Recap: Highlights from the US Army’s 2025 conference in Washington
The Army continues to transform, with efforts focused on next-gen weaponry, long-range artillery, unmanned systems and much more.
Unmanned
Pentagon stages first ‘Top Drone’ school for operators to hone skills
Industry and military drone operators flew tethered and untethered first-person drones through a course designed to test endurance and maneuverability.
Space Force wants to be the world’s first fully digital service
The vision outlines four focus areas: Digital engineering, digital workforce, digital headquarters and digital operations.
Army approves rapid development of Tactical Space Layer
The Army continues to make progress in utilizing satellite imagery for beyond-line-of-sight targeting.
Launch of experimental military navigation satellite pushed back to 2023
Navigation Technology Satellite 3 will launch later than planned, but the Air Force Research Laboratory says it will use the extra time for more ground testing and risk reduction.
National Reconnaissance Office conducts first launch of 2021
The NRO utilized a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket for the launch.
DARPA’s plan to use drones to find drones
With Aerial Dragnet, DARPA is using overhead sensors to find drones in urban environments.
Space Development Agency wants to update the standard for its orbital mesh network
The Space Development Agency wants industry feedback as it develops a standard for its optical intersatellite links.
Space Force wants to introduce commercial capabilities to all mission areas
Space and Missile Systems Center Portfolio Architect Col. Russell Teehan wants the Space Force to embrace commercial and create more connections between industry and operators.
DARPA chooses three firms to design nuclear-powered space vehicle
DARPA believes nuclear-powered propulsion could enable rapid maneuver in space — a capability that is difficult to achieve with current electric and chemical propulsion systems.
German Space Agency to use Lockheed Martin tool to track space debris
Lockheed Martin's iSpace can track thousands of space objects, allowing operators to foresee collisions and try to avoid them.
