By Tyler Barth
MT. ARLINGTON, N.J. - Considerable potential lies ahead for terrain shaping and related industrial progress, leaders asserted at the Terrain Shaping Industry Day on Thursday, Feb. 26 at the Courtyard Marriott, Mt. Arlington.
Terrain shaping systems have progressed considerably from the landmines and heavy breach charges of old to become networked counter-mobility measures which blend sensors, robotics and human oversight. Before an audience of over 70 industry partners and 200 participants, speakers noted their desire for effective, deployable solutions within months rather than years, while still ensuring Soldiers are safe and use of force is ethical. The purpose of the Terrain Shaping Industry Day was to present the Government’s acquisition strategy, articulate the user community needs, and solicit both traditional and non-traditional industry partners to help the Army solve this warfighting challenge.
Tinesha Nicholas, Product Manager for Terrain Shaping Obstacles, described the U.S. Army's upcoming transformation for terrain shaping. According to Nicholas, the Army will zero in on delivering rapid, iterative capability upgrades, and will prioritize Soldier safety. Current plans call for the demonstration of an autonomous terrain shaping capability within one year, featuring autonomous emplacement, safe passage, advanced kinetic effects, and obstacle planning.
As it does so, she said, the Army will not just be updating systems but will instead use lessons learned to transform the field. She asked for industry partnership to turn this into a reality, to ensure an allied push to field future terrain shaping systems.
The U.S. Army will not face this alone, as it will have several partners at the ready, including the United Kingdom (UK), who has provided significant funding for Terrain Shaping development. British Army Col. James Fern, the Assistant Head Ground Manoeuvre for Military Capability Plans, framed the UK’s participation as strategic, as shared Research and Development (R&D) and procurement resources will shorten timelines and reduce risks while allowing production to go full steam ahead.
Terrain Shaping, Fern said, will not return to a historical landmine doctrine, but as a modern, data-driven capability that can block or disrupt enemy maneuvers without exposing Soldiers to heavy risks. He called Terrain Shaping “a significant step forward delivering a modern, ethical and scalable terrain shaping system,” noting that it also “protects our soldiers, strengthens alliances and ensures we remain competitive in the most demanding operational environment.”
The event’s highlight was a “Rehearsal of Concept” sand table event overseen by the Sandhills team, 20th Engineer Brigade of Ft. Bragg, N.C., and the 7th Engineer Brigade of Ansbach, Germany. The two teams discussed “How we fight in the Indo-Pacific" with the audience and delved into the importance of terrain shaping in support of current frameworks.
“We have no intention of telling you exactly what we want, we’re not going to do that. What we are going to do is define the problem, then we’re going to turn it over to industry to come back with innovative ways for us to solve that problem,” Project Manager of Close Combat Systems Col. Vinson Morris said.
Morris encouraged attendees to prepare to fulfill novel solutions with speeds they may not have experienced before. While problems faced will be defined, it will be the job of industry to define innovative ways to solve these problems, he said. Despite this, Morris asked attendees to not focus on chasing perfection.
Col. Tim Hudson, Commandant of the Army Engineer School, recalled an anecdote from when he was a young platoon leader, manually emplacing minefields and obstacles, and contrasted that with today’s need to achieve the same effects without exposing soldiers. By observing global conflicts and taking in partner feedback, he said he believes explosive counter-mobility can still provide decisive defensive advantages.
“We know there’s probably ideas from the folks all out here, things we probably haven’t thought of yet. We’re excited to hear those ideas,” he said.