AMC Science & Technology Strategy charts Army's path forward

By Mr. Brian Beall (AMC)June 2, 2016

Army Materiel Command Science & Technology Strategy 2014-2040
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The Army of today and tomorrow must maintain its technological edge against increasingly capable competitors. As such, the Army must prioritize its science and technology investments in order to sustain a force that seeks to always have the advantage on any battlefield and provide overmatch down to the squad level.

Representing more than 75 percent of the Army's annual investment in science and technology, the U.S. Army Materiel Command plays a critical role in proactively innovating, identifying game-changing technologies and delivering capabilities to increase operational effectiveness and reduce risk to warfighters. AMC's Commander Gen. Dennis Via, established an AMC Science and Technology Strategy to chart the path forward for AMC in support of Army readiness.

"The Army's science and technology enterprise will be challenged to field and sustain the programs and capabilities of the future under increasingly fiscally-constricted conditions," said Via. "This strategy will ignite fresh conversations as we prepare the Army for the complexities of the global security environment."

The AMC Science and Technology Strategy intends to achieve this goal by:

• Aligning AMC science and technology initiatives with the Army's future force capability requirements

• Pursuing innovative and game-changing technologies for the future force that enable overmatch

• Maturing and transitioning solutions into programs of record

• Investing in science and technology workforce and facilities.

AMC, through its Chief Technology Officer and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) will lead the Army through near, mid and far-term objectives across eight science and technology portfolios that enhance Soldier capabilities with an ongoing imperative to assess programs to ensure investments address capability gaps identified by the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

AMC will collaborate with its partners at TRADOC and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology to establish new and refine existing Army science and technology policies. Together, the enterprise will provide analytic support to inform current and future force capabilities and requirements, and optimize support to AMC science and technology operations.

The strategy also recognizes the key to the success of the Army science and technology community are the Soldiers and civilians, industry partners and universities that directly support the research and development of the Army's next game-changing technologies.

In support of the Army's doctrinal work to establish science and technology focus areas and capability needs, the AMC Science and Technology Strategy seeks to improve the path for turning an idea into an actual solution to the Soldier on the battlefield, said Patrick O'Neill, AMC Chief Technology Officer.