Breaking Defense
June 3, 2022

Army delays multi-domain doctrine, sends team to glean info from Ukraine fight

The US Army’s forthcoming multi-domain operations doctrine, previously expected to be published in June, will come out later than expected as the Army evaluates it against the unfolding war in Ukraine, according to a top general, including dispatching a team to Europe to glean the latest information.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has given the Army a chance to ensure that its multi-domain operations concept, essentially how the Army plans to fight wars in the future, is adequately developed and effective, said Gen. Paul Funk, commander of Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

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The four-star declined to say exactly where the doctrine and lessons learned staff are in Europe. But, he said, they are talking to Ukrainians, people training Ukrainians and refugees to gather as much information as possible about the Russian military from the tactical level up to the strategic.

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Earlier this week, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said, for instance, that the conflict had demonstrated the importance of logistics, the impact that drones can have on the battlefield and the necessity of secure communications.

“We are very much looking every single day in real-time at what’s happening in Ukraine,” Wormuth said.

The Army’s broader multi-domain operations effort includes new formations and new platforms. The Army is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar modernization effort that includes new, secure networks to longer-range artillery and advanced helicopters – all with an eye on potential conflict with Russia and China.