MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Military leaders, academics and technology experts gathered this week at Maxwell Air Force Base to look ahead at how the next generation of warfare could unfold.
The event, known as the Air Force Doctrine 2035 war game, is designed to test how emerging technologies may shape conflict in the coming decade. The effort brings together participants from across the country to examine everything from artificial intelligence to evolving battlefield strategies.
Maj. Gen. Parker Wright, deputy commander of Air University and commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, said the exercise is intended to simulate future conflict and help guide planning.
“We conduct wargames in an effort to simulate what conflict would look like,” Wright said. “We do that for educational purposes, to support combat commanders and their operational staffs, and to help plan for the future.”
Officials said the project has been underway for more than a year, with planners working closely with private industry to anticipate where technology could be by 2035. Those capabilities are then placed into simulated conflict scenarios to see how they might perform.
“We intentionally looked to industry to see where the technology landscape would be in 2035,” Wright said, “and then we’re putting those technologies into a battlespace to see how they’ll play.”
While much of the war game takes place on base, discussions also extended into downtown Montgomery, where a public symposium brought together authors and experts on military strategy and innovation.
Dr. Bill DeMarco, a professor at Air University who moderated the panel, said the collaboration between the military, private sector and academia has provided valuable insight.
“Bringing those folks together … to find out what war might look like in 10 years and then playing that scenario out — the lessons we’ve learned have been fascinating,” DeMarco said.
The symposium featured several authors who have written on military theory and emerging technologies, offering perspectives on how innovations such as artificial intelligence and advanced systems could influence future conflicts.
Local leaders say hosting the event also underscores Alabama’s importance in national defense.
Anna Buckalew, president and CEO of the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, said the region’s military presence is sometimes overlooked.
“Montgomery is a huge military town,” Buckalew said. “That gets lost sometimes because we’re a capital city, but we’re a national defense city.”
Maxwell Air Force Base has long played a role in shaping military strategy, including its contributions to air power doctrine ahead of World War II. Leaders say the current war game builds on that legacy, using modern tools and partnerships to prepare for future challenges.
The Air Force Doctrine 2035 war game is expected to wrap up this week, with officials saying the findings could help inform military planning and doctrine in the years ahead.
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