Rolling Along: A Conversation on Army Readiness and Modernization

To ensure U.S. soldiers never confront an adversary with more advanced weapons, the Army is undertaking a generational modernization effort.

In light of growing military threats from Russia and China, the Army’s success is essential for American security. As outlined in March 2020 testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Army believes Moscow “has the greatest capability to challenge U.S. interests today and is expected to deliver modern capabilities to its forces through the mid to late 2020s.” Similarly, the Army expects Beijing to be the “world’s largest investor in research and development by 2030,” fielding a “fully modernized force by 2035.” Based on these threats, what is the status of Army readiness and modernization? How are key research and development efforts going? How is the global pandemic impacting the Army?

To discuss these challenges in depth, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power Bradley Bowman sat down with two of the service’s key leaders: Under Secretary of the Army Mr. James E. McPherson and Vice Chief of Staff General Joseph M. Martin in Rolling Along: A Conversation on Army Readiness and Modernization.

Video, transcript, related analysis, speaker bios, and additional event information available here: https://www.fdd.org/events/2020/08/21/a-conversation-on-army-readiness-and-modernization/