September 28, 2020
The Army’s Project Convergence
What is the Army’s Project
Figure 1. Representative Exercise Operational
Convergence?
Scenario
Project Convergence is what the Army calls a “campaign of
learning,” designed to further integrate the Army into the
Joint Force. It is how the Army plans to be a part of Joint
All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), the
Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) plan to connect sensors
from all the military services—Air Force, Army, Marine
Corps, Navy, and Space Force—as well as Special
Operations Forces (SOF), into a single network which,
theoretically, could be more effective and less costly.
Designed around five core elements—soldiers, weapons
systems, command and control, information, and terrain—
Source: From Army Briefing provided to CRS dated September 10,
Army Futures Command (AFC) plans to run Project
2020
Convergence on an annual cycle; achieving objectives from
frequent experiments with technology, equipment, and
One of the experiments at PC20 reportedly included using
low-earth orbit satellites and Grey Eagle UAVs to perform
soldier feedback throughout the year and culminating in an
sensing for air targets and simultaneously on the ground to
annual exercise or demonstration. In basic terms, the Army
reportedly wants to “take the service’s big ideas for future
detect a target. Data from the two systems was passed back
to an organization at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA,
warfare and test them in the real world. The Army wants to
where the target was processed.
figure out what works and what needs fixing—and figure
that out as early on as possible, when it’s much cheaper to
make changes.”
The data was then passed back to Yuma Proving Ground to
a system to engage the target—either a self-propelled
Project Convergence 2020 (PC20)
artillery system such as the Extended Range Cannon
Artillery (ERCA) system currently under development, a
Taking place at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ between
Grey Eagle, or another ground platform. This entire
August 11 and September 1, 2020 and involving about 500
personnel, Project Convergence 2020 (PC20) was intended
experiment was supposedly accomplished within 20
to provide experience to support decisions to:
seconds.
The Army’s Plans for Project
change how the Army fights by shaping how it
Convergence 2021 and 2022 (PC21 and
organizes for combat;
PC22)
While the Army intends Project Convergence to be “a
highlight opportunities to optimize operational
campaign of learning” and an annual event, currently, the
processes;
Army has made planning information publicly available
only for 2021 and 2022.
evolve how the Army visualizes, describes, decides, and
acts on enemy threats; and
Project Convergence 2021(PC21)
build soldier and leader trust in emergent technologies.
According to the Army, in 2021 they plan to transition from
an Army-exclusive operation and integrate with other
Services and unspecified government agencies. The Army
PC20 concentrated on what the Army calls the “close fight”
by integrating new enabling technologies at the lowest
is said to have commitments from the Navy, Air Force,
Marine Corps, and the Intelligence Community to
operational level so that tactical networks could facilitate
participate. The Army plans for about 1,000 personnel
faster decisions. At the unit level, PC20 focused on
Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), Combat Aviation Brigades
from the Joint Force to participate in PC21. The Army’s
focus on systems for PC21 is to make decisions faster at
(CAB), and Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced
echelons, moving from the BCT to the Division and Multi-
(ESB-E). At the system level, PC20 involved the Army’s
MQ 1C Grey Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the
Domain Task Force (MDTF) level. PC21 also plans to
integrate aspects of DOD’s draft Joint Warfighting
Air Launched Effects (ALE) —a multi-purpose helicopter-
Concept, which is expected to be published in December
launched system—and the tactical network. The tactical
2020.
network are those command, control, communications,
intelligence, and computer systems used by the Army in
Draft objectives for PC21 include demonstrating:
combat.
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The Army’s Project Convergence
a cloud-based network delivering the right data, to the
Project Convergence to the Joint level? Such a Joint
right place, at the right time.
endeavor might result in expanded Service participation
which might truly test DOD’s new Joint Warfighting
conditional autonomy in target detection, recognition,
Concept. In addition, such a Joint Project Convergence
and prioritization.
could result in budgetary savings within the Services and
increased range and lethality of long range fires.
DOD.
artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to enhance
Involvement of Allies and Partners
visualization, understanding and maneuver on the
As noted, PC22 plans to include mission command
battlefield.
elements (MCEs) from selected Allies and Partners with the
joint air and missile defense (AMD) integration from
intent of enabling them to seamlessly plug into the network
sensing, to cueing, through engagement.
and establish a common operating picture with U.S. forces.
While such interoperability can be viewed as essential for
interoperability across Army and Joint systems to enable
Coalition operations, this could prove elusive for some
Joint All Domain Operations.
Allies and Partners who lack the resources and technology
operations in contested electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) afforded to DOD. Taking this into consideration, does the
environment.
Army plan to test alternative means to integrate less-
capable Allies and Partners into operations envisioned in
Project Convergence 2022 (PC22)
the new Joint Warfighting Concept? Or, instead, will they
In PC22, the Army plans to include allies and partners -
be expected to play “catch up,” possibly excluding them
focusing on closes allies and security partners such as
from participating in future Coalition operations?
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
The project is to expand to the Combined Joint Task Force
Project Convergence: Operations in a Denied
(CJTF) level and bring more technologies and assets to the
Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) Environment
battlefield. The goal is to exercise from competition
and Signature Management
through conflict and return to competition levels of conflict.
In examining the basic goal of Project Convergence—
In addition to the CJTF (Corps and Division-level), the
integrating sensors and shooters to more rapidly identify
Army also plans to include a Multi-Domain Task Force
and engage targets at close and long distances—it becomes
(MDTF), Brigade Combat Teams (BCT), and Allied and
apparent that achieving this goal depends on unfettered
Partner Mission Command Elements in PC22.
access to the electromagnetic spectrum. As previously
noted, one of the objectives of PC21 is to successfully
Potential Issues for Congress
conduct operations in a contested electromagnetic spectrum
environment and it is likely that future Project
How Might Project Convergence Impact Army
Convergences will continue to stress this ability. This raises
Force Structure and Modernization Efforts?
the issue of how the Army will function if instead of the
The Army has compared Project Convergence to the
EMS spectrum being “contested” it is instead “denied.” For
Army’s Louisiana Maneuvers conducted all across the
example, what if a significant part of the EMS is “denied”
United States in 1940 and 1941 that played a major role in
as it would be if U.S. space-based assets are attacked and
how the Army organized for, equipped itself for, and fought
significantly damaged or destroyed? Are there
World War II. If this is the case, by what formal
redundancies (systems or processes) envisioned for testing
mechanisms or processes, will the observations/findings of
during future Project Convergences to address how the
Project Convergence inform Army force structure and
Army would detect and engage targets beyond visual range
modernization decisions, as well as those of Congress? Will
if aerial or space assets become unavailable by kinetic
this be exclusively an Army Futures Command function?
actions or by some other means such as electronic warfare
Will other entities, such as Combatant Commands, play a
or cyberattack?
role? How will the results of Project Convergence be
reflected in the Army’s Planning, Programing, Budget and
Another related issue is that of signature management for
Execution (PPBE) process? How does the Army plan to
the Army’s networks and systems under development. In
communicate with Congress as PC21 and PC22 move from
this context, signature management refers to all the various
planning to execution?
signatures—visual, infrared, radar, sound,
electromagnetic—that a system emits. Potential enemies
How Much “Buy In” Is There From the Other
could also rapidly detect these signatures and engage and
Services?
destroy U.S. systems in a similar manner as Project
As noted, PC21 plans to expand involvement from the other
Convergence is attempting. Signature management seeks to
Services. While Navy, Air Force, Marine, Space Force, and
control and reduce the detectability of systems and their
SOF involvement will likely benefit the Army as it
vulnerability to attack. Given the importance of signature
endeavors to refine its role in the new Joint Warfighting
management, what are the Army’s objectives for future
Concept, how much “value” are the other Services and U.S.
Project Convergences efforts to address signature
Special Operations Command deriving from Project
management associated with networks and systems?
Convergence? Are they merely casual participants and have
similar service-specific demonstrations or experiments
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
planned or underway? Or is there value in “elevating”
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The Army’s Project Convergence
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