New leaders, new drone command: What we expect from AUSA 2026
The Army is heading into AUSA 2026 with new leadership and a major question hanging over the service: How much of its modernization agenda will remain intact? Breaking Defense Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta and Army reporter Carley Welch preview what they expect to hear from acting Army Secretary Adam Telle and acting service chief Gen. Christopher LaNeve. Then they discuss what the Army’s new autonomy command could mean for its growing focus on drones and robots.
Make sure to check back each day next week for wrap-up videos, photos from the show floor and comprehensive reporting from the Army’s biggest annual conference.
The U.S. Army is preparing for AUSA 2026 with new leadership, including acting Army Secretary Adam Telle and acting service chief Gen. Christopher LaNeve. The focus will be on the Army's modernization agenda and the implications of a new autonomy command for drone and robot operations.
- The Army is entering AUSA 2026 with new leadership.
- There is uncertainty about the future of the Army's modernization agenda.
- The Army's new autonomy command will focus on drones and robots.