Army halted weapon development and pushed tech to soldiers faster: 2024 in review
The Army spent 2024 pushing its new “transformation in contact” initiative while also pivoting away from several key weapon development initiatives.
The Army spent 2024 pushing its new “transformation in contact” initiative while also pivoting away from several key weapon development initiatives.
Gen. Charles Hamilton had been suspended from his role since March.
"The Army still has a lot of work to do," Christine Wormuth said in an interview with Breaking Defense about her tenure, her priorities and those secretary of defense rumors.
Christine Wormuth, the Army’s secretary, told Breaking Defense she is “cautiously optimistic” of striking a deal for the 2026 budget.
"We don't [want to] inadvertently allow the resources we're spending on soldiers and families to crowd out the modernization that we have to continue with,” Wormuth told reporters.
“We are also looking at what additional personal protective equipment we can provide to our folks, especially instructors and others who are routinely exposed to blast pressure,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.
In this op-ed, retired Army Maj. Gen. John Ferrari argues that the Army's decision to make cuts to force structure, while tough, is ultimately the right one.
Kristyn Jones, who is performing the duties of the under secretary of the Air Force, warned that modernization initiatives aimed at countering China would also be at risk if a budget impasse in Congress stretches on.
The analysis of alternatives is needed for the program’s milestone B decision, and could help quell some lawmakers’ concerns about the Army’s acquisition strategy.
The strike group, to arrive "very soon," has practical and strategic advantages beyond just a "show of force."
“The Army is in a moment of transformation where we are really pivoting from [counterinsurgency] COIN and [counterterrorism] CT to large-scale combat operations: So, we've got to transform our force structure,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth.
A savvy DC veteran, Sec. Christine Wormuth didn’t outright call for Congress to go above the budget caps, but, she said, “given that we want to make sure that we are not only able to support Ukraine but that we also replenish our own stocks … a supplemental, I think, would be very helpful.”
“A few years ago, we wouldn't have had that problem because we wouldn't have been talking to each other and our machines certainly wouldn't have been talking to each other," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote." And so that's a huge step forward is the fact that we are all sharing data right now, it's almost too much.”
The Army wants to be a major logistics player in the Pacific. The secretary of the Army thinks commercial industry has tools to help the service do that.