The U.S. Army is revamping how it conducts experimentation events, shifting from isolated events focused on individual warfighting functions to more integrated concept-focused designs starting in fiscal 2026. This update was announced by Lt. Gen. David Hodne, the director of the Army’s Futures and Concepts Center.
The Army’s significant experimentation initiative, known as Project Convergence, is set to continue and will occur in the summer of 2026. In preparation for this, a series of experimentation events will take place to integrate warfighting functions into a cohesive strategy for future combat, as detailed by Hodne during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium in Huntsville.
Historically, the Army’s experimentation efforts were concentrated within its Centers of Excellence, including events like the Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Vanguard exercises focused on intelligence capabilities. Hodne stated, “We’ve reorganized how we’re going to do those experiments.”
To kick off this new direction, the Army will conduct its annual Title 10 war game in November 2025, followed by a command-and-control (C2) experiment in early spring. This experiment will evaluate a comprehensive range of C2 and counter-C2 capabilities, testing at both the theater and brigade levels.
Subsequently, the Army plans to execute a cross-domain fires experiment at Fort Sill, which will include various fire systems and effects, utilizing both live and simulated environments. The final integrated experiment will focus on expanded maneuver capabilities at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the same spring timeframe. This last experiment will feature advanced launched effects, autonomous systems, and human-machine integrated formations, all supported by formation-based layered protection systems.
Furthermore, the Army intends to initiate two Future Studies Programs that will draw on findings from the three concept-focused experiments before culminating in the capstone Project Convergence event in July.
Overall, Hodne emphasized that this new approach offers “a more coherent approach to our experimentation.” Brig. Gen. Zachary Miller, the Army Joint Modernization Command commander, added that these focused experiments will aid industry partners in understanding how they can support the Army’s needs.
Additionally, to streamline industry participation, the Army plans to consolidate its call for proposals regarding experimentation efforts, which are presently distributed across various platforms. Miller expressed optimism that starting in FY26, this consolidated process will lead to improved coherence for upcoming events and ensure that the capabilities developed align with the Army’s operational requirements.
The author of the article, Jen Judson, is an award-winning journalist who covers land warfare for Defense News and has had prior experience with Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master’s degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College.
