Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve warned that the United States military is abandoning the long-held assumption that combat would remain overseas, preparing instead for a scenario where American forces face attack on home soil before deploying. LaNeve stated that the Army is rethinking decades of strategy built on secure domestic supply lines, a premise that no longer holds against modern threats like drones, cyberattacks, and long-range weapons.
Speaking at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference in Washington, LaNeve noted that during the Global War on Terror, the military could rely on safe bases and logistics. That confidence is now eroding. In a potential conflict with China, the Pentagon's latest report indicates that Beijing has positioned cyber capabilities inside U.S. critical infrastructure networks. These systems could be used to disrupt American military mobilization, delaying forces from reaching the battlefield.
The Army is responding through its new "How the Army Fights" operational framework. This guidance prioritizes the ability to deploy, communicate, and sustain operations even when military bases and supply lines are under active attack. LaNeve described the document as a necessary "stake in the ground" to provide direction for training and technology integration. He explained that the Army is developing command and control capabilities that allow units to operate disconnected from central networks and then reconnect when possible, maintaining maneuverability throughout.
Defensive measures are being tightened around domestic installations. LaNeve highlighted Joint Interagency Task Force 401, a unit coordinating with federal and local law enforcement agencies to enhance drone countermeasures at military facilities. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle pointed to operations along the southern border as a practical testbed for this technology, where soldiers are already using counter-drone systems against real-world threats to gain experience applicable to future conflicts.
The shift also includes preparing for biological threats. Officials announced this week that biological incidents will be incorporated into routine combat training, ensuring soldiers can continue missions through disease outbreaks or deliberate biological attacks. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink added that advances in surveillance technology could soon make it difficult for military forces to operate without detection. He suggested this level of tracking could emerge within five years, potentially sooner, as adversaries like China expand their capabilities.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized previous administrations for failing to keep pace with technological advances in areas such as hypersonics, space weaponization, and drones. Despite these technological shifts, LaNeve emphasized that soldiers remain the primary platform of the Army. He stated that while new technology makes troops more capable, soldiers must retain the fundamental skills needed to fight when those systems are unavailable.