TP525-3-1

TRADOC Pamphlet 525-3-1
maritime, space, and cyberspace domains. 6
power to achieve sustainable outcomes.
Army forces possess the endurance and staying
1-5. Assumptions
a. The following assumptions about the future underpin the AOC:
(1) The U.S. Army will remain a professional, all-volunteer force, relying on all
components of the Army to meet future commitments. 7
(2) The Army will adjust to fiscal constraints and have resources sufficient to preserve the
balance of readiness, force structure, and modernization necessary to meet the demands of the
national defense strategy in the mid- to far-term (2020 to 2040).
(3) Army forces remain engaged overseas in areas vital to U.S. security interests, but a
larger percentage of the force will be based in the continental United States.
(4) The land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains will become more contested as
U.S. military technological advantages decrease.
(5) Changes in technology and geopolitical dynamics as well as the enduring political and
human nature of war will keep war in the realms of complexity and uncertainty. 8
(6) Except for an immediate response to a national emergency, the Army will conduct
operations as part of joint, interorganizational, and multinational teams.
b. The Army will continue to assess these assumptions.
Chapter 2
Operational Context
2-1. Introduction: Continuity and change in armed conflict
a. Anticipating the demands of future armed conflict requires an understanding of continuities
in the nature of war as well as an appreciation for changes in the character of armed conflict.
Technological advances and changes in strategic guidance, joint operating concepts, and security
challenges require the U.S. Army to innovate to ensure that forces are prepared to accomplish
future missions. Shifts in the geopolitical landscape caused by competition for power and
resources influence the character of armed conflict. These shifts, and violence associated with
them, occur more rapidly than in the past due to advances in technology, the proliferation of
information, and the associated increased momentum of human interaction. 9
b. Recent and ongoing conflicts reinforce the need to balance the technological focus of
Army modernization with a recognition of the limits of technology and an emphasis on the
human, cultural, and political continuities of armed conflict. Nations and organizations in the
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