Joint Chiefs Chair Caine warns US forces will be hunted by autonomous AI systems
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference that the US military must assume its formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked in real time. He called for transitioning to an agile, optimized mix of combat capabilities to deliver lethality at scale, citing adversaries like Russia and Iran deepening military partnerships through technology sharing. Caine stressed the window to build the needed force is closing.
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Caine: US Must Prepare for Forces to Be Tracked in Real Time by Autonomous AI Systems
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine stated that the U.S. military must prepare for future conflicts where adversaries can track American forces in real time and attack using autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference on September 16, Caine emphasized that U.S. formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked continuously. He called for transitioning the joint force to generate lethality at scale with an agile mix of capabilities. The article also cites Brig. Gen. Todd Benson, who described a state of 'hyper-transparent warfare' where even small nations and subnational groups can access satellite imagery to track U.S. forces. Caine highlighted the need to exploit AI and cyber capabilities, citing a recent example where AI enabled an unmanned vessel to rescue two U.S. soldiers. He also stressed empowering junior personnel to innovate and fostering closer cooperation between government and industry to adapt more quickly to the evolving threat environment.
Read sourceCaine: US Must Prepare for Forces to Be Tracked in Real Time by Autonomous AI Systems
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine stated that the U.S. military must prepare for future conflicts where adversaries can track American forces in real time and attack using autonomous systems powered by artificial intelligence. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association's Air, Space & Cyber Conference on September 16, Caine emphasized that U.S. formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked continuously. He called for transitioning the joint force to fight and win future wars by generating lethality at scale with an agile mix of capabilities. Brig. Gen. Todd Benson, commander of Space Forces Central, introduced the term 'hyper-transparent warfare,' noting that small nations and subnational groups can access satellite imagery to track U.S. forces. Caine highlighted the need to exploit AI and cyber capabilities, citing a June incident where AI enabled an unmanned vessel to rescue two U.S. soldiers. He also stressed empowering junior personnel to innovate and fostering closer government-industry cooperation, stating that time cannot be bought.
Read sourceUS military must adapt as formations will be ‘hunted’ by autonomous systems, Caine says
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the US military must assume its formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked in real time in future conflicts. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Caine emphasized that the character of war is changing due to AI, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems. He called for the joint force to transition to an agile, optimized mix of combat capabilities to deliver lethality at scale. Caine noted that adversaries like Russia and Iran are deepening their military partnership through a technological feedback loop, sharing weapons, intelligence, and targeting data. He highlighted examples of military adaptation, including the rescue of two Army soldiers by a Navy unmanned surface vessel and the use of first-person view drones in Ukraine. Caine stressed that time is of the essence and that the window to build the needed force is closing, as the advantage will go to those who can see, understand, decide, and act first.
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US military must adapt as formations will be ‘hunted’ by autonomous systems, Caine says
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the US military must assume its formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked in real time. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Caine emphasized that the character of war is changing due to AI, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems. He called for the joint force to transition to an agile, optimized mix of combat capabilities to deliver lethality at scale. Caine noted that adversaries like Russia and Iran are deepening their military partnership through a technological feedback loop, sharing weapons, intelligence, and satellite imagery. He highlighted examples of military adaptation, including a Navy unmanned surface vessel rescue and first-person view drones in Ukraine. Caine stressed that time is of the essence and that the window to build the needed force is closing, emphasizing the importance of trusted leaders who can work under pressure.
US military must adapt as formations will be ‘hunted’ by autonomous systems, Caine says
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the US military must assume its formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum, and tracked in real time. Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Caine emphasized that the character of war is changing due to AI, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems. He called for the joint force to transition to an agile, optimized mix of combat capabilities to deliver lethality at scale. Caine noted that adversaries like Russia and Iran are deepening their military partnerships through technology sharing. He cited examples of military adaptation, including the rescue of two Army soldiers by a Navy unmanned surface vessel and the use of first-person view drones in Ukraine. Caine stressed that time is of the essence and that the window to build the needed force is closing, as the advantage will go to those who can see, understand, decide, and act first.