The U.S. Army is testing a new integrated technology system at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana, to prepare soldiers for warfare involving drones and artificial intelligence. Developed in partnership with defense tech company Forterra, the platform aims to synthesize data from multiple manufacturers to streamline training operations.
The initiative follows a Pentagon announcement of a new Autonomous Warfare Command, led by a four-star general, to scale AI, robotics, and low-cost drone capabilities. Bryan Pickens, a veteran who served 14 combat deployments, stated the military must modernize to face peer enemies after two decades focused on fighting "dirt farmers."
The new platform, known as OASIS-Fabric and OneLink, acts as "middleware" to allow various autonomous systems and communications technologies to work together. Currently, the resident opposing force at JRTC, the 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, uses these tools to simulate enemy tactics. The system is designed to allow individual soldiers to conduct mission autonomy planning at the tactical edge without needing to wait for higher headquarters.
For the average soldier, this change means a shift in day-to-day training and eventually combat operations, where mission planning and data processing will be handled locally on the battlefield. The program seeks to increase the speed of tactical decisions and reduce long-term costs by moving away from proprietary, non-interoperable equipment. While the system has undergone the Department of Defense's Authority to Operate process, Forterra officials noted there is no guarantee the platform will work perfectly in its early stages.
If successful at the Louisiana training center, the Army plans to expand the platform to all of its training centers and eventually into active combat zones. Military officials, including Lt. Col. Trevor Jones, stated that the force must "fail fast" during these experiments to avoid being outclassed by the technological advancements of rival nations. No specific dates for a wider rollout were reported.