Project Convergence 2021: Army to demo modernization ingenuity and Joint Force interoperability

The U.S. Army has commenced Project Convergence 2021, a large-scale, live-fire, multidomain exercise to test the effectiveness of newly harnessed technologies and innovative tactical approaches.

The six-week exercise at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), Ariz. and White Sands

Missile Range, N.M., includes the participation of personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

Participants will experiment with more than 100 new technologies across seven use cases during the event, illustrating how members of the Joint Force can employ and interact with dynamic software, systems and equipment to execute key strategic aims.

Technologies to be tested utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and other scientific advances in transformative ways, resulting in sophisticated sensor-toshooter systems and revolutionary speed, range and convergence of Joint operations.

Numerous service members, including the 82nd Airborne

Division and Special Operations Forces, will support the event, which will also incorporate use of premier U.S. military assets such as F-35 fighter jets and long-range precision fires.

Project Convergence 2021 is the second iteration of the Army’s annual Project Convergence capstone event. Project Convergence 2020 focused on the testing of promising new technologies, while PC 21 will demonstrate how the Army can sync recent modernization advances with Joint Force warfighting strategies on a technologically robust and hightempo battlefield.

“Project Convergence 2021 is about how we use technology to fight and organize for the future. Each of the Joint Services has capability from a sensing standpoint. We are learning how to converge all of the Joint capabilities together to enable the best sensor to the best shooter, regardless of Service,” said Gen. John M. Murray, commanding general of U.S. Army Futures Command.

The Army plans to showcase results of the exercise during an event at YPG this fall. The daylong event, referred to as Project Convergence 21 Live, will provide distinguished visitors the opportunity to view a live demonstration and learn more about the Army and Joint Force’s warfighting innovations.

Army Futures Command launched Project Convergence in late 2019 as a campaign of aggressive learning, providing the Army with a rapid, creative, inclusive and effective avenue for exploring and identifying optimal ways to meet persistent and emerging operational needs in the areas of people, weapons systems, command and control, information and terrain.

A unique and integral aspect of the campaign is its focus on Soldier-centered design, which ensures that any state-of-the-art tools or equipment adopted by the Army meet the hands-on needs of Soldiers in the field. During Fiscal Year 2021, the Army conducted 113 Soldier touchpoints as part of Project Convergence.

Army Futures Command also continues to champion productive Army partnerships with academia, the tech industry and nimble startup companies, fostering novel ways of working and thinking that will contribute to ongoing modernization achievements for the Army and the broader Joint Force.