The WSJ Named The Most Important Gadget For The U.S. Military In The Age Of Low-Cost Drones
- 4.10.2026, 18:08
It was tested during military exercises on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
The U.S. military is using smartphones as part of a new force management system called Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2), which is designed to improve unit survivability amid the proliferation of inexpensive drones and high-precision missiles, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the U.S. Army’s plan, NGC2 should allow troops to spread out while maintaining communication and the ability to coordinate actions, as low-cost drones and precision-guided missiles make large, stationary concentrations of troops and equipment more vulnerable.
The system was tested during exercises on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Soldiers used smartphones strapped to their chests, radios connected to a mobile network, and a drone to gather terrain data.
During the exercises, a soldier used the NGC2 digital map to identify a landing site for a medical helicopter in about 30 seconds. He estimated that using a paper map would have taken several minutes. “A couple of minutes can be a matter of life and death,” explained First Class Sergeant James Luce.
The tests also revealed technical issues: smartphones overheated at temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius, and location data was sometimes inaccurate. Service members also experienced communication outages.
The Army hopes that NGC2 will reduce the time from target detection to engagement from several hours to several minutes. More than 80 companies are involved in the system’s development. Artificial intelligence is intended to help analyze data from drones, identify enemy equipment, and plan ammunition resupply.
The U.S. Army began testing NGC2 in 2024 and is currently expanding the program. According to military estimates, full-scale deployment of the system could continue until 2032. For fiscal year 2027, the U.S. has requested approximately $3.8 billion for its development. The modernization of NGC2 is one of the U.S. Army’s priorities.