This paper will describe the proposed communications concepts for the United States Army tactical field forces in the time frame 1990 and beyond. First, there will be a review of previous communications architectures. The review of past architectures provides the contrasts associated with the evolutions of warfare. The paper, then, will highlight technological advances that can provide those capabilities long sought by the field communicators. Finally, the paper will portray a modern communications architecture that incorporates these technologies, permitting effective employment of automation into the battlefield functional systems and providing efficient command and control for future military engagements.