Spotlight Content

A year ago, IDGA published an article analyzing where the Army stood in its efforts to create a next-generation Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV). 12-months later, there have been several updates to the RCV program, and the following piece breaks them all down. By downloading "Robotic Combat Vehicle: The U.S. Army's Path to Autonomous Warfare," readers will gain the following:

• 2025 updates to the Army's RCV program
• Congressional and industry concerns with the program
• A breakdown of the three RCV variants

Before the defense community gathers in Detroit this summer for the Armored Vehicles Conference, IDGA has put together the following “Armored Vehicle Defense Acquisition Report: North America 2025-2029,” which covers the following:

• General trends across the armored vehicle industry
• An update on U.S. armored vehicle programs
• CUAS capabilities in armored vehicles
• Canadian armored vehicle programs
  

February 2025 marks three years since Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During that time, the U.S. military and its NATO allies have learned valuable lessons about contemporary military operations that range in topics from UAS to command and control, armored vehicles and more. As the Former Commanding General of the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine (SAGU), (Ret.) Lieutenant General Tony Aguto learned these lessons firsthand while supporting the Ukrainian military with battlefield and security systems advice, as well as providing material and training needs.

Aguto has 36 years of experience as a strategic planner, expert trainer and commander in the U.S. Army. He is an expert in military readiness, coalition building, navigating U.S. and NATO Defense Policy, and integrating technology in today’s complex and demanding environment. Prior to his role at SAGU, Aguto commanded at all four Army levels from Lieutenant to General and has directed the Army’s Training Centers in the US and overseas, including Eastern Europe.

This June 24-25, (Ret.) LTG Aguto will present at IDGA’s Armored Vehicle USA conference on lessons he took away from his experience in Ukraine. During the two-day event speakers will cover everything armored vehicles related: from strategic issues to the threat environment, to the challenges of MRO and lifecycle management, all the way through to the next generation of ‘optionally manned’ combat vehicles.

Before attendees arrive in Detroit this summer, IDGA sat down with Aguto to discuss items such as:

• How the threat landscape has evolved for armored vehicles
• The role of emerging technologies in future armored vehicle development
• What he is looking forward to at the upcoming Armored Vehicle USA conference. 

Download insights on Ukraine’s lessons shaping the future of armored warfare, innovation in armored vehicles, and strategies for survivability and modernization.

The proliferation of anti-tank missiles has changed the armored domain. Armor is expected to operate in ever more threatening and complex environments, and due to this there has been a renewed interest in Active Protection Systems (APS). C.M Jacobs explores how the US has answered the call for better protection systems in this article delving into the thoughts and philosophies of the major APS systems in the market today. Furthermore, he argues that the introduction of APS has caused a shift in the conception of armored protection and that military planners will have to accept the system as the “New Normal”. This article covers:

• The history of APS
• Analysis of current APS Systems
• What the development of APS systems mean for procurement and planning as a whole
  

The Maneuver Center of Excellence of the U.S. Army is at the heart of the Pentagon’s plans to invest US$1 billion over the next few years for the development of robotics systems, having held their first-ever Robotics Industry Day this summer. “In conventional operations, as well as in the urban and asymmetric environment, robotics present many obvious benefits for combat troops” declares Ted Maciuba, Deputy Director of the Robotics Requirements at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and speaker at IAVs 2019 during his interview with Defence IQ. 

Download the full interview below to learn more about the place and opportunity of robotics for land forces on situational awareness, manoeuvre and connectivity. 

In total, $13.2 billion have been set aside for the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle program, part of the ‘big six’ priorities of the service. Ahead of this year’s International Armored Vehicles Defence IQ have compiled a report highlighting the priorities for investment in order to advance the NGCV portfolio.

Download this report to learn more about:

• How artificial intelligence will increase the Army’s lethality and response time
• The $200 million contract award for Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. and Leonardo DRS Inc. to provide Trophy active protection systems for Abrams tanks in both the Army and the Marine Corps
• The research by military and academic partners to teach autonomous robots to navigate in unfamiliar terrain by demonstration
• The $2.65 billion upgrade of M-1 Abrams tanks
• The $1.96 billion procurement of 5,113 JLTV
• The $828.4 million Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles program 
• The $265.7 million program for the procurement of 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles 

LAND 400 is the biggest and most expensive acquisition project in the Australian Army’s history, the programme will transform the Army’s Armoured Fighting Vehicle capability, providing support for decades into the future. Defence IQ sat down with Lt Col Chris Mckendry, Land 400 Project ManagerTest & Evaluation to discuss his thoughts on the driving forces behind the programme.

The United States Army is set to receive $57 billion over the next five years geared towards its modernization and the ‘big six’ priorities. One of the six key priority areas for Futures Command is the Next Generation Combat Vehicle portfolio, encompassing the complete future maneuver capability for the U.S. Army requirements generation, design and integration.

Download this article to find out more about the Futures Command’s ongoing programs and what this reshape of the U.S. Army means from its Commanding General, General John M. Murray.

The threat landscape surrounding armoured vehicles is evolving. With emerging technologies come new challenges, and land forces need to adapt accordingly to remain dominant on the 2035 battlefield. Ahead of International Armoured Vehicles 2019, Defence IQ surveyed senior executives and professionals within the armoured vehicle domain, including commercial and military. The results contained in this infographic provide:

• Insights into the 2035 operating environment and threat landscape
• Key future demands in armoured vehicles and growth markets
• The place of robotics and autonomous systems and what other technologies will be key
• The current main challenges the respondents are encountering