A discussion on priorities for the U.S. Army with Secretary Mark Esper

Rapid advances in technology often outpace the U.S. military’s ability to acquire and properly harness the best tools. As such, a major reform push is underway — including the opening of Army Futures Command this summer — to modernize processes and fold new technology into production much more quickly than in the past. One catalyst of this push is the renewed focus on great power competition, as outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Among six major priorities for the U.S. Army, some such as hypersonic weapons have been called “game changers.”

On June 5, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings hosted a discussion on the Army Strategic Plan and other priorities for that service. The discussion featured the Honorable Mark T. Esper, Secretary of the U.S. Army, who gave brief opening remarks. Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon then moderated a conversation, while adding his own perspective.