Full Breakdown
New Autonomous Warfare Training Takes Shape at Fort Polk’s Joint Readiness Training Center
By Drooid · · How we work
New Integrated System for Real-World Combat Simulation
The Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana, is testing an integrated technology platform that links drones, communications and AI-driven ground systems from multiple vendors. Forterra’s OASIS-Fabric and OneLink middleware aggregates data so that disparate autonomous weapons “speak the same language,” allowing the resident opposing-force unit, 1st Battalion 509th Infantry Regiment (“Geronimo”), to field enemy-style equipment without soldiers having to master dozens of separate systems. The Pentagon’s new Autonomous Warfare Command, led by a four-star general, is overseeing the effort to scale AI, robotics and low-cost drones across the force. If the trial proves successful, the Army intends to roll the system out to all training centers and later to combat operations.
Background: Adapting to Peer-Adversary Threats
Veteran Bryan Pickens, a former Special-Operations soldier, has warned that U.S. The shift toward autonomous and AI-enabled weapons has prompted the Army to modernize its training doctrine, emphasizing rapid mission planning at the tactical edge and “failing fast” to identify effective tactics.
Official Statements & Responses
The Pentagon announced the creation of the Autonomous Warfare Command to accelerate integration of AI and robotics. Rep.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I often say we are on a rowboat while our enemies are escaping us on a jet ski,” — Bryan Pickens, a veteran
- “What Geronimo is good at is flummoxing these units that come down [to Fort Polk]. They shouldn’t have to also be burdened with trying to learn 50 different systems, 50 different battery chargers, 50 different handheld controllers and range limitations” — Phil Cotter
- “The risk of being outclassed by a rival military’s transformation is very real with the current pace of technological change,” — Lt. Col. Trevor Jones, commander of Geronimo
Data & Statistics
- Forterra has deployed 105 autonomous vehicles to Eastern Europe to support Ukraine’s fight, providing a testbed for the technologies now being adapted for JRTC training.