The U.S. Army has opened in Austin, Texas, the headquarters of the service’s new Futures Command that seeks to accelerate the development and acquisition of ground vehicles, precision weapons, communications systems, aircraft and other technology platforms, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley attended the opening ceremony on Friday for the new command’s office located at a University of Texas-owned building.
Officials said Army Futures Command will operate with at least 500 employees and approximately $100M in annual budget to oversee annual procurement programs worth up to $50B.
The launch of the facility came days after the Senate confirmed Gen. John Murray, former deputy chief of staff for the Army’s G8 unit, as head of Futures Command.
Ryan McCarthy, undersecretary of the Army, said the new command plans to “fast track†a night-vision goggle system to facilitate the deployment of the platform to soldiers over the next two years.
