The Army’s Project Convergence
Updated June 2, 2022
The Army’s Project Convergence
What Is the Army’s Project
Convergence?
Figure 1. Representative Exercise Operational
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 intends to play a role in
Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), the
Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) plan to connect sensors
and weapon systems 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 prove faster and more
effective in responding to threats from peer competitors.
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 basis. The Army intends to
conduct experiments with technology, equipment, and
One of PC20’s experiments reportedly included using low-
solicit soldier feedback throughout the year, culminating in
earth orbit satellites and Grey Eagle UAVs to perform
an annual exercise or demonstration. In basic terms, the
sensing for air targets and a ground system to detect a
Army reportedly wants to “take the service’s big ideas for
ground target. Data from the two systems was passed back
future warfare and test them in the real world. The Army
to an organization at Joint Base Lewis McChord,
wants to figure out what works and what needs fixing—and
Washington, where the target was processed.
figure that out as early as possible, when it’s much cheaper
to make changes.”
The data was then passed back to Yuma Proving Ground,
Arizona, to a system to engage the target—either a self-
Project Convergence 2020 (PC20)
propelled artillery system such as the Extended Range
PC20 took place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona
Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system currently under
between August 11th and September 1st 2020 and involved
development, a Grey Eagle, or another ground platform.
about 500 personnel. PC20 was intended to provide
This entire sequence was supposedly accomplished within
information to support decisions to:
20 seconds.
Change how the Army fights by shaping how it
organizes for combat;
What Is Anti-Access/ Area Denial (A2/AD)?
Anti-Access is defined as any action, activity, or
Highlight opportunities to optimize operational
capability, usually long-range, designed to prevent an
processes;
advancing military force from entering an operational
Evolve how the Army visualizes, describes, decides, and
area. Area Denial is defined as action, activity, or
acts on enemy threats; and
capability, usually short-range, designed to limit an
adversarial force’s freedom of action within an
Build soldier and leader trust in emergent technologies.
operational area. In terms of weapon systems, threat
PC20 concentrated on what the Army calls the “close fight”
A2/AD defenses are envisioned of being composed of
by integrating new enabling technologies at the lowest
layered and integrated long-range precision-strike
operational level so tactical networks could facilitate faster
systems, littoral anti-ship capabilities, air defenses, and
decisions. At the unit level, PC20 focused on Brigade
long-range artillery and rocket systems.
Combat Teams (BCT), Combat Aviation Brigades (CAB),
and Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced (ESB-E). At
Project Convergence 2021 and 2022
the system level, PC20 involved the Army’s MQ 1C Grey
(PC21 and PC22)
Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the Air Launched
Effects (ALE)—a multi-purpose helicopter- launched
Project Convergence 2021(PC21)
system—and the tactical network—command, control,
While other supporting exercises and experiments were
communications, intelligence, and computer systems used
conducted in 2021, PC21’s main series of live-fire events
by the Army in combat.
took place October 12–November 10, 2021, at a number of
installations located in the United States. PC 21 involved
approximately 7,000 personnel, including 900 data
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The Army’s Project Convergence
collectors, and included experiments involving about 107
PC22 is planned to incorporate two scenarios reflecting
different technologies.
selected priorities of two Combatant Commands—U.S.
European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Indo-Pacific
Some of the Army’s objectives during PC21 included
Command (USINDOPACOM). Objectives for these
identifying technologies to enable the Joint Force to
penetrate enemy’s anti
scenarios include
-access, aerial-denial (A2/AD)
capabilities as well as determining which emerging
establishing an integrated air and missile defense
technologies were needed to execute the Joint All-Domain
network;
Operations concept. The Army also examined “ways to
defeating anti-access and area denial defenses;
incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning,
autonomy, robotics, and common data standards and
examining methods to achieve positions of relative
architectures to more quickly make decisions across
advantage over potential adversaries;
multiple domains of operations.”
assessing existing and emerging systems to defeat
PC21 included units such as the Army’s Multi-Domain
adversaries’ abilities to conduct complex, large-scale
Task Force (MDTF) based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in
attacks;
Washington and elements from the Fort Bragg, North
Carolina-based 82nd Airborne Division. Reportedly major
examining authorities and policies to fight cohesively as
capabilities from the other services were tested, including
a joint (with other services) and combined (with allies
the Marine’s Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (GATOR),
and partners) force; and
the Navy’s SM-6 missile, and an Air Force F-35 fighter and
examining sustainment through predictive logistics in a
B-1 bomber.
widely dispersed and contested area during large-scale
The Army examined seven scenarios during PC21:
combat operations.
First Scenario: Test joint all-domain situational
Potential Issues for Congress
awareness and incorporate space sensors in low earth
orbit;
Impact of Ukrainian Conflict on PC22 and
Future PCs
Second Scenario: Conduct a joint air-and-missile
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine arguably offers a wide
defense engagement in response to an enemy missile
range of insights into Russia’s capability to conduct its own
attack;
“multi-domain operations” against not only the United
Third Scenario: Conduct a joint fires operation as the
States but also NATO allies and partners. Are any of the
force transitions from crisis to conflict;
emerging insights from Ukraine being incorporated into
PC22 scenarios? If so, what emerging insights will be
Fourth Scenario: Conduct a semiautonomous resupply
incorporated into PC22 and, if not, why is the Army not
mission;
considering insights as part of PC22 scenarios? Likewise,
Fifth Scenario: Conduct an AI and autonomy-enabled
have any emerging insights from the Ukrainian conflict
reconnaissance mission;
“validated” observations/findings from PC20 and PC21?
Sixth Scenario: Conduct an air assault mission
Plans for PC Beyond PC22?
employing the Integrated Visual Augmentation System
With Army leadership referring to PC as an annual event,
(IVAS)—a heads-up display worn by soldiers that
what are the Army’s plans for PC for 2023 and beyond?
provides enhanced situational awareness; and
Are there plans to incorporate future PCs into the Army’s
Seventh Scenario: Conduct a mounted AI-enabled
Future Year Defense Plan (FYDP) to facilitate greater
attack.
congressional oversight and budget planning?
Project Convergence 2022 (PC22)
Additional References
In PC22, the Army plans to include allies and partners,
CRS Report R46725, Joint All-Domain Command and
focusing on closes allies and security partners such as
Control: Background and Issues for Congress, by John
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
R. Hoehn
The project is to expand to the Combined Joint Task Force
(CJTF) level and bring more technologies and assets to the
CRS In Focus IF11797, The Army’s Multi-Domain Task
battlefield. The goal is to exercise from competition
Force (MDTF), by Andrew Feickert
through conflict and return to competition levels of conflict.
In addition to the CJTF (Corps and Division-level), the
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
Army also plans to include a Multi-Domain Task Force
(MDTF), a number of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), and
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Allied and Partner Mission Command Elements in PC22.
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The Army’s Project Convergence
Disclaimer
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