U.S. Army adopts new training to fight in biologically contested battlefields

The U.S. Army unveiled a new biodefense plan that folds biological-warfare scenarios into everyday combat drills, recognizing that no protective bubble can cover every possible threat, according to Alison Tamasi of the Army's Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency. The initiative, signed last week, targets full readiness for biologically contested operations by 2035 and will feature realistic simulations—like a norovirus outbreak at a military port—requiring medical, logistics and command units to maintain mission continuity.

Early implementation will focus on policy development, inter-agency coordination and training of specialists, with more advanced technologies slated for later phases. The move is driven by fears that advances in artificial intelligence and biotechnology could accelerate the emergence of novel bio-threats, especially from Russia, whose recent mysterious death at an anti-plague institute has revived scrutiny of its capabilities.

The Army also plans to use environmental monitoring, including wastewater surveillance, to detect threats earlier and to educate senior leaders on biodefense realities. By preparing forces to operate despite a biological attack, the service hopes to deter adversaries from employing such weapons.