“We’re moving towards a talent management system where we will manage people by 25 variables instead of two,” Gen. McConville said. It will be “a system that recognizes and capitalizes on our people’s knowledge, their skills, their behaviors and even their preferences.”

Addressing topics from modernization to millennials, Trump’s pick for Army Chief of Staff sailed through his confirmation hearing — except for six bitter minutes.

The Army will hold five demonstrations this year for the electronic backbone of its future manned aircraft and drones. A forerunner is already entering service.

FLRAA will go to select Guard units ahead of most of the regular Army, Gen. McConville said. That’s a far cry from past conflicts over helicopters.

The Army wants to keep its options open on upgrading its heaviest cargo helicopter. Boeing is worried the window of opportunity — and its factory — will close before the Army makes up its mind.

No Army vice-chief has won the top job since Eric Shinseki. But Gen. McConville brings some unique credentials.

“There are ways to be innovative in the Army,” retired Lt. Gen. Tom Spoehr said. But you have to protect the innovators from the institutional culture of the Pentagon: “You can send them someplace else, like Austin.”

“None of this would be happening without someone who’s not here today, and that’s Senator John McCain, an American hero,” General Milley said to some of the loudest applause of the day.

The Army doesn’t only want much faster aircraft: It wants them to cost the same to build, operate, and maintain as its current helicopters. Otherwise it can’t fit them into an unchanging aviation budget. That’s an awfully high bar.

“Does that mean you can’t talk to us? No,” Assistant Secretary Bruce Jette said. “What it means is, if you have secret sauce, reserve the secret sauce, make sure we understand what you want to talk about. Only when we get down to contract discussions should you bring out the secret sauce.”