The U.S. Army’s Cross-Functional Teams Explained: How 8 Teams Are Revolutionizing Military Technology
In an age where near-peer adversaries are investing heavily in cutting-edge military capabilities, the U.S. Army is making its boldest transformation since the Cold War. And at the heart of this revolution? A relatively new concept with a simple name and enormous impact: Cross-Functional Teams, or CFTs.
What Are Cross-Functional Teams?
Traditionally, the military acquisition process was slow, siloed, and risk-averse. Requirements were written by one office, handed to another for acquisition, and finally delivered to soldiers years later: often too late.
Enter Cross-Functional Teams. Born out of frustration with the status quo and spearheaded by the Army Futures Command (AFC), these teams are multi-disciplinary task forces composed of operators, scientists, engineers, acquisition professionals, and logisticians. Their mission? To move fast, fail quickly, and field capable systems at the speed of relevance.
Why CFTs Matter
The idea is simple: when you put all the right people in the same room, from the warfighter to the systems engineer to the contract officer, you don’t just move faster, you build better.
Each CFT is laser-focused on a key modernization priority, and together, they cover the Army’s most urgent technological and operational gaps. They prototype early, test often, and work closely with industry to get innovative solutions into the hands of soldiers faster.
The Army’s 8 Cross-Functional Teams (CFTs)
1. Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF)
Location: Fort Sill, OK
Mission: Regain artillery dominance against adversaries with extended-range cannons, hypersonic weapons, and precision strike missiles.
Why It Matters: In any near-peer fight, first strike capability is critical. LRPF ensures the Army can out-range and outgun any opponent.
2. Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV)
Location: Detroit Arsenal, MI
Mission: Develop manned and unmanned vehicles to replace the aging Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Abrams tank.
Why It Matters: These platforms will form the backbone of future ground maneuver warfare, and they’ll need to be smarter, lighter, and tougher.
3. Future Vertical Lift (FVL)
Location: Redstone Arsenal, AL
Mission: Create the next generation of Army rotorcraft: faster, more lethal, and more survivable than the Black Hawk and Apache.
Why It Matters: Air mobility and attack capabilities are essential for dispersed, rapid operations in contested environments.
4. Network (C5ISR)
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
Mission: Deliver a resilient, secure, and expeditionary tactical network for Multi-Domain Operations.
Why It Matters: Without seamless communication and data sharing, nothing else works. This team enables command and control across the battlespace.
5. Air and Missile Defense (AMD)
Location: Fort Sill, OK
Mission: Defend against drones, aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic threats with layered, integrated defenses.
Why It Matters: From Ukraine to Taiwan, the skies are becoming deadlier. AMD gives soldiers a shield against modern aerial threats.
6. Soldier Lethality
Location: Fort Moore, GA
Mission: Improve the gear, weapons, training, and protection of the individual soldier.
Why It Matters: Technology wins battles, but people win wars. Enhancing the dismounted warfighter is a non-negotiable.
7. Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT)/Space
Location: Redstone Arsenal, AL
Mission: Ensure soldiers can navigate and communicate in GPS-denied environments and take advantage of space-based capabilities.
Why It Matters: GPS is fragile in a jammed environment. This team ensures resilient navigation, targeting, and timing across domains.
8. Synthetic Training Environment (STE)
Location: Orlando, FL
Mission: Build immersive, scalable, and interoperable training simulations using virtual and augmented reality.
Why It Matters: Modern battlefields require modern training. STE enables units to rehearse missions anywhere, anytime, with realistic data-driven scenarios.
Where Is It All Going?
The goal is Multi-Domain Operations (MDO): the ability to converge effects across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace to outpace adversaries.
To get there, the Army is shifting from slow procurement cycles to a more iterative, commercial-style development process (with the CFTs leading the charge).
What It Means for You
If you’re a small business, technologist, or innovator, this is your window.
The Army is actively seeking non-traditional partners. Many of these CFTs are sourcing technology through:
- SBIR/STTR programs
- OTA consortia like SOSSEC or C5
- Industry days and innovation challenges
Don’t wait for a 300-page RFP. Many opportunities begin with a white paper, a pitch, or a demo.
Final Thoughts
The battlefield is changing and the Army is changing with it. The 8 Cross-Functional Teams are not just bureaucratic rearrangements. They are the Army’s best shot at staying dominant in a future fight that will be fast, data-driven, and multi-domain.
Whether you're in uniform, building tech, or just watching global defense trends this is the future of Army modernization. And it's happening now.
Want to learn more about how to win SBIR’s and other R&D grants from the federal government? Head on over to How Civilians and Startups Can Tap Into the Pentagon’s Billion-Dollar Innovation Pipeline and feel free to reach out to our team with any questions.
