Future Indirect Fires Content Library

During his 24-year tenure in the Army, Colonel Gregory Tomlin has seen his fair share of transformation efforts. A career Field Artillery officer, he has served in four divisions—the 1st Armor, 1st Infantry, 2nd Infantry, and 7th Infantry—and commanded both M109A6 and M777 units. His operational experience spans deployments to Iraq, where he served as a rifle platoon leader and later as a military advisor, and Kosovo, where he was task force Information Operations officer.

Beyond command, Colonel Tomlin has held key staff assignments on the Army and Joint Staff, including Chief of Targeting Doctrine and Policy on the Joint Staff J-2 and Chief of Army Readiness in the Army Staff G-3/5/7. He has also served as a White House Military Social Aide during the Obama administration and as an assistant professor of history at West Point. In July 2024, he assumed his current role as Army Capability Manager for Division Artillery Formations.

Now, with a new administration in the White House and new leadership in the DoD, Colonel Tomlin is embracing the latest Army Transformation Initiative, which includes plans to modernize the force, increase lethality, and restructure formations. In the latest interview from IDGA, Colonel Tomlin sat down to share his role in the Army’s Transformation Initiative as well as the value of international collaboration, and much more. The views he expresses are his own and do not necessarily represent those of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.

In January 2025, IDGA hosted its Future Indirect Fires Summit in Austin, Texas. This two-day event brought together leaders from the indirect fire community to discuss the latest innovations in indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine. Discussions on-site also focused on achieving enhanced lethality, survivability, precision, and range.

Throughout the event, attendees were urged to participate in live polling to share their thoughts on the current status of indirect fires in the U.S. Military. The following infographic displays survey results on topics such as:

• Which technology advancements hold the most promise for future fires
• Areas of munitions management that require the most attention
• The challenges of integrating new technologies into existing artillery units

Results show that there is not just one existing challenge in integrating new technologies to artillery units, but rather a handful of obstacles, making knowledge-sharing events such as the Future Indirect Fires Summit all the more critical. To continue providing a networking forum for the defense & security industry, IDGA is set to bring back the summit for an 8th year in January 2026, this time in the DC Metro Area.

Interested in seeing who attended the IDGA 2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit? Take a look at the attendee snapshot, featuring the companies, military leaders, and government officials who joined us in 2025, many of whom are expected to return in 2026!

Amidst the rapidly evolving technology landscape and need for common software systems, the US Army Futures Command is leading discussions surrounding innovations in indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine, Israel, and potential future Large Scale Combat Operations in a Multi-Domain environment.

COL Michael Englis is the Army Capability Manager of Fires Cells & Targeting for the Army Futures Command where he is involved in working with acquisition teams and the operational force of the US Army and assists with the integration of new technologies. COL Englis currently manages Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (AFATDS, being replaced by Artillery Execution Suite (AXS), targeting system (JADOCS, being replaced by JTIC2s), and all fire support equipment. IDGA sat down with COL Englis to discuss topics such as:

• The role of live data sensors in modern military operations
• The future of drone and robotic sensors in the military
• What attendees can expect to take away from the Future Indirect Fires Summit

Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown a shift in modern warfare, and one pillar that embodies these changes is military artillery. One example of the evolution of military artillery is loitering munitions, which combine the accuracy of missiles with the versatility of drones.

This report will provide key information such as:

• an overview of what loitering munitions are
• how they are being used in modern conflicts
• A look at the DoD's Project Lasso

IDGA’s 2025 Future Indirect Fires Summit gathered leaders from the indirect fire community to discuss the latest innovations in indirect fire systems, support systems, munitions, and challenges presented by the current conflict in Ukraine.

To get the conversation started early, experts in the artillery and munitions field, including several conference attendees, participated in the “IDGA Future Indirect Fires Survey 2024/25.” These respondents represented US military divisions such as Army Futures Command, and the Marines, international militaries such as the French army, and defense industry leaders such as Airbus and Draper.

This report analyzes the 45+ responses to the survey, focusing on areas such as next-gen munitions capabilities and lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine.

Future Indirect Fires provides unparalleled exhibition opportunities, allowing our partners to showcase their expertise, engage with our entire audience and generate rich business interactions. Contact us directly at idga@idga.com if you want more information on any of the available spaces, we'll get back to you with all the relevant information.

Future Indirect Fires 2025 took place on Feb 14-15 2025 at Downright Hotel, Austin, Texas. 

A range of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities were available for: 

• Land and Ground Systems OEMs (Cannon & Platform)
• Missiles and Munitions Manufacturers (Precision/ Advanced Guided Munitions, Traditional Munitions, Loitering Munitions, Kamikaze Drones, One Way Attack)
• Electronics & Technology Solution Providers (Integration Systems, C2/Fire Control Systems, AI/ML Software, Automation)

To inquire about sponsorship for 2026, please email partner@idga.org