The U.S. Army is working on a groundbreaking concept for an unprecedented deep-space intelligence-gathering capability on future battlefields: “ultra-long-range effects.” Andrew Evans, director of the Army’s Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Task Force, laid out the vision for this innovative approach at the annual conference of the American Army Aviation Association (AAAA). Evans said the concept would push the boundaries of current defense capabilities and strengthen the Army’s ability to combat future threats.
Evans stated that the Land Forces Command is focusing on developing short, medium and long-range effects that can be launched from both land and air platforms, and emphasized that the biggest breakthrough in the field of intelligence will be experienced with the implementation of the concept they call "ultra-long-range launch effects."
Evans described this revolutionary concept this way: “What we’re trying to do is something that represents thousands of miles from the prime mover, so imagine a system that can provide a launch effect and get itself into a launch position and then do over-the-horizon detection thousands of miles beyond that. You’re getting into some game-changing capabilities.” This description suggests the potential to create unparalleled awareness at depths beyond traditional intelligence-gathering methods, far beyond enemy lines and at the source of potential threats.
Long-Range Effects Demonstration by Commercial Aircraft in 2026
The ISR Task Force plans to conduct a critical user demonstration in 2026 to understand the practical applicability and potential of this ambitious concept. This demonstration will examine in detail how long-range launch effects can be implemented using a commercial aircraft platform. Evans expressed confidence in the technological progress in the industry, saying, “We believe the industry has already solved many of these problems. What we’ve done is bring together all the right industry partners to try to understand how we build the ecosystem around this.” This approach highlights the key role of close collaboration with the defense industry in successfully bringing such innovative concepts to life.
Evans said the Army’s strategic approach to this issue will likely focus on the basics, “the glide body itself, the propulsion vehicle,” in the first phase, then layer the service’s advanced sensing capabilities on top of that foundation. The final phase will focus on the rapid and reliable “backhaul,” or transmission, of critical data collected from the platform to the appropriate command and control centers. “Detection and backhaul are not trivial,” said Lawrence Mixon, special assistant to the program manager for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, noting the technical complexity and operational importance of these two phases.
“Our integrated sensor architecture team at PEO is already working on this with standards from the data that should help get around that backhaul piece by partnering with industry,” Mixon said. “It also ties into next-generation command and control and standards to make sure that this information gets to the decision makers, to the commanders.” These statements show that it’s essential that vital intelligence from ultra-long-range effects be delivered in a seamless flow that allows commanders on the battlefield to make timely and accurate decisions.
Call to Industry: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Operational Capability Demonstration
Earlier this year, the U.S. Army issued a formal call to the defense industry seeking unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems capable of performing critical missions such as ISR, launched from medium- or high-altitude platforms, according to a notice posted on the federal job openings portal Sam.gov. The call appears to be directly tied to the development of the “ultra-long-range effects” concept. An operational capability demonstration is planned for fiscal year 2026, and the effort will significantly support the pioneering work being conducted by the ISR Task Force.
HADES Platform and Beyond Horizon Access Vision
Although the task force will not use the Army’s next-generation high-speed spy jet, HADES, short for “High Accuracy Detection and Employment System,” in this important demonstration to be held in 2026, the concept developed for an ultra-long-range effect draws inspiration from the long-range operational capabilities of the platform in question. The basic design philosophy of HADES is based on the ability to penetrate to depths that enemy air defense systems cannot reach and then reach even further by using the launch effect to gather critical intelligence. The technological gains and operational experiences to be gained from the HADES platform, which is currently in the prototyping phase, can make significant contributions to the maturation and implementation of the “ultra-long-range effects” concept.
“We are in a situation where we cannot operate from any port in the United States without a threat to our force projection,” Evans said, noting the increasing threats to U.S. force mobility globally. This statement underscores the strategic imperative to counter the enemy’s potential to disrupt U.S. force deployment and operational readiness in future conflict scenarios.
Evans stated that as intelligence professionals, they need to find innovative ways to overcome this challenge, saying, “Perception drives this capability, you need to know where these forces will be projected and what kind of fight they will engage in to answer these questions.” He stated that groundbreaking technologies such as “ultra-long range effects” could allow the U.S. military to understand the strategic situation deep in the enemy and develop proactive defense and attack strategies accordingly.
“Something like HADES or other work we’ve done in the [Multi-Domain Detection Systems] space allows us to project ourselves, so ultra-long-range effects also become important,” Evans concluded, reiterating that investments in such advanced technology will play a vital role in the future operational success and strategic superiority of the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army’s visionary and ambitious approach to “ultra-long-range effects” has the potential to profoundly impact the dynamics of the future battlespace and revolutionize intelligence-gathering capabilities.
