Wilson Beaver, Anna Gustafson
The Department of Defense has faced criticism for its sluggishness in acquisitions—and rightly so. Currently, the DOD operates a litany of projects that are behind schedule and over budget. Despite normally being one of the top offenders, the Army deserves praise for having quickly researched, developed, tested, and ultimately fielded novel capabilities within brand-new unit structures known as Multi-Domain Task Forces (MDTFs) since 2017.
MDTFs focus on specific targets within their designated theater by orchestrating capabilities across air, land, water, space, and cyber fields. This specialization enables each unit to precisely tailor its capabilities to the unique demands of each combatant command.
Yet all MDTFs share the same priority: to defend against our adversaries’ anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) initiatives. That is, their mission is to counter enemies’ attempts to deny or limit U.S. access and freedom of action in operational areas—a mission MDTF task forces have pursued thus far by developing capabilities in effects, fires, protection, and sustainment.
Currently, the U.S. Army has three MDTFs located across the globe. These three units already aid efforts to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific—but more can and should be done.
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Of the three units, the first and third are both Indo-Pacific oriented.
The first MDTF (1MDTF) is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. In February 2023, this unit launched the Army’s first long-range hypersonic weapon, a next-generation long-range precision strike missile, and Strategic Long-Range Cannonsdesigned to reach adversarial assets within INDOPACOM.
The third MDTF (3MDTF) is located at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, where it has demonstrated its multi-domain capabilities through deep sensing operations, non-kinetic effects delivery, and live-fire exercises. This unit’s multi-domain effects battalion enhances joint force operations by integrating signals intelligencefrom space, cyberspace, information space, and the electromagnetic spectrum. » Read More
https://www.heritage.org/defense/commentary/the-armys-newest-units-are-needed-the-indo-pacific