The rapid pace of technology development means the Defense Department (DoD) needs to adopt more agile funding mechanisms to stay ahead of the curve, U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on Wednesday.
At the Defense News Conference on Sept. 4, Wormuth emphasized the Army’s dedication to advancing unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and electronic warfare and noted that these areas are vital not only for Army-specific needs but also for the broader requirements of the U.S. Joint Force.
Specifically, Wormuth keyed on “areas of unmanned aerial systems, counter unmanned aerial systems, and electronic warfare” as key funding objectives for the service branch.
“We need to invest more in the areas of unmanned aerial systems, counter unmanned aerial systems, and electronic warfare,” Wormuth said. “And this is from the perspective of our Army-centric needs, but also the needs of the Joint Force.”
The Army’s strategic focus on UAS and related countermeasures comes in response to their growing importance on the battlefield, Wormuth explained, using the war in Ukraine as a key example.
“We look at the what’s happening in Ukraine, and we can see that the role of drones and the capabilities to neutralize them are crucial,” she said. “When I spoke to a Ukrainian battalion commander, he talked about how the Russians were really increasing their [electronic warfare] capabilities in ways that were concerning.”
“It’s not just about having the technology but staying ahead of its rapid evolution,” she added.
To ensure the DoD is receiving the best offerings from industry, the Army secretary emphasized the need for more agile financing strategies to keep up with technological advancements.
“We’re dealing with technology that changes almost daily. Our funding mechanisms need to reflect that agility,” Wormuth said. “The technology in those capability areas is changing so rapidly that we can’t afford to get locked into something and only be allowed to use that [technology] for the next 10 years.”
“We need to be able to move money around to purchase the best coming out of industry,” she said.
Wormuth hinted that the next defense budget proposal to Congress next spring would address these areas and advocate for a system that allows for dynamic adjustments rather than long-term commitments to outdated tech.
The current budget proposal under review by lawmakers would grant the Army greater funding flexibility to address emerging UAS threats.
Additionally, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Defense Appropriations Bill, which proposes a total of $852.2 billion in funding, includes $394.8 million earmarked for the Army to develop next-generation counter-small unmanned aerial systems missiles and enhance counter-UAS capabilities. That bill still awaits action in the Senate.
The House passed its version of the FY2025 defense spending bill on June 13, which features a discretionary spending total of $833 billion. The differences between the House and Senate bills will need to be reconciled before a final vote on FY2025 funding for the Defense Department can occur.
