Army to give all brigades high-tech fighting weapons

WASHINGTON — The Army plans to break up its $160 billion modernization plan and will give the high-tech fighting tools to all its combat brigades instead of just a handful as originally planned, a spokesman for the service said Monday.

The decision to field the robots, precision missiles and surveillance tools across the Army’s force essentially dissolves what has been one of the service’s top weapons programs for the past 10 years, and a target of criticism over whether it was affordable and would work.

Instead of fielding just the 15 brigades, the Army will introduce the Future Combat Systems tools to all of its 73 brigades, said Paul Mehney, a spokesman for the program.

The change will be outlined in an acquisition decision memo in the next few weeks, he added.


by associated press