independent of GPS, PrSM missiles and the Dark Eagle hypersonic system. Actual conflicts have shifted other priorities: inexpensive drones and interceptors have gained ground over vulnerable heavy ground robots and unreliable combat lasers. For the long term (2036–2050), the concept envisaged quantum communications it described as invulnerable, satellite-independent navigation, pervasive surveillance and autonomous robot swarms across multiple domains. It projected 100 robots per person, capable of manoeuvre warfare and drone interception. The authors also envisaged hypersonic propulsion, railguns and inexpensive cruise missiles. The last of these have arrived earlier than forecast: lessons from recent wars have already brought programmes such as FAMM and ERAM forward from the 2040s. #info #USA #UAV #EW #Missiles
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