An Army-led group of experts is working to determine how soldiers would best operate in future urban-warfare environments. Those taking part include representatives in uniform, as well as other government agencies. The service’s Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) is overseeing the project, known as the U.S. Army Subterranean and Dense Urban Environment Materiel Developer Community of Practice.
Under the premise that urban warfare is becoming more complicated as it rapidly evolves, the group recently took part in an exercise that pitted soldiers and Marines in a war game. The “combatants” in the tabletop exercise “fought” for three days in densely populated urban settings using the gear they currently have, and again with 48 experimental technologies.
The scenario in which they operated included factors such as social media, communications in an underground environment, and assessments of using munitions that could destroy not only their enemy but also local power, gas and water infrastructures.
“We know that this is an area where it’s profitable to apply unmanned autonomous systems, manned and unmanned teaming, proliferated sensors, new command and control tools, new tools in terms of robotic systems and capabilities, so that we can get soldiers and Marines out of the highest hazard area and preserve [their] lives and well beings,” said Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Christian F. Wortman, commanding general of the service’s warfighting laboratory.
The armed services plan to incorporate their findings when they consider adaptation of future technologies and modernization efforts.
