On December 20, 2024, Ukraine’s successfully conducted an “all-robot” ground and air attack, with dozens of drones in the air and unmanned ground platforms coordinated in an assault against a Russian position in Kharkiv oblast. The remarkable achievement highlighted the rapid integration of robotic systems into current military formations. Human-machine integrated formations are no longer speculative concepts—they are operational necessities. US Army Futures Command, created to transform the Army to ensure war-winning readiness, is developing unmanned ground and aerial drones in order to not sacrifice the lives of soldiers in our next fight. Use of unmanned systems allows the Army to automate our riskiest tasks and to field robotic systems that enable leaders to make faster, better-informed decisions. The tactical formations of tomorrow will be hybrid in nature—comprised of soldiers and intelligent machines fighting together.
But fielding robotic platforms is not enough. The materiel component of this change in the character of warfare is paired with a cognitive element. To effectively command in the future, young leaders must understand robotic systems and how to employ them. Leaders must know what is required to win with robots, and the time to begin preparing is now.
Building the Skill Set: What Future Leaders Need to Know
If you polled senior Army leaders, the number one characteristic they would say a future leader must possess is adaptability. In doctrinal terms, they must be able “to influence conditions and respond effectively to changing threats and situations with appropriate, flexible, and timely actions.” To effectively lead a human-machine integrated formation, soldiers must develop technical and digital fluency that matches their physical endurance and tactical knowledge. Tactical decision-making will increasingly rely not only on the warfighting expertise honed by hard training, but also on the ability to operate and understand complex systems—both hardware and software.
Future leaders—whether officers, noncommissioned officers, or soldiers already serving, cadets preparing to begin their careers as military leaders, or high school students with an inclination to serve—should prioritize classes and other learning opportunities that will give them a basic understanding of software programing, data management, as well as the fundamentals of robotic design and repair. For example, becoming conversational in common robotic and AI software programming languages such as Python and C++ provides a basis for troubleshooting and adapting each system. Similarly, learning to build, repair, and design both air and ground robots, including those with sensor integration and autonomous navigation, will provide the fundamentals to then apply these systems in a fight. These skills won’t just enhance your effectiveness on the battlefield, but will create opportunities for advancement in a rapidly evolving military force.
Equally important is proficiency in network management and cybersecurity, as ground and aerial drones rely on resilient, fast data communications. Leaders must understand how these systems operate within the wireless (electromagnetic) spectrum and how their data moves—both to protect friendly systems and to exploit or deny enemy ones.
Training for the Future: Educating the Modern Warfighter
For the Army to accomplish its goals and foster a force fully optimized for human-machine integration, military education programs must evolve. Officer development pipelines such as Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and the US Military Academy at West Point must prioritize exposure to robotics, coding, and AI principles like we did for earlier generations with engineering principles. Partnerships at the university and high school level with robotics and coding clubs or programs is an easy win. Competition breeds excellence and students who participate in competitions, such as national robotics competitions, give future leaders a leg up in real-world problem-solving under stress.
Introducing elective tracks in cybersecurity, unmanned systems operations, or artificial intelligence within curriculums would empower students to specialize early. At the institutional level, the Army should explore embedding military instructors into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs or expanding internships with government research organizations like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency or Army Research Laboratory.
The Army of 2030 and beyond will not simply fight with boots on the ground—but with algorithms in the cloud and robots in formation. The time to prepare is now. By investing in education and training tailored to robotic integration, we will ensure that future leaders are not just operators of technology, but commanders of it.
Colonel Kevin Bradley is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division and most recently served as the director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team, a component of Army Futures Command, based at the Detroit (Michigan) Arsenal.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.
Image credit: Sgt. Dominick Smith, US Army