ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Modern warfare is now defined by software, where milliseconds in code execution can determine mission success and survivability. To examine how artificial intelligence is transforming software development, the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Army Software & Innovation Center hosted its first technical panel on Sept. 15, 2026.
The event took place at Myer Auditorium and was broadcast to defense networks worldwide. Over 600 virtual and in-person attendees from the APG community participated. The CECOM ASIC APG-Wide Technical Panel “Vibe Coding” focused on how quickly AI-assisted software is being used. Ike Faddis moderated a panel that included experts: Kriss Knopp, High Side Administration, Infrastructure, CECOM ASIC; Tom Cummings, Chief Software Architect for the Chief Automation and Data Integration Office, CADIO, ASA(ALT); Chief Warrant Officer 3 Victor Fernandez III, DevSecOps Lead, U.S. Army AI Integration Center; David Arty, Chief, Data Security Branch, Combat Capabilities Development Command, Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Center; and Maluki Montgomery, Chief Architect, Software & Support Services, CECOM ASIC. Erin Hayner and Gene Thompson from CECOM ASIC provided panel support.
The panel focused on vibe coding. This industry trend involves giving generative large language models, or LLMs, a high-level mission goal, and the models quickly produce working code. While the term started in commercial tech, the panelists pointed out that the military is now using this approach too.
"We have chosen to focus on this because as we all work and support the warfighter, AI is 100 percent a part of our daily lives," Hayner said in her opening remarks. "It is not just proofreading our emails anymore. For some of us, it is generating code. The question before us is: who should be doing it, what are the guardrails, and how do we harness it for the force?"
The strategic priority behind the technology is tactical lethality and sensor-to-shooter velocity. Historically, military software development has been bound to extensive requirements gathering and protracted contracting cycles that can take months or years to deliver minor field modifications. In contrast, peer adversaries iterate on electronic warfare scripts and digital countermeasures in days. Putting AI-assisted development tools in the hands of Soldiers and defense civilians lets units rapidly script custom solutions — whether automating fires data feeds, writing translation parsers for electronic signals, or developing maintenance tools to keep weapons platforms operational.
To connect fast prototyping with the need for reliable, long-lasting software, Maluki Montgomery shared the "pirate and the architect" idea. He based this on lessons from the Army's AI-Assisted Maintenance project.
"You need the pirate and the architect," Montgomery said. "The pirates are the domain experts, the frontline personnel and maintainers who understand the exact tactical problem, move fast, and rapidly iterate on prototypes. But they must partner with the architect, who steps back to ensure the foundation is scalable, modular, secure, and ready for deployment across the wider enterprise."
Cummings, who helped bring generative models to Army platforms, pointed out that while AI speeds up delivery, it does not replace the need for solid engineering.
"When I have my hands on the tools, I am able to produce hundreds or thousands of lines of production-ready code daily," said Cummings. "It changes the 'make or buy' calculus entirely. But rapid integration does not automatically mean good software. What makes it good is not a given — it takes genuine engineering discipline to make sure what you create is an enduring, sustained capability rather than just a quick fix."
However, the fast pace of AI-generated code brings serious cybersecurity risks. In a discussion with the audience, Arty said, "You cannot just trust that it is giving you the right answer. How are you validating and verifying that the harness is not executing code locally or injecting vulnerabilities?"
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Victor Fernandez III responded to the security concerns by warning that machine-generated scripts are not automatically safe. He mentioned platforms like Caravan and Expedition 0, which use strict rules to keep infrastructure secure.
"You can never delegate understanding," Fernandez said. "AI is good at presenting the illusion of correctness. However, you must always be suspicious of what you are having the model execute on your behalf. Whether using low-code platforms, commercial LLMs, or agent harnesses, blind trust will get you into trouble. Version control tools like Git and automated DevSecOps pipelines are mandatory to audit and roll back changes when things break."
Arty, who reviews both traditional and AI-generated software for network approval, explained the standard for managing operational risks.
"From a cybersecurity perspective, you, the human developer, still own the code at the end of the day," Arty said. "Before you deploy, you have to understand the blast radius if something goes wrong. If you are vibe-coding a basic administrative tool where human eyes verify every output, the blast radius is small. But if you are generating code that directly serves warfighter communications or weapon system functions, the risk is severe. You are responsible for making that assessment up front."
Arty and Fernandez both highlighted that AI-generated software intended for Army networks must pass through the certified Community-Secured DevSecOps pipeline to generate verified software bills of materials and undergo strict static and dynamic application security testing before deployment.
Thompson concluded the event by highlighting how teamwork will shape the Army's future software innovation.
"Our mission today was to promote a collaborative environment, and the depth of the discussions we engaged in has certainly achieved that," Thompson told attendees. "This cooperation does not end here. The recording and session materials will remain available across defense channels for the next 180 days as we continue improving our policies, training pathways, and harness security standards to ensure our developers deliver the most lethal, secure software possible to the warfighter.”
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