Army Network Modernization Marks 2025 Turning Point
In a year defined by shifting defense priorities and evolving warfare needs, 2025 saw significant developments in how the U.S. Army invests in and deploys its network capabilities. According to the article “From Less Business With Primes To A Better-Funded Army Network: 2025 Review,” published by Breaking Defense, the Army accelerated its efforts to modernize and decentralize its communications grid, reflecting a broader shift away from legacy defense contracting models and toward more agile, mission-focused solutions.
At the heart of this transformation was a strategic pivot away from relying exclusively on large traditional defense contractors, often referred to as primes. This move marks a deliberate attempt by the Army to break down bureaucratic bottlenecks and introduce greater flexibility into the acquisition process. By broadening the range of companies eligible to contribute to network modernization, including non-traditional vendors and emerging tech firms, the Army hopes to speed up innovation and field more adaptive capabilities.
Breaking Defense reports that this departure from legacy contracting norms coincided with a notable uptick in funding directed at the Army’s Tactical Network. Long viewed as under-resourced compared to other modernization priorities like long-range precision fires or next-generation combat vehicles, the network finally received increased attention and investment in 2025. The Army’s budget realignment signals a recognition that robust, resilient communications infrastructure is essential for the kind of multi-domain operations envisioned in future combat scenarios.
In practical terms, this meant greater emphasis on fielding software-defined radios, integrating satellite connectivity, and enhancing cybersecurity frameworks. The Army continued to refine its Capability Set development model, releasing Capability Set 25 with key innovations informed by lessons learned from recent exercises and global conflicts. These capability sets function as iterative upgrades, allowing the force to introduce new technologies in two-year increments rather than relying on inflexible, decade-long procurement cycles.
Also noteworthy was the Army’s expanded use of experimentation through initiatives like Project Convergence. Breaking Defense highlights how real-world testing has helped validate concepts such as data-sharing across services, machine-aided decision-making, and the tactical deployment of artificial intelligence—all cornerstones of the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) strategy.
The 2025 review also underscores a rising urgency among Army leadership to ensure that network upgrades stay aligned with emerging operational requirements. With adversaries investing heavily in electronic warfare and cyber capabilities, ensuring reliable and secure communications has become as strategic a priority as mobility and firepower.
This recalibration in the Army’s modernization approach—coupled with a willingness to challenge long-standing acquisition norms—suggests a defense environment increasingly attuned to speed, adaptability, and technological relevance. As future conflicts demand faster information flows and joint interoperability, the Army’s network modernization efforts in 2025 appear to mark both a tactical and cultural turning point.
