Army doubles down on autonomy, stakes out Indo-Pacific role: AUSA Day 2

Day two of AUSA 2026 brought another change to the Army’s command structure, with acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Chris LaNeve redesignating Futures and Concepts Command as the Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, or FASCOM. Breaking Defense Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta and Land Warfare Reporter Carley Welch discuss what the move signals about the Army’s emphasis on drones and autonomous systems amid a leadership transition.

Then, Aaron and Carley unpack the Army’s message that it remains the “foundation” of the joint force, including in the Indo-Pacific, where the service is emphasizing capabilities such as long-range precision fires. Finally, they look ahead to day three and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s expected appearance.

Check back daily for more wrap-up videos from the show. And you can find the rest of our coverage here.