Defense Secretary Hegseth Unveils Sweeping Army Transformation to Counter China
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. Army to enhance its capabilities in space and missile defense, with a strategic focus on countering China.
In a significant move aimed at reorienting the U.S. Army towards great power competition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a directive for a top-down transformation of the military branch. This directive, announced on Wednesday, emphasizes the development of space and counter-space capabilities, as well as the acceleration of the Pentagon’s new Golden Dome strategy. The overhaul is part of a broader effort to modernize the Army by cutting outdated systems and restructuring headquarters commands to more rapidly field new technologies.
Hegseth’s memo outlines specific actions, including the merging of Army Futures Command with Training and Doctrine Command, and the consolidation of Forces Command with U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South. The directive calls for the Army to divest from redundant and inefficient programs, streamline acquisition systems, and prioritize investments in long-range precision fires, air and missile defense, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities.
A key goal is to enable the Army to deploy long-range missiles capable of striking moving targets on land and sea, and to achieve electromagnetic and air-littoral dominance by 2027, in anticipation of potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region. The plan includes reducing manned attack helicopter formations in favor of cost-effective drone swarms and decreasing the number of general officer positions to streamline command structures.
Additionally, Hegseth’s strategy involves ending the procurement of obsolete systems and scaling back or canceling ineffective programs, such as certain manned aircraft and excess ground vehicles like the Humvee. The Army is also tasked with implementing AI-driven command and control systems by 2027, expanding 3D printing for weapons, and increasing its presence in the Indo-Pacific through more joint exercises with allies.
Further reforms include reviewing and canceling inefficient contracts, shifting to capability-based funding, adding right to repair provisions in contracts, and implementing performance-based contracting to reduce waste. Hegseth also calls for changes in hiring and firing systems, reduced spending on climate and legacy sustainment initiatives, and cutting excess travel expenses.