U.S. Army Europe and Africa Commander Gen. Christopher Donahue has called on defense companies to deliver weapon systems that work seamlessly across allied forces. Speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANDEURO conference in Wiesbaden on Wednesday, Donahue said nations should adopt standardized launchers, fire control systems and munitions.
According to a report by National Defense, Donahue said interoperable platforms are vital in building the “Eastern Flank Deterrence Line,” which serves as a countermeasure against Russia. Donahue stressed that these systems must also support a shared combat cloud and be optionally manned.
“We already know exactly what we have to do with the cloud, and we know exactly what type of actual unmanned systems, brigades and everything else we need,” the general said. “So, if you’re industry, we can tell you exactly what we need.”
Interoperable by Design
But for industry to deliver, allied nations must first agree on shared requirements. Donahue called for better-written contracts and urged that all software and systems should be interoperable by design.
He added that common cloud infrastructure should be easy to achieve since most European nations already use major U.S. cloud services for civilian needs. Drop-in munitions should also be affordable and flexible, he said, citing Iran’s low-cost drones as an example.
Advancing Coalition Warfare
This focus on interoperability echoes a similar philosophy within the U.S. Air Force. During the Indo-Pacific Air Chiefs Conference in Japan last October, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin underscored the importance of eliminating policy obstacles and improving system compatibility to strengthen joint response capabilities across the region.
In line with this objective, the Air Force announced earlier this year that it will host four multinational exercises in 2025 to test artificial intelligence in coalition warfare, noting that these events will, ultimately, help advance interoperability among allies in combat scenarios.
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