AUSA 2017 meeting organised by the Association of US Army, has just ended with the same passionate enthusiasm observed at the outset. Dominating the stage were the US Army’s comprehensive modernisation program and the Future Vertical Lift seeking to replace the veteran helicopter fleet as JSF of the future. The event also reminded once again the significance of an old adage “Strong Army, Strong Country.”
As Russia has recently engaged in redrawing the world political map just like it was the case in the dissolution of the Soviet Union, threat perceptions of the United States changed along with many other countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. In this vein, the USA took the decision to upgrade its “metal fatigue” Army as of fiscal year 2017, with exclusive focus on land forces. Definitely, the background to such decision was the success scored by Russia, which had initiated a similar modernisation program under Putin’s orders. However, AUSA 2017 revealed that there was another motive behind the modernisation requirements of the US Army. Besides the fatigue and the necessity to revise or replace systems which no longer serves effectively, there is strong possibility that the decision of the US Army also stems from a call for increase in Army’s combat readiness and technological capability. However, it is clear that the US Army and the US defence industry have embraced the situation also as an opportunity with which to dominate the market of land systems and army aviation platforms for the next 25 years. The most important indicator is NATO and the United States’ seemingly different yet definitely integrated programs often bearing the word “Future” and which are imposed on the international public through various symposia and conferences.
