US Army Yearbook 2026

During the last decade, the US Army transitioned from a force optimised for counter-insurgency warfare to one able to fight large conventional war against peer-level adversaries. The Army reshaped to take to the field, operating in dispersed groups that are hard to find and hard to kill. It is incorporating lessons from current conflicts and adopting new technologies to give it a war-winning edge over its potential opponents. There is still more to be done, however. The US Army continues to adopt new weapons and equipment and allows its soldiers to experiment in how best to use them with deadly effect. This special edition examines what the US Army is doing to be ready for a war no one wants but many suspect is coming.