FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — The 3rd Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, partnered with the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence, Joint and Allied forces, and industry partners to execute the Vanguard 24 experiment from September 8-24, 2024.
Mission-tailored teams of 3rd MDEB Soldiers operated from the 1st Lt. John R. Fox Multi-Domain Range, the Buffalo Soldier Electronic Test Range and other training areas in the Southwest. Vanguard provided a venue for 3rd MDEB Soldiers to experiment with and assess various cutting-edge sensors, high altitude platforms and data transport solutions that are not yet Army programs of record.
“Multi-Domain Task Forces are the signature formations for the Army’s continual transformation. The emerging capabilities our Soldiers are training on help inform the Army on which capabilities should be pursued and possibly developed further and integrated at scale across the Army and DOD,” said Col. Michael Rose, 3rd MDTF commander.
These teams executed training and experimentation focused on integrating cyber, electronic warfare, extended range sensing and data transfer. The distances between training areas and teams replicated the distances required to operate in the Indo-Pacific Command theater, where 3rd MDTF is assigned.
“The challenge with extended range multi-domain sensing comes down to several problem sets — platforms, payloads, data backhaul and analysis. Vanguard provided the venue for the MDEB to tackle each of these problem sets at operationally relevant distances,” said Rose.
“My team was able to effectively locate signals of interest, aggregate the sensor data, pass it back to the MDEB tactical command post at Fort Huachuca, then integrate the data into mission command systems to include the Army Intelligence Data Platform, and send the data to the TF level All Domain Operations Center back in Hawaii,” said MDEB Commander Lt. Col. Pablo Diaz. “We met our key training objectives and look forward to taking the lessons learned to keep pushing the envelope.”
Objectives for 3rd MDEB were to experiment with high altitude and persistent platforms such as high-altitude balloons and unmanned aerial systems, various electronic warfare and cyber payloads, long range data backhaul solutions and validate defensive cyber capabilities
Vanguard 24 is an annual capstone experiment that provides a venue to explore, integrate, and test emerging technologies, tools, and concepts that address specific capability gaps and future warfighting requirements.
Vanguard provided capabilities development, testing, and training elements, with an INDOPACOM operational scenario that expanded the scope and scale of the experiment, which spanned from Fort Huachuca’s Buffalo Soldier Electronic Test Range and 1st Lt. John R. Fox Multi-Domain Operations Range, as well as across the Southwestern U.S.
By MAJ Stephen Page