The first day of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition 2025 in Washington D.C. showcased a suite of advanced military technologies poised to reshape future battlefield dynamics. From autonomous loitering munitions to robotic combat platforms and smart artillery systems, the U.S. Army and its industry partners are accelerating modernization across multiple domains.
AI-Powered Loitering Munitions Take Center Stage
One of the most prominent unveilings was a new class of AI-enabled loitering munitions developed by Anduril Industries in collaboration with the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). Dubbed Lancer, this drone is designed to autonomously identify and engage high-value targets with minimal operator input.
According to official statements at AUSA 2025 and corroborated by Breaking Defense reporting (source), Lancer integrates onboard machine vision algorithms trained on synthetic data sets to enable real-time target classification even in GPS-denied environments. It features:
- Endurance: ~45 minutes flight time
- Payload: Integrated kinetic warhead (~3 kg)
- Sensors: EO/IR + onboard AI processor
- Communications: Encrypted datalink with fallback autonomy mode
This system represents a shift toward distributed lethality—where swarms or teams of semi-autonomous drones can operate independently or under human-on-the-loop control for suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), armor interdiction, or ISR-strike missions.
Robotic Combat Vehicles Evolve Toward Operational Readiness
The U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program was another focal point at AUSA Day 1. General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) presented its latest RCV-Medium prototype equipped with a Kongsberg RS6 remote weapon station mounting a Javelin missile launcher and XM913 50mm Bushmaster chain gun.
The platform is designed for modular payload integration—ranging from EW pods to counter-UAS systems—and is built on an open architecture compliant with the Army’s Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). Key specs include:
- Crew: Unmanned; teleoperated or semi-autonomous modes
- Mobility: Hybrid-electric drive; max speed ~60 km/h
- C4ISR Integration: Compatible with ATLAS autonomy stack and CMOSS/VICTORY standards
- Sensors: LIDAR + EO/IR + acoustic detection suite
The RCV-M is expected to undergo operational testing at Fort Irwin in early 2026 as part of Project Convergence field experiments focused on manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
Smart Artillery Enhancements for Paladin and ERCA Programs
The modernization of field artillery also featured prominently at AUSA. BAE Systems unveiled incremental upgrades to its M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) system as well as updates on the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program.
The M109A7 now supports networked fire control via AFATDS v7 integration and precision-guided munitions such as the XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) and XM1113 rocket-assisted projectiles. Enhancements include improved recoil management for higher-rate firing cycles and a new autoloader prototype under evaluation.
The ERCA system—based on an extended-length XM1299 cannon—has achieved successful test firings out to ranges exceeding 70 km using XM1113 RAP rounds. According to statements from Picatinny Arsenal officials during AUSA panels (source):
- “We’re pushing toward consistent precision at over twice current Paladin range.”
- A new propellant blend is being tested alongside ramjet-assisted shells for future spiral upgrades.
Tactical Networking and C2 Integration Advances
A key enabler across all these systems is improved command-and-control architecture under Project Convergence’s Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) framework. The Army highlighted advances in tactical networking via its Capability Set ’25 rollout—featuring integrated SATCOM-on-the-move terminals, resilient mesh networks using TrellisWare TSM-X radios, and software-defined waveforms interoperable across services.
This digital backbone enables faster sensor-to-shooter loops between unmanned platforms like Lancer drones or RCVs and fires units operating Paladin or ERCA batteries. Demonstrations at AUSA showed real-time targeting data passed from airborne ISR assets through Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) ground stations directly into AFATDS fire missions within seconds.
Toward Autonomous Combined Arms Operations?
The convergence of these technologies suggests that the U.S. Army is inching closer toward semi-autonomous combined arms operations where human commanders orchestrate swarms of intelligent machines across domains—from air-launched loitering munitions suppressing threats ahead of robotic combat vehicles flanked by precision artillery support.
This vision remains years away from full realization due to challenges in trustable autonomy, contested spectrum environments, ethical constraints on lethal AI decision-making, and logistical burdens associated with maintaining fleets of unmanned platforms in austere theaters.
However, AUSA 2025 Day 1 made clear that these are not just conceptual experiments—they are funded programs moving through TRL maturation cycles with operational demos scheduled within FY26–FY27 windows.
Industry Implications and Procurement Outlook
The participation of firms like Anduril Industries—a non-traditional defense contractor known for rapid iteration cycles—and legacy primes like BAE Systems reflects an evolving acquisition ecosystem post-FYDP reform efforts under NDAA guidance.
- Lancer loitering munition may enter limited procurement via Other Transaction Authority (OTA) mechanisms by late FY26 if successful in upcoming live-fire exercises at Yuma Proving Ground.
- M109A7 PIM upgrades are already entering low-rate production lots tied to European Deterrence Initiative funding streams aimed at bolstering NATO posture against near-peer threats.
- The RCV-M platform could see initial fielding decisions aligned with Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle timelines depending on FY27 budget allocations from PEO GCS.
AUSA Day 1 underscored how multi-domain operations are no longer theoretical constructs but shaping real procurement decisions today—with implications for force structure design well into the next decade.
