Army Tests AI-Enabled Command Systems Across Pacific Theater
The U.S. Army said artificial intelligence-enabled command and control will be central to multi-domain operations in the Pacific. Army leaders discussed AI and machine learning during the 2026 Land Forces Pacific Symposium in Honolulu on May 12.
I Corps completed its first Operation Courage Lethality exercise in April, testing soldiers' ability to conduct coordinated attacks across multiple domains while reducing their digital footprint. Units in Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Australia and Idaho tested AI capabilities across thousands of miles, using live data to simulate a long-distance battle scenario across the South China Sea.
Next-Generation Command Systems
The 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii and the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in Colorado are working to improve data accessibility through next-generation command and control, known as NGC2. The system uses AI-enhanced technology to support commanders' decisions rather than replace human judgment.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Neil Thurgood, former director of the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, said AI assists commanders in making better and faster decisions with more available data. "Artificial intelligence is not designed to replace the commander," Thurgood said.
Thurgood identified three major trends shaping future command and control:
- The shift from a linear kill chain to an AI-enabled network kill web linking sensors, shooters and command centers
- The increasing importance of decision speed
- The move toward modular command systems that are continuously upgraded
Network Security and Speed
Army Maj. Gen. Denise McPhail, commander of the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command, said adversaries have already used AI to exploit civilian-sector vulnerabilities. The Army must prepare to defend networks and operate quickly in contested digital environments.
"The future of AI is going to be to secure at speed and to operate at speed," McPhail said. AI allows commanders to focus on what humans do best: critical thinking.
McPhail said the Army could benefit from using digital twins to simulate network conditions and identify outages or vulnerabilities. Such tools could allow leaders to assess potential network problems in hours or days rather than months.
Building a Data-Literate Workforce
Army Maj. Gen. Matthew Cogbill, commander of the 11th Airborne Division and U.S. Army Alaska, said soldiers need stronger data literacy as the battlefield becomes saturated with information. Intelligence soldiers in particular should receive training to understand and use data effectively.
"You have to train everybody; we need a data-literate workforce," Cogbill said. Younger soldiers, who grew up with digital tools, often need less foundational training but require structured practice with military-specific applications.
For operations professionals looking to develop expertise in this area, resources like AI for Operations and the AI Learning Path for Data Analysts address the decision-making and data skills emphasized by Army leaders.
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