The U.S. Army is bringing its sweeping modernization initiative, “Transformation in Contact” (TIC), to the Army National Guard, marking a significant step toward equipping all operational units—active and reserve—with cutting-edge technology and updated organizational structures for future combat.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George announced the expansion during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday. “We want to do that as fast as we can in the Guard as well,” George said.
“They are identifying those units who can do that in the Guard.”
Originally launched to modernize active-duty infantry brigades, the TIC initiative is designed to better prepare units for major training events and deployments by delivering advanced tools such as Infantry Squad Vehicles, drones, counter-drone systems, and enhanced electromagnetic warfare capabilities.
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The initiative aims to enhance speed, mobility, and decision-making on the battlefield.
George made it clear that National Guard units will not be left behind as the Army reshapes itself to confront future threats.
“They’re going to have the same systems,” he emphasized. “They will not look any different.”
TIC began with three infantry brigades—3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division; 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division; and 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
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These brigades received accelerated upgrades in equipment, mobility, and command-and-control infrastructure, enabling them to operate more rapidly and effectively.
The results of this transformation have led to the emergence of “Mobile Brigade Combat Teams,” a new conceptual structure that redefines how infantry units maneuver and engage.
The Army has now transitioned to what it calls TIC 2.0, shifting its modernization efforts to Armor Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) and division-level units. This new phase emphasizes not just new gear, but also doctrinal and organizational change.
In May, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, began Exercise Combined Resolve at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany—a key TIC milestone.
“Raider Brigade is spearheading the Army’s Transforming in Contact initiative and experimenting with new capabilities to enhance battlefield effectiveness while deployed to Europe,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, in a May release. “The lessons learned through this exercise will help inform the Army how an armored brigade combat team fights on future battlefields.”
The 1st ABCT’s role in TIC is structured around four core phases: adapting its combat operations, integrating emerging technologies, reorganizing its force structure, and quickly adopting new systems as they become available.
The Army is using these efforts to test not just the hardware, but the tactics and procedures that will guide combat units in tomorrow’s wars.
The 1st Cavalry Division is also heavily involved in TIC 2.0, having launched its transformation shortly after returning from a deployment in Europe.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, the division commander, explained the unique challenges and opportunities that armor units face in this modernization push.
“An ABCT has a lot of different moving pieces,” Feltey said in April.
“Our battlespace is much larger, and things move faster.”
While drone capabilities proved extremely beneficial for infantry units during TIC’s first phase, armor formations operating over greater distances will require a more diverse and far-reaching fleet of unmanned aerial systems.
As a result, the 1st Cavalry Division is taking a comprehensive approach, involving its artillery, air cavalry squadron, and electronic warfare units in TIC upgrades.
Key hardware modernizations are already underway, including fielding the A4 variant of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the A7 variant of the Paladin artillery system.
The division is also next in line to receive the new Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), which promises to replace aging M113 vehicles and significantly increase protection and mobility.
In addition to combat platforms, the 1st Cavalry Division is expected to receive a suite of upgraded communications tools.
These include the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN), Star Shield satellite communications, and the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), which provides enhanced ultra-high-frequency satellite communications.
Feltey anticipates that, much like the infantry brigades before them, these upgrades will dramatically improve the division’s ability to communicate across dispersed and contested environments.
The culmination of these efforts will be tested at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, in 2027.
As the Army rolls out TIC across its reserve components, the integration of Guard units into this comprehensive modernization effort underscores the Pentagon’s commitment to a “total force” approach.
With the battlefield of the future growing increasingly complex, the ability of both active and reserve units to fight with equal capability will be crucial.
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