Budget · Autonomy

Army's three-star Futures and Autonomous Systems Command will consolidate DEVCOM's work

The Army will designate a Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Autonomy and prioritize acquiring and fielding autonomous systems, from fires to breaching, by fiscal 2028.

October 13, 2026

Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army's acting chief of staff, has selected Futures and Concepts Command for redesignation as the Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM), the Army announced Oct. 13.¹ Led by a three-star general officer, FASCOM will "consolidate, integrate and ultimately accelerate the work of" five organizations, including the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM). The others are Medical Research and Development Command, 75th Innovation Command, Joint Modernization Command and the Transformation Decision Analysis Center.¹ Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle ordered FASCOM's establishment in an Oct. 1 memo, after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced an Autonomous Warfare Command on Sept. 30.²

The Army will designate a Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Autonomy

Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle signed a memorandum on Oct. 1, 2026 directing establishment of FASCOM and ordering changes to force structure, acquisition and personnel

U.S. Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM)Led by a three-star general officerplanned

will consolidate, integrate and ultimately accelerate the work of the Combat Capabilities Development Command, Medical Research and Development Command, 75th Innovation Command, Joint Modernization Command and the Transformation Decision Analysis Center

Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Autonomywould have single authorityplanned

Defense News reported that the PAE for Autonomy would have single authority over buying the Army's priority autonomous systems

prioritize acquisition and fieldingno later than fiscal year 2028planned

autonomous fires, combat vehicles, watercraft resupply, breaching, reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition capabilities, as well as collaborative teaming between crewed and uncrewed platforms

The Army says the change unifies expertise that the new Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Autonomy will depend on

Defense News reported Telle's memo does not say who will lead FASCOM, where it will be based or when it will be established

Sources: U.S. Army releases, Oct. 2 and Oct. 13, 2026. Single-authority detail and caveat reported by Defense News, Oct. 13, 2026. As of Oct. 13, 2026.

Sources

TGOs tgos.io

The Army ties that consolidation to buying. It says the change unifies expertise the new Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Autonomy will depend on. One of the first tasks LaNeve set FASCOM is corps-level autonomy: each of the Army's five corps will test equipment, evaluate tactics and make recommendations.¹ By our count, every capability on the Army's fiscal 2028 priority list has a matching corps experiment.²

I Corps will test an autonomous fires battery and watercraft company, III Corps an autonomous armored reconnaissance company and V Corps an autonomous breaching company.¹ XVIII Airborne Corps will test aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and lift companies, and 8th Army will test pairing manned and unmanned rotary-wing aircraft, the list's crewed-uncrewed teaming.^1–2 Only the lift companies match nothing on it.

Also announced: Fort Rucker, Ala., is now the Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Autonomy Center of Excellence, LaNeve said.¹

Defense News reported that the acquisition executive would have single authority over buying the Army's priority autonomous systems.³ Neither Army release names who will lead that office or FASCOM, or when FASCOM will stand up; the two leaders' names are the next announcements to watch.^1–2 Asked how FASCOM relates to the Autonomous Warfare Command and how the changes will be paid for, an Army spokesperson said the Army had no information to provide beyond its release, Defense News reported.³

Sources (3)

U.S. Army: Future Focused: Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Details Army Autonomy Advancements (Oct. 13, 2026) www.army.mil
U.S. Army: Army announces Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (Oct. 2, 2026) www.army.mil
Defense News: US Army to stand up command for unmanned and autonomous warfare (Oct. 13, 2026) www.defensenews.com

Story permalink ↗

Keep readingBack to top ↑

Budget · Autonomy

Army says newly announced autonomy command will feed into planned Autonomous Warfare Command

Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle describes an Army-wide coordination role for FASCOM as the service pushes autonomy into its units.

October 16, 2026

The Army’s newly announced Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM) “feeds up into” the planned Autonomous Warfare Command, Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle said Oct. 14.^1–2 He spoke at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington.¹

Telle said FASCOM will work with the other services

The memo says the AWC will define joint needs

FASCOMcreate scale for purchasing powerplanned

Telle said Fascom will work with the other services to create scale for purchasing power and share best practices on autonomy.

Autonomous Warfare Commandintegrate Service-provided forcesplanned

Autonomous Warfare Command will define joint needs and integrate Service-provided forces in support of geographic combatant commanders.

Army.mil, Oct. 15, 2026; Secretary of War memorandum, Sept. 30, 2026.

Sources

TGOs tgos.io

Telle said FASCOM will work with the other services to create scale for purchasing power and share best practices on autonomy.¹

Under the Sept. 30 memo signed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Autonomous Warfare Command would define joint needs and integrate service-provided forces in support of geographic combatant commanders.^1–2

Sources (2)

U.S. Army: Hegseth: Autonomous Warfare Command has always been end state (Oct. 15, 2026) www.army.mil
Secretary of War memo: Project Agincourt - Pathway to the Autonomous Warfare Command (Sept. 30, 2026) media.defense.gov

Story permalink ↗

Budget · Autonomy

Autonomous Warfare Command startup funding hinges on reconciliation, Defense One reports

Defense One reports the Pentagon is seeking startup money through a separate reconciliation bill whose passage is uncertain.

October 25, 2026

The Department of War requested $54 billion earlier this year for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, Defense One reports. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has said the group would help launch the Autonomous Warfare Command. The administration requested the money alongside other military priorities through a separate reconciliation bill outside the $1 trillion defense budget.¹

Defense One: Autonomous Warfare Command startup funding remains a request

Funding request and command establishment target

$54 billionRequested for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group

October 1, 2027Target establishment date for the Autonomous Warfare Command

Defense One reports Hegseth said the group would be used to launch the command. The requested money sits in a separate bill whose passage is uncertain.

Reported by Defense One, Oct. 25, 2026; Secretary of War memo. As of Oct. 25, 2026.

TGOs tgos.io

Hegseth said at an Oct. 14 panel that the command would become the Pentagon's official purchaser of autonomous technology, but offered few other details. The startup money remains a request, with passage of the funding bill uncertain.¹

A Pentagon official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, reiterated the $54 billion reconciliation request when Defense One asked about a backup funding plan.¹

Hegseth's memo says the command will possess directed manpower, budget and acquisition authorities. It directs collaboration with Congress to secure necessary legislation, with a target establishment date of Oct. 1, 2027. It requires a plan of action and milestones within 30 days, identifying resources and required authorities.² Defense One reports the plan is due at the end of October.¹

John G. Ferrari, an American Enterprise Institute nonresident senior fellow and retired two-star general, told Defense One reconciliation money must arrive by Christmas, before the new Congress is seated in January. Without it, he said, the Pentagon could still stand up the organization, but it won't have the buying power necessary to meet its mission. Mark Cancian suggested drawing acquisition money from the services, an alternative he told the outlet would be difficult.¹

Sources (2)

Defense One: Funding, force-structure issues could hinder Hegseth's new autonomous command (Oct. 25, 2026) www.defenseone.com
Secretary of War memo: Project Agincourt - Pathway to the Autonomous Warfare Command media.defense.gov

Story permalink ↗