Army considers 15 cities — including Philadelphia — for home of new Futures Command

 The Philadelphia skyline (Ashley Hahn / WHYY)

The Philadelphia skyline (Ashley Hahn / WHYY)

The Army says it’s considering 15 cities for the headquarters of its planned Futures Command, which will keep track of emerging technology and innovations that could be used in warfighting.The Army notified the cities this week and asked for detailed information.

The contenders are Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New York; Philadelphia; Raleigh, North Carolina; San Diego; San Francisco; and Seattle.

The Army says the headquarters should be near universities and technology companies. It says the host city should have workforce expertise in biomedicine, chemistry, computer hardware and software, electronics, materials and mechanical systems.

The Army hasn’t said when it would choose a city.

It would be the fourth command-level operation in the Army. Officials say it’s the most significant reorganization since 1973.

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