The Army’s Extended Range Cannon Artillery system under development hit a target 43 miles away on the nose at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, on Dec. 19. The ERCA used an Excalibur extended-range guided artillery shell, according to Brig. Gen. John Rafferty, who is overseeing the service’s Long-Range Precision Fires modernization effort. The system takes an M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management howitzer chassis and replaces the 39-caliber gun tube with a 58-caliber, 30-foot one. Combined with Raytheon-made Excalibur munitions and an XM1113 using supercharged propellant, the Army has been able to dramatically boost artillery ranges. (Ana Henderson/Army)
The Army plans to pick the fire control (optic) for its Next Generation Squad Weapon by the end of this year. A downselect between three vendors for the weapon is to take place next year. The companies are Sig Sauer, which won over evaluators to replace the 1980s-era Beretta M9 sidearm with the M17 and M18 9mm pistol variants; General Dynamics; and Textron Systems. (Jacki Belker/Staff)
The Army’s Asymmetric Warfare Group was deactivated May 13, a service spokesman told Army Times. The little known but highly influential group was involved in how the Army learned immediate lessons from combat, adapted to the evolving battlefield and saved soldiers’ lives. The exact reasons for the closure are unclear, but sources told Army Times on the condition of anonymity that it was related to the elimination of programs to make room in the budget for other modernization efforts. (Lt. Col. Sonise Lumbaca/Army)
The U.S. Army announced the consolidation of its Europe and Africa commands on Nov. 20, dubbed U.S. Army Europe and Africa. And U.S. Central Command also experienced a realignment, bringing Israel within its area of responsibility in September. (Spc. Mathew Pous/Army)
In May, the Army announced it is permitting ponytails for women, regardless of uniform. The change allows female troops to wear their hair in a single ponytail, a single braid or two braids. The length must not extend below the bottom of the shoulder blades when the soldier is standing at the position of attention, and commanders may direct soldiers to wear their ponytails tucked into their uniform blouses in environments where long hair would present a safety hazard. (Army)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a memorandum in August directing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for service members, including those on active duty, in the National Guard and in a Reserve unit. Those exempt, according to the memo and Pentagon press secretary John Kirby, include those actively participating in COVID-19 clinical trials and those with preexisting conditions who are advised against being vaccinated by their doctors. Kirby also said there be be exemptions on religious grounds. (Sgt. Leona C. Hendrickson/Army National Guard)
The Army has chosen a unit to receive the service's first hypersonic weapon capability, Lt. Gen. L. Neil Thurgood, director of the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, said earlier this year. The Army has worked with industry to build the hypersonic weapon glide body industrial base, but it also separately produced launchers, trucks, trailers and the battle operation center needed to put together a ground-launched hypersonic weapon battery. An Aug. 25 report by the Congressional Research Service said the service's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon program is expected to pair the common glide vehicle with the Navy’s booster system for a range exceeding 1,725 miles. (Luke Lamborn/Navy)
An Army directive signed in May ordered the active-duty Army and Army Reserve to appoint as corporals all specialists who are fully promotable to sergeant. This means they were recommended by a unit board for promotion and completed the monthlong Basic Leader Course. Before the change, lateral appointments to corporal were permitted for specialists selected for promotion to sergeant regardless of whether they’d completed the course, but only if they were serving in a position that required a noncommissioned officer. That old policy presented “some risk” because “we’d have [corporals] promoted who are not trained, taking leadership positions,” Sgt. Maj. Mark Clark, the deputy chief of staff G-1 senior enlisted leader, told Army Times. (Sgt. Joseph Truckley/Army)
