Task force seeks lighter Javelin missiles, robot dogs for infantry

A task force focused on soldier lethality is adding new initiatives to its portfolio, including a lighter Javelin missile, identifying how artificial intelligence can help squads, and looking into robot dogs as infantry battle buddies. The Close Combat Lethality Task Force, established in 2018 under then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, pushed for the Next Generation Squad Weapon, a 6.8mm intermediate-caliber replacement for the M4 for close combat troops, which was selected this year and begins fielding to troops in 2023. It also lobbied for additional funding and prioritization for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a $22 billion program for a mixed-reality goggle aimed to put fighter pilot situational awareness tools in the view of squad-level soldiers. On the human side, the task force supported efforts to revitalize infantry and close-combat training, increase unit cohesion by keeping infantry troops in the field longer, and reduce training tasks not related to combat. But the task force has mostly remained in the shadows and sought a home since Mattis left office in 2019.