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The U.S. military has largely operated on a familiar principle: fight the enemy abroad before the fight reaches home.
But as drones, cyberattacks and long-range weapons pose growing threats to U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure, Army leaders are preparing for a future in which U.S. forces could be attacked before they even deploy overseas.
“If we face a stimulus threat, power projection will be contested,” Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.
He said the military is rethinking assumptions that prevailed during decades of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, when U.S. forces could largely rely on secure bases and supply lines at home.
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Anti-drone laser system tested on a Stryker military combat vehicle with a machine gun pointed skyward in Ukraine during a counter-offensive. (Michelle Ursi/Getty Images)
“During the global war on terror, we took a lot of things for granted, because we could,” LaNeve said during a small-group panel discussion at the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference in Washington this week.
In a potential conflict with China, disruption of U.S. military bases, transportation networks and communications could delay the arrival of U.S. forces on the battlefield. The Pentagon’s latest report on China’s military capabilities warns that Beijing has positioned cyber capabilities within US critical infrastructure networks that could be used to disrupt US military mobilization during conflict.
These concerns come as the Pentagon puts a renewed focus on homeland defense and military installations as it prepares to potentially confront threats closer to home. U.S. officials have already confirmed drone incursions on installations including Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Although these incidents have not been publicly attributed to China.
The warning of future combat on American soil comes amid the rollout of How the Army Fights. The new operational framework places greater emphasis on preparing U.S. forces to deploy, communicate and sustain operations even when military bases, supply lines and communications networks are attacked.
This guidance places greater emphasis on the military’s ability to deploy and support threatened forces, particularly when communications, supply lines, and military infrastructure are disrupted.
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Gen. Christopher LaNeve, vice chief of staff of the Army, testifies during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Department of Defense Budget Subcommittee, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, May 19, 2026. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
LaNeve said the Army is using this framework to set clearer priorities for how its formations train, fight and integrate new technologies.
“It was important to release this document to provide direction for our military, a ground issue that we’re moving into,” LaNeve told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday.
The changes are being led by an Army leadership team that is serving in interim roles following the departures of former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. LaNeve remains the Senate-confirmed vice chief of staff.
LaNeve explained how the Army prepares to continue the fight even when an adversary disrupts military communications.
“I think what you would see inside that command and control capability is the ability to operate disconnected and then reconnect when you have that capability, but still be able to maneuver,” he said.
The military is also rethinking how it protects military installations at home. LaNeve pointed to Joint Interagency Task Force 401, which works with federal and local law enforcement to strengthen anti-drone defenses around military bases and critical infrastructure.
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A vault that stores most of the federal government’s gold bars and other valuables. (Getty Images)
Acting Military Secretary Adam Telle cited the southern border as an example of how soldiers are already facing drone threats closer to home. He said Soldiers are using this mission to test new counter-drone technology against real-world threats, gaining experience they can take back to their units as the Army prepares for future conflicts.
The military is also expanding its preparations for biological threats that could disrupt military operations. Officials announced this week that biological incidents would be incorporated into routine combat training as part of a broader effort to ensure soldiers can continue to accomplish their missions in the event of outbreaks or deliberate biological attacks.
At another panel Wednesday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink warned that advances in surveillance technology could soon make it increasingly difficult for military forces to operate anywhere without detection.
“We’re quickly moving toward a time where, based on your signature and how fast you move, the enemy will know where you are, no matter where you are on the planet,” Meink said.
He suggested that a level of surveillance could emerge within five years, or even sooner, as China and other adversaries expand their ability to track and target military assets.
Meink said the Pentagon is working to improve the survivability of its forces, including through autonomous systems capable of operating in dangerous environments where commanders might be hesitant to send manned platforms.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Meink and the other service secretaries, criticized what he described as the Pentagon’s inability to keep pace with technological advancements under the Biden administration.
“On hypersonics, they took a nap. On space, they took a nap. On the weaponization of space, they took a nap. On drones, they took a nap,” Hegseth said.
LaNeve emphasized that despite the military’s growing reliance on advanced technology, Soldiers must still be able to successfully complete their missions when those systems are not available.
“Soldiers are our number one platform. It’s the Army’s platform,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Technology, he said, is intended to make troops more capable, but Soldiers must stay grounded in the fundamental skills needed to fight without it.
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