Defense One: The Future of the Army

As the U.S. Army looks to the future, it expects enemies who are much better armed than the ones U.S. soldiers encountered in the first two decades of the 21st century. The Islamic State fighters who learned to do tremendous damage with cheap roadside bombs are now learning to go vertical, raising the spectre of swarms of IED-carrying drones.

But Army leaders aren’t just looking at non-state actors. Military officials have made it clear they feel they have little choice but to prepare for a possible conflict with China or Russia over the next several decades. Among the weapons they believe necessary for this fight are ones that can strike an enemy at an extremely long range. So it’s developing what we call a “supergun” that can shoot up to 40 miles. Yet the deadliest threat to arise this year is biological.