Intent

Over the next 10 months, my intent is that we capitalize on the success of events such as the Future Army Study Period, Exercise INTREPID ENTERPRISE, and follow-through effectively with the timely production of future concepts (manoeuvre and command) backed by robust experimentation in order to set the foundation of the Army of Tomorrow, including development of a medium-weight capability. The principal mechanism for completing this work is the Future Manoeuvre Development Cell (FMDC) and its associated programme of workshops and wargames. Coherence across other lines of development will be achieved through completion of Stage 2 of the Army 2020 study, the development of which will be informed by interoperability studies, principally with our major ally, the USA. Specifically, our aim here is to increase interoperability with the US Army and USMC. Support to 'Achieving Success on Future Contingent Operations' will be provided by our doctrine and lessons learned work – in close association with the Land Warfare Centre (LWC) – and through focused international activity. Links to academia and, increasingly, to the joint education, doctrine and concepts communities will be maintained and developed through our Defence Studies Branch located at the Joint Doctrine and Concepts Centre (JDCC), Shrivenham. In this manner, we shall provide demonstrable utility to the Army specifically and to Defence as whole in not only shaping longer- and medium-term future force design and capabilities, but also in supporting current and near-term joint and multinational interoperability, education and training.

Main Effort

Our foremost, and for the Army’s force development, decisive activity, and hence Directorate main effort, is the production of the Future Manoeuvre Sub-Concept (FMSC), under the aegis of the FMDC.

The booklet "Forging the Future Army" explains these activities in more detail