The Army must move quickly to transform and integrate emerging technologies into its formations as it prepares for increasingly complex and evolving threats, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Mingus said.

“Armies now can increasingly see farther, sense farther, shoot farther, engage remotely and with pinpoint accuracy,” he said during a hearing before the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee.

Appearing alongside his counterparts from the other services, Mingus said the Army’s readiness needs mirror the “rapidly emerging changes in the character of war,” including network centricity and advances in sensors, hypersonics, robotics, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

“Time is not on our side,” Mingus said, adding that the Army must “quickly integrate and fuse these emerging technologies into advanced methods of warfare” to maintain its “decisive advantage.”

One area the Army is focusing on is the organic industrial base, Mingus said. During a recent visit to Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, Mingus said, he saw firsthand the efforts to increase production of critical 155 mm rounds.

“Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, our [organic industrial base] has doubled its monthly production capacity of 155 [mm rounds], from 14,000 rounds a month to 30,000 rounds a month,” he said.

The goal, by next summer, is to produce 100,000 rounds a month, he said.

While the Army invests in its warfighting capacity, it also is contributing to deterring aggression and competition, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, Mingus said.

It also is investing in its people, Mingus said.

“We take care of our people by ensuring our soldiers are ready for combat, with viable doctrine, equipment and realistic training, while simultaneously providing their families with the resources they need to thrive at home,” he said.

From providing safe, high-quality housing and barracks to building cohesive teams, the Army continues to work on improving quality of life for soldiers and their families, Mingus said.

“There’s still a great deal of work left to be done, and it is absolutely critical that we succeed in our transformation efforts to remain the most lethal, agile and feared ground combat force in the world,” he said.