and electromagnetic spectrums over hid- ing in just the visible spectrum. Recon- naissance is now a continuous, multi-do- main effort, fusing inputs from unmanned systems, aerial electronic warfare (EW), and ground sensors. Operations orders and graphics must evolve to include new control measures like UAS lanes, C-UAS bubbles, and digital kill boxes. Rehears- als must move beyond the sand table to include digital kill-chain walkthroughs and airspace deconfliction drills.
This redefinition extends to our Critical Tactical Tasks. Establishing security now involves deploying a network of sensors and effectors. Reacting to contact is in- creasingly a reaction to a digital signa- ture or an automatic target recognition (ATR) system alert from the FLOS. The first action may not be direct fire, but a precis- ion strike cued by an unmanned system. Re-establishing a perimeter and redistri- buting ammunition as part of consolida- tion and reorganization now must include regenerating the FLOS forward, re-arm- ing loitering munitions, and updating the common operating picture. Conducting field maintenance will mean that a main- tenance team will be just as likely to bring a ruggedized laptop and a 3D printer for a broken drone part as they are a torque wrench. Conducting casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) operations will become a complex tactical problem. Getting a woun- ded Soldier out will require a planned and rehearsed C-UAS corridor, obscuration, and deception to draw the eyes of enemy drones away from the evacuation route.
Our Scout Fundamentals are also trans- forming. A screen now transcends mount- ed and dismounted observation posts, requiring a deep, resilient, and multi-do- main sensor web that can detect, identify, and sometimes even service targets long before they reach the main body. A recon- naissance handover is now a digital trans- fer of data, ensuring a seamless transi- tion of understanding.
Finally, Tank Fundamentals are evolving. Engagement area development now be- gins 20 kilometers out, as the FLOS ident- ifies enemy assembly areas. The execu- tion of an in-stride breach now begins with loitering munitions and first-person view (FPV) drones suppressing overwatch before the reduction or assault force is
Spring 2026 CAVALRY & ARMOR JOURNAL
exposed, preserving the shock effect of our armor.
Gaps in Training, Doctrine, and Leader Development
This redefined execution of our funda- mentals naturally exposes gaps across our training, doctrine, and leader devel- opment enterprise.
In training, we lack sufficient brigade- scale, instrumented repetitions that inte- grate unmanned systems, EMS, C-UAS, and digital fires in a contested environ- ment. We must practice in degraded
modes and incorporate AI-enabled plan- ning. Critically, we must treat EW, small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), and C-UAS as 10-level tasks. Our experience shows that small-unit innovations, like adapting the Integrated Weapons Train- ing Strategy (IWTS) to scale FPV drone capabilities, can be highly effective, but this requires ranges capable of massing these new effects and standardized ap- proval pathways.
In Doctrine, we must formally codify the IER framework and the FLOS. We lack
Figure 2. Illustrates the “Explotation Phase’ of the IER framework. 47
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