It might be the closest thing to Comic-Con the defense industry has. For three days starting on Monday, pretty much any contractor who wants a piece of the Army will man a pavilion at the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington D.C. Come for the shmoozing, but stay for the robots.
AUSA, as it’s ubiquitously known, is an extravaganza previewing the next razzle-dazzle toys that big defense companies will produce for the Army. Want to know if there’s ever going to be an upgrade to the decades-old M-4 carbine? Stop by the Colt Defense booth to ask the manufacturer. Got a question about the Stryker armored vehicle? General Dynamics is on hand. Want to know more about jammers that can misdirect shoulder-fired missiles away from helicopters? BAE is hoping you’d ask.
But it’s not just a gear show. The Army’s leading lights will be there, starting with Secretary John McHugh and chief of staff General George Casey. General Ray Odierno, fresh from Iraq and now Joint Forces Command, will be on hand speechifying. The Joint Staff’s Afghanistan/Pakistan chief, Brigadier General John Nicholson, is going to brief on the war. Curious about just what the Ground Combat Vehicle, the Army’s delayed replacement for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, will actually look like? General Peter Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff, is speaking on “Modernizing the Army in an Era of Constrained Resources.” This time, we’ll try not to do any stalking.
We’ll be spending Monday through Wednesday at AUSA, tracking the next model weaponry, from the practical to the absurd. Some of the next-gen gear we’re already hearing will be displayed: new radar tools, drone upgrades and even soldier exoskeletons. We’ll be bringing you the video-enhanced highlights.
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