The U.S. Army’s air and missile defense (AMD) force “is undergoing the most significant modernization in our history,” the head of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) said August 5, 2025, at the 28th Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, commanding general of USASMDC, said the effort reflects a shift to integrated deterrence in increasingly contested domains.
Gainey noted that adversaries, such as the Chinese Communist Party and Russia, are increasingly turning to air and missile weapons as their tools of choice for deterrence, retaliation and conflict. “It’s no coincidence that as we enter this new air and missile age, the U.S. Army AMD force is undergoing the most significant modernization in our history,” he said.
“Air and missile defense is the offensive line for the Army’s close combat forces. We stop the rush from drones, missiles and air threats to enable fires and maneuver,” he said. “Like every great football team, you need a great offensive line to win.”
In the next few years, Gainey said, the Army will field game-changing systems and software, starting with the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). “IBCS enables tailorable formations that can be disaggregated across terrain to meet the operational and tactical need,” he said. “IBCS’s ability to use data from multiple sensors and create a composite firing solution sparks a fundamental change in how we fight.”
To augment the IBCS, the Army will field new Patriot missile battalions that use the new Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, replacing the workhorse Patriot radar; Indirect Fire Protection Capability; and Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense. Later, lighter equipment will be available for more mobile units, and more counter-unmanned aircraft systems will be fielded.
“Warfighting for today and tomorrow requires us to do things differently,” Gainey said. “The arc of warfighting is bending toward autonomous, remotely operated, and artificial intelligence-enabled systems. Army air and missile defense is no exception.”
“Human and machine integrated formations, offensive and defensive integrated launchers, battle management with artificial intelligence functions to reduce cognitive load, cheaper and faster procurement, and continuous transformation across both time horizons and the breadth of our systems guide us as we continue to build combat-ready formations that are leaner, faster, more lethal, and driven by the Army’s warrior ethos,” he added.
The service also will be initiating the 40D Space Operations Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in October. It is the first space-specific role for enlisted personnel. 40D Soldiers will provide close space support to military operations and assist in the integration of space capabilities.
Gainey said USASMDC’s 1st Space Brigade is integrating close combat space interdiction into corps-level maneuver exercises. Creation of the 40D specialty will advance that mission.
“This is the first space-specific MOS for enlisted Soldiers, and it couldn’t have come at a better time,” Gainey said. “The establishment of 40D MOS will alleviate the burden on other Army branches who are lending their Soldiers to space operations. This new space operations MOS is designed to build a robust and experienced noncommissioned officer corps in Army space and will ensure that Army space formations are equipped with Soldiers who have experience in space operations.”
Gainey said USASMDC continues to build toward the Army Air and Missile Defense Strategy 2040 and said the command is taking stock of the increased options that artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies offer. “The Army AMD Strategy 2040 describes the fundamental changes in how we will fight in midcentury combat with tailorable formations that can be disaggregated across terrain for defense and to create pockets of air and missile superiority where needed most,” he said.