The US Army is preparing for a future in which American military forces could face attacks on their own soil before deploying overseas, as drones, cyberattacks, long-range weapons and advanced surveillance technologies reshape the modern battlefield, Fox News Digital reported.
Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff, said the US military could face significant challenges deploying forces against a major adversary, particularly China, if American bases, transportation networks and communications infrastructure come under attack.
"If we're going against a pacing threat, power projection will be contested," LaNeve told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Association of the United States Army's annual conference in Washington, LaNeve said the military was reconsidering assumptions developed during decades of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, when American forces could largely rely on secure bases and supply lines at home.
"During the Global War on Terror, we took a lot of things for granted, because we could," he said.
China threat raises concerns over US military mobilisation
According to Fox News Digital, a potential conflict with China could expose vulnerabilities in the infrastructure needed to move American forces to the battlefield. Disruptions to military installations, transport networks and communications could delay deployments and complicate operations.
The Pentagon's latest report on China's military capabilities has warned that Beijing has positioned cyber capabilities inside US critical infrastructure networks that could potentially be used to disrupt American military mobilisation during a conflict.
The concerns come as the Pentagon increases its focus on homeland defence and the protection of military installations.
New Army framework focuses on fighting through disruptions
The Army's How the Army Fights operational framework is intended to establish clearer priorities for training, combat operations and the integration of new technology. It emphasises preparing forces to deploy and sustain operations even when communications, supply lines and military infrastructure are disrupted.
LaNeve said the framework would provide direction for the Army's future development.
"It was important to get this document out to provide a direction for our Army, a stake in the ground in where we're moving," he told Fox News Digital.
The Army is additionally incorporating biological incidents into routine combat training to prepare troops for disease outbreaks or deliberate biological attacks that could disrupt military operations.
US military warns surveillance could expose troops worldwide
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink separately warned that advances in surveillance technology could make it increasingly difficult for military forces to avoid detection.
"We are rapidly heading to a point in time where, depending on what your signature is, how fast you're moving, the enemy is going to have some sense to where you are no matter where you are on the planet," Meink said.
He suggested that such capabilities could emerge within five years, possibly sooner, as China and other adversaries improve their ability to track military assets.
Hegseth criticises US military's technology preparedness
War Secretary Pete Hegseth criticised the Pentagon's handling of emerging military technologies under the previous administration, arguing that the US had failed to keep pace in several areas.
“On hypersonics, they took a nap. On space, they took a nap. On weaponization of space, they took a nap. On drones, they took a nap,” Hegseth said.
LaNeve, however, stressed that technological advances would not eliminate the need for soldiers to maintain fundamental combat skills.
“Soldiers are our number one platform. It is the Army's platform,” he told Fox News Digital.
The technology is intended to make troops more capable, he said, but soldiers must remain able to carry out their missions when advanced systems are unavailable.