FORT GORDON, Ga. - At the recent premier defense technology conference focused on cyber operations and Army modernization, leaders discussed the need to implement human-machine teams.
TechNet Augusta 2026 was held mid-August in Augusta, Georgia, with assistance from the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, Augusta University, and industry, according to the conference website, events.afcea.org/Augusta26/ Public/enter.aspx.
The three-day conference was “designed to open the lines of communication between the military and commercial sector and provide a space where government, academia, and industry professionals can discuss issues and share solutions surrounding cyber electromagnetic activities and unified land operations.”
“The defense today of this network is moving at machine speed,” said Lt. Gen. Christopher Eubank, commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command. “The network you see today will not be the network you see in 90 days.”
Eubank also said that the Army cannot rely solely on human personnel to identify and respond to every potential vulnerability at the speed required. “Army Cyber Command is pursuing human-machine teaming, using Al-enabled agents to augment cyber professionals while maintaining human oversight.” This will include roles such as developers, engineers, host analysts and exploitation analysts.
The process is designed to create a feedback loop, said the press release. “Agents operate under human supervision, produce results, and leam from mistakes, with their performance evaluated and incorporated into subsequent training.”
Lt. Gen. Jeth Rey, the Army’s chief information officer, said that artificial intelligence can help cyber professionals process the enormous volume of information generated by the enterprise and turn it into actionable insights. Rather than replacing people, AI should help personnel move from manually processing information toward making faster, better-informed decisions, he said.
The discussion at TechNet Augusta, the press release said, underscored a broader shift in how the Army views artificial intelligence: not simply as an emerging technology, but as a capability that must be integrated into the way the force operates.
Nuclear microreactors
In other unrelated news, the Army announced last week in Washington, D.C., that the Janus Program selected five nuclear energy vendors and five initial locations.
The Janus Program was created in October 2025 by Executive Order 14299, “Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security,” according to an Army press release. It directs the Department of War to “commence operation of an Army-regulated nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation no later than Sept. 30, 2028.
The Department of the Army, designated by the Secretary of War as the Executive Agent for this mission, will lead the Janus Program on behalf of the Department of War.
“The US. Army is leading the way on fielding innovative and disruptive technology,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. “We are shredding red tape and incubating next-generation capabilities in a variety of critical sectors, including nuclear power.”
According to idga.org (International Defense and Government Alliance), microreactors are compact, factory-built nuclear systems typically in the 1-20 megawatt range. They are designed for safe, autonomous operation and can power command nodes, radar systems, AI infrastructure, logistics hubs, and other essential base functions.
In partnership with the Department of War Innovation Unit, the Army is awarding up to a combined $2.2 billion to own, construct, and operate nuclear microreactors on military installations, said a press release at army.mil. Funding from the private sector is expected to collaborate with government expenditures and the Army expects more than 20 total nuclear microreactors will be built and operated across Department of War installations.
To date, the five selected vendors and installations are as follows:
•Antares Nuclear Inc. - Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
•BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC - Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
•General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems - Fort Hood, Texas.
•Radiant Industries Inc. - Fort Benning, Georgia.
•Westinghouse Government Services - Fort Drum, New York.
“When DOE [the Department of Energy] created an authorization pathway for the demonstration of advanced reactor designs, we quickly began to realize how valuable these technologies could be for fortifying our national defense infrastructure,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “We are honored to work in lockstep with the Army to leverage nuclear energy innovation in support of our country’s military operations at home and abroad.”
Emil Michael, the War Department’s chief technology officer, said in the press release, “We are unleashing America’s domestic nuclear industrial base to ensure a more resilient and secure energy supply for the joint force.”