The US Army wants soldiers to test tomorrow's tech while preparing to fight today. It's a balancing act.

This year's Project Convergence Capstone combined combat realism and experimentation with new systems like drones. US Army photo by Sgt. Nathan Arellano Tlaczani The US Army recently combined a major technology experiment with realistic training. Integrating new weapons into training situations delivers both benefits and trade-offs. Some soldiers avoided risk with unfamiliar systems to maximize their training time. The US Army is embracing a wave of new weapons and systems, from drones to command-and-control platforms, and putting these experimental capabilities directly in the hands of soldiers during training events. That approach yields valuable lessons and gives soldiers hands-on experience with new technologies. The push and pull of experimentation and training , however, can create tension between testing unfamiliar gear and preparing units for the broader demands of warfare.