REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Aug. 17, 2026) – Army leaders and experts agree that integration of systems and capabilities and partnerships between government and industry are the way forward in preparing for future threats. These were the common themes at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Ala.
“It is our obligation to our Soldiers to prepare for future threats,” said Lt. Gen. John Rafferty, commanding general for the Space and Missile Defense Command. “As a team of military and government and industry, we must be willing to take risk. Not obligational risk, but be willing to take schedule risk, investment risk, technical risk – take the operational risk and minimize it.”
Capability integration and partnering with industry are key areas U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center experts are eager to utilize.
“We prioritize technology that demonstrates the greatest potential to deliver capabilities to our Soldiers,” said Christi Dolbeer, director of DEVCOM AvMC Fires Directorate and deputy director for the PAE Fires Systems Center.
DEVCOM AvMC is expanding its coalition to include non-traditional partners who deliver the disruptive technologies and rapid innovation required for tomorrow’s battlefield, Dolbeer said.
“There are more opportunities for smaller companies to bring their components to bear in the future fight,” said Sarah Parker, deputy director, Fires Directorate. “Partnering with (us) is a great way to get plugged into those opportunities. We have [Cooperative Research and Development Agreement] opportunities, we have testing agreement opportunities, and we’re really motivated to grow that area.”
Parker detailed DEVCOM AvMC scientists’ and engineers’ expertise during a presentation at SMD Symposium Aug. 12. She highlighted that the organization does development on everything that is a missile.
“From the skin of a missile to the aerodynamics of the missile, and from the warhead infuse group to the novel warhead materials to advance the state of the art, we are the leaders for the Army. We have expertise in navigation systems and [Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing]. We’re working to modularize it and make some of those components more common. We have a huge footprint in propulsion; everything from new chemistry formulations for missiles to testing. We develop new designs and transition them to industry for their implementation.”
DEVCOM AvMC is also developing low-cost common guidance kits that include electronics, sensors and launchers.
“We know the user community needs a deeper magazine,” Parker said. “We’re developing common launchers, autonomous launchers, and updating interfaces and hardware to be able to let any company shoot out of Army launchers.”
The DEVCOM AvMC team of experts also has a strong presence in modeling and simulation, as well as specialists working on affordability and manufacturability.
“We have scientists and engineers who can tell industry how lethal their systems are, because that’s a big part of developing new missile systems,” Parker said.
The message from DEVCOM AvMC leaders is clear: The Army is looking for the best and brightest minds in industry to help bring its technology out of the lab and into Soldiers’ hands.
“We really want to get the message out that we want to work [more with industry], and we have capabilities to share and bring to the fight,” Parker said.
***
About DEVCOM AvMC: DEVCOM AvMC is the nexus of Army aviation and missile modernization, where the operational requirements of Transformation and Training Command are fused with the acquisition strategies of the Portfolio Acquisition Executives. As the Army’s primary source of deep technical expertise, the Center provides the innovative science and responsive life-cycle engineering that allows the PAEs to execute programs at speed, delivering the asymmetric capabilities required to ensure our Soldiers dominate on the battlefield.
Social Sharing