Project Manager Intelligence Systems & Analytics is hosting an Army Intelligence Data Platform-Next (AIDP-Next) Virtual Industry Day 12 Feb 2026 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST.
The Industry Day will facilitate industry exchange, market research, and information sharing related to the future of AIDP-Next.
For more information and registration, visit forms.osi.apps.mil/pages/responsepage.
Modern defence operations rely on seamless communication across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. As joint and coalition missions become more complex, the systems behind them need to connect, share data and adapt in real time. These demands are driving significant changes in how defence communications are designed and deployed.
Rugged USB-C connectors, originally developed for everyday electronics but now built to military-grade standards are becoming key to this evolution. They simplify system integration and help maintain connectivity at the tactical edge. Here, Alex Raymond, European product manager at military connector specialist PEI-Genesis explores the growing importance of USB-C connectors in C5ISR systems.
C5ISR, short for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber Defence, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance sits at the core of today’s defence strategies. It includes everything from rugged laptops and tablets to target acquisition systems and command post shelters.
To perform reliably, C5ISR platforms need physical infrastructure that supports power, data and video transmission under harsh conditions. Rugged USB Type-C connectors for harsh environments deliver all three in a compact, robust format, streamlining integration while enhancing system reliability, connectivity and upgradeability in the field.
The importance of USB-C connectors
Traditional military connectors are often custom-built for specific equipment. While durable, these connectors often make it harder for systems to work together, especially in joint-force operations where interoperability is critical. USB-C takes a different approach. It offers a standard, universal interface that supports multiple functions. When housed inside a ruggedised, military-grade shell, it holds up in demanding environments and reduces the number of connectors and cables needed in the field.
This kind of consolidation is particularly useful in environments where space and weight are limited, like soldier-worn equipment, UAV control units or tactical command systems inside armoured vehicles. Rather than relying on separate ports for power, data and video, a single USB-C connection can handle all three. That streamlines the hardware layout, cuts down on design complexity and makes it easier to build modular systems that can be upgraded or adjusted without a full redesign.
Simplifying the connector setup also delivers practical benefits in the field. Fewer cable types mean more efficient logistics, faster deployment, and quicker turnaround on repairs, all of which are critical when operations are time-sensitive and conditions are unpredictable.
Supporting open architectures
As defence agencies move toward open systems architectures like CMOSS in the US and LOSA in the UK, the goal is to make systems more modular, upgradeable and interoperable. This shift allows military platforms to incorporate new technologies more rapidly, rather than waiting for lengthy redesign cycles.
The move toward modular system design is playing a key role in speeding up digital transformation across the defence sector. As technologies like software-defined radios, edge computing and real-time analytics become more widespread, the need for adaptable hardware is growing. Rugged USB-C connectors help meet that need, giving operators the flexibility to add or replace components without having to rework entire systems.
This trend is also influencing how engineers approach field readiness. USB-C connectors streamline setup and help cut down on errors by combining multiple functions into a single port. For personnel operating under pressure, being able to plug in one cable instead of managing several, cuts down failure points and gets systems operational faster.
This kind of straightforward, operator-first functionality is becoming a key consideration in procurement, especially as defence programs aim to boost agility and ease the demands placed on frontline units.
Enhancing sustainability and lifecycle support
A strategic advantage of USB-C standardisation lies in how it supports equipment lifecycle and sustainability. By offering a universal connection across multiple systems, USB-C reduces the need for bespoke, platform-specific components. This lightens the load on supply chains and makes field maintenance more efficient.
With fewer distinct parts to manage, armed forces can maintain higher readiness levels and lower overall support costs. It also aligns with long-term upgrade plans, where new technologies can be integrated into older platforms without requiring complete system overhauls. That combination of operational efficiency and reduced hardware waste offers both practical and environmental benefits.
Amphenol Socapex’s USB-C connectors deliver the full capabilities of USB Type-C, including high-speed data, power delivery and video transmission within a rugged MIL-DTL-38999 Series III shell. Built for extreme environments, these connectors feature IP68 sealing, EMI shielding and resistance to vibration and corrosion, making them the perfect choice for use in demanding defence applications.
PEI-Genesis supports system integrators by offering rapid connector assembly, expert engineering support for complex requirements and value-added services,such as connector modification and custom cable assembly. This ensures quick, dependable integration across both legacy and mixed-technology defence systems.
As the battlefield becomes more digital and decentralised, small hardware decisions have big strategic effects. Rugged USB-C delivers a compact, flexible solution for simplifying system design, supporting modularity and improving cross-domain connectivity. These connectors are helping defence organisations align with the demands of agile, multi-domain operations.
To find out more about Amphenol’s Socapex USB-C connectors or to browse more military grade connectors offered by PEI-Genesis, visit www.peigenesis.com.
The 2025 series of the Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-Machine Teaming marked a significant step forward in the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into battle management operations. Through a series of groundbreaking experiments, including the recent DASH 3 iteration, the U.S. Air Force, alongside its coalition partners, Canada and the United Kingdom, tested and refined AI’s potential to enhance decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen interoperability in the face of growing global security challenges.
Held at the unclassified location of the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis in downtown Las Vegas, DASH 3 set the stage for this collaboration, led by the Advanced Battle Management System Cross-Functional Team. The experiment was executed in partnership with the Air Force Research Lab’s 711th Human Performance Wing, U.S. Space Force, and the 805th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the ShOC-N, further solidifying the commitment to advancing battle management capabilities for the future.
AI Integration into Operational Decision-Making
In the third iteration of the DASH series seven teams, six from industry teams and one from the ShOC-N innovation team partnered with U.S., Canadian, and U.K. operators to test a range of decision advantage tools aimed at enhancing the rapid and effective generation of battle course of actions with multiple paths. The goal of a Battle COA is to map sequences of actions that align with the commander’s intent while overcoming the complexities of modern warfare, including the fog and friction of battle. Examples of Battle COAs include recommended solutions for long-range kill chains, electromagnetic battle management problems, space and cyber challenges, or agile combat employment such as re-basing aircraft.
U.S. Air Force Col. John Ohlund, ABMS Cross Functional Team lead overseeing capability development, explained the importance of flexibility in COA generation: “For example, a bomber may be able to attack from multiple avenues of approach, each presenting unique risks and requires different supporting assets such as cyber, ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance], refueling, and air defense suppression. Machines can generate multiple paths, supporting assets, compounding uncertainties, timing, and more. Machines provide a rich solution space where many COAs are explored, but only some are executed, ensuring options remain open as the situation develops.”
This ability to explore multiple COAs simultaneously allows for faster adaptation to unforeseen challenges and provides operators with diverse strategies to act upon as the situation unfolds. AI’s integration into this process aims to not only speed up the decision-making cycle but also increase the quality of the solutions generated.
AI Speeds Decision Advantage
The speed at which AI systems can generate actionable recommendations is proving to be a game-changer in the decision-making process. Transitioning from the manual creation of COAs that once took minutes or tens of minutes to producing viable options in just tens of seconds was identified as a radical advantage in combat scenarios. Initial results from the DASH 3 experiment show the power of AI in enabling faster, more efficient decision-making.
“AI systems demonstrated the ability to generate multi-domain COAs considering risk, fuel, time constraints, force packaging, and geospatial routing in under one minute,” said Ohlund. “These machine-generated recommendations were up to 90% faster than traditional methods, with the best in machine-class solutions showing 97% viability and tactical validity.”
For comparison, human performance in generating courses of action typically took around 19 minutes, with only 48% of the options being considered viable and tactically valid.
“This dramatic reduction in time and improvement in the quality of solutions underscores AI’s potential to significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of the decision-making process, while still allowing humans to make the final decisions on the battlefield,” Ohlund added.
The ability to quickly generate multiple viable COAs not only improves the speed of decision-making but also gives commanders more options to work within a compressed time frame, making AI an essential tool for maintaining a strategic advantage in fast-paced combat situations.
Building Trust in AI: From Skepticism to Confidence
Skepticism surrounding the integration of AI in operational decision-making was common at the start of the DASH 3 experiment. However, participating operators saw a notable shift in their perspectives as the DASH progressed. U.S. Air Force First Lt. Ashley Nguyen, 964th Airborne Air Control Squadron DASH 3 participant, expressed initial doubt about the role AI could play in such a complex process. “I was skeptical about technology being integrated into decision-making, given how difficult and nuanced battle COA building can be,” said Nguyen. “But working with the tools, I saw how user-friendly and timesaving they could be. The AI didn’t replace us; it gave us a solid starting point to build from.”
As the experiment unfolded, trust in AI steadily increased. Operators, gaining more hands-on experience, began to see the value in the AI’s ability to generate viable solutions at an unprecedented speed. “Some of the AI-generated outputs were about 80% solutions,” said Nguyen. “They weren’t perfect, but they were a good foundation. This increased my trust in the system; AI became a helpful tool in generating a starting point for decision-making.”
Trust and Collaboration Across Nations
The collaboration between the U.S. and its coalition partners was highlighted throughout the 2025 DASH series. The inclusion of operators from the UK and Canada brought invaluable perspectives, ensuring that the decision support tools tested could address a broad range of operational requirements.
“We understand that the next conflict cannot be won alone without the help of machine teammates and supported by our allies,” said Royal Canadian Air Force Capt. Dennis Williams, RCAF DASH 3 participant. “DASH 3 demonstrated the value of these partnerships as we worked together in a coalition-led, simulated combat scenario. The tools we tested are vital for maintaining a decision advantage, and we look forward to expanding this collaboration in future DASH events.”
This integration of human-machine teaming and coalition participation highlighted the potential for improving multinational interoperability in the command-and-control battlespace. “The involvement of our coalition partners was crucial, not just for the success of DASH 3 but also for reinforcing the alliances that underpin global security. DASH experimentation is intentionally a low barrier for entry from a security classification standpoint, enabling broad participation from allies and coalition partners alike,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Shawn Finney, commander of the 805th Combat Training Squadron/ShOC-N.
Addressing Challenges: Weather and AI Hallucinations
The DASH 3 experiment was not just a test of new AI tools, but a continuation of a concerted effort to tackle persistent challenges, including the integration of weather data and the potential for AI “hallucinations.” These issues have been focus areas throughout the DASH series, with each iteration bringing new insights and refinements to ensure AI systems are operationally effective.
Weather-related challenges are a critical factor in real-world operations, but due to simulation limitations, they were not fully integrated in the DASH series. Instead, weather-related challenges were manually simulated by human operators through ‘white carding’, a method that provided scenario-based weather effects, such as airfield closures or delays, into the experiment.
“We didn’t overlook the role of weather,” explained Ohlund. “While it wasn’t a primary focus of this experiment, we fully understand its operational impact and are committed to integrating weather data into future decision-making models.”
The risk of AI hallucinations, instances where AI produces incorrect or irrelevant outputs, particularly when using large language models, was another challenge tackled during the DASH 3 experiment. Aware of this potential issue, the development teams took proactive steps to design AI tools that minimized the risk of hallucinations and organizers diligently monitored the outputs throughout the experiment.
“Our team didn’t observe hallucinations during the experiment, underscoring the effectiveness of the AI systems employed during the experiment,” said Ohlund. “While this is a positive outcome, we remain vigilant about the potential risks, particularly when utilizing LLMs that may not be trained on military-specific jargon and acronyms. We are actively refining our systems to mitigate these risks and ensure AI outputs are reliable and relevant.”
Looking Ahead: Building Trust in AI for Future Operations
As the U.S. Air Force moves forward with the 2026 series of DASH experiments, the lessons learned from 2025 iterations will serve as a crucial foundation for future efforts. The growing trust in human-machine collaboration, the strengthening of international partnerships, and the continuous refinement of AI tools all point to a future where AI plays an integral role in operational decision-making.
“The 2025 DASH series has established a strong foundation for future experiments, with the potential to further expand AI’s role in battle management,” said Ohlund. “By continuing to build trust with operators, improve AI systems, and foster international cooperation, the U.S. and its allies are taking critical steps toward ensuring they are prepared to address the evolving challenges of modern warfare.”
“This is just the beginning,” said Williams. “The more we can integrate AI into the decision-making process, the more time we can free up to focus on the human aspects of warfare. These tools are key to staying ahead of our adversaries and maintaining peace and stability on a global scale.”
Deb Henley
505th Command and Control Wing
Public Affairs
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — A new theater, a new set of industry partners and a new approach are on deck for the next series of operational exercises helping the Army to prototype its transformational Next Generation Command and Control, or NGC2.
The 25th Infantry “Lightning” Division, recently coming off its Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotation, is the next formation preparing to evaluate and shape NGC2 to scale it for the broader Army.
NGC2 replaces legacy systems and technologies siloed by warfighting function and instead leverages rapid progress in commercial technology to introduce an integrated “full stack” capability ecosystem. At the top of the stack, applications ingest and share C2 data across all the warfighting functions for the commander’s decision overmatch — while the bottom layers provide transport and infrastructure capabilities to move data around the battlefield.
This fundamentally new approach is rapidly progressing through iterative, Soldier-driven experimentation supported by the 4th Infantry Division, and now the 25ID will also contribute its expertise to the effort, ahead of Army decisions on fielding NGC2 capabilities across the force.
The unit’s upcoming string of exercises, called “Lightning Surge,” begins in January 2026, and will be conducted in tandem with the 4 ID “Ivy” Division’s Ivy Sting exercise series for NGC2 prototype experimentation, which kicked off in September 2025 at Fort Carson, Colorado.
“Instrumental to sustaining peace through strength is our Next Generation Command and Control, complementing the 25th Infantry Division’s continuous transformation,” said Maj. Gen. Jay Bartholomees, commanding general, 25th ID. “We’re learning from 4th Infantry Division’s Ivy Sting series and look forward to quickly implementing their best practices and applications into our Lightning Surge events.”
At the heart of the NGC2 prototyping effort are multifaceted teams-of-teams that include numerous industry partners, working with the government through non-traditional acquisition pathways. This construct — designed to reduce the time between requirements, validation and capability delivery as part of the Army’s acquisition reform — puts Army transformation organizations and industry partners onsite with 4ID and 25ID Soldiers to rapidly prioritize capabilities and iteratively address challenges. This prototyping stage is informing the Army not only on NGC2 technology and operational use, but also on the construct for government-industry partnerships to maintain a competitive ecosystem that can continuously evolve capabilities.
Unlike the 4ID, which is prototyping NGC2’s full stack of capabilities, the 25ID will predominantly focus experimentation on the recently fielded apps and data layer software.
“The 25th Infantry Division recently received the Army’s more modern C2 Fix infrastructure and network transport capabilities, so we can focus our integration and Soldier feedback on NGC2 data and apps capabilities, contributed by a different industry team,” said Brig. Gen. Jack “Shane” Taylor, capability program executive for Command, Control, Communications, and Network. “Since no two divisions fight alike, it’s critical for the Army to diversify its NGC2 prototype efforts.”
To ensure best-of-breed capabilities, the Army intends to continue to competitively onboard vendors and teams for current and future NGC2 divisions, Taylor said.
The 25ID Lightning Surge exercises will first address data layer integration, followed by exercises focused on warfighting apps. Each exercise will address different pillars of capability, prioritized by the division’s commanding general, which are critical to its unique geography and area of operations.
“We’re setting conditions for Lightning Surge so we can start doing those data connections we know we’re going to need,” said Lt. Col. Adam Brinkman, who serves as both the 25ID’s Division’s G6 and Commander for its newly reactivated Signal Battalion. “This will be a great framework to organize, think around and apply to the vast area we have to fight in.”
Lightning Surge experimentation will enable the division to utilize its common operating picture connections and introduce NGC2 capabilities to improve data integration, said Maj. Rebecca Borrebach, 25ID G6 data officer, who is working closely with the industry team prototyping NGC2 for 25ID.
“We believe NGC2 will improve on our current data visualization to correlate data from multiple sources,” Borrebach said. “It’s critical to get the data right first.”
The division — a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System unit — will also focus on integrating data to enhance the fires digital kill chain. The fires commander’s access to data and artificial intelligence capabilities are critical to establishing an effective kill chain, which will increase lethality from initial sensor detection to final sensor observation, and include data on battle damage and effectiveness, Brinkman said. Future Lighting Surge events will also include AI-enabled airspace deconfliction capabilities, utilizing NGC2 to reduce the cognitive burden on operators.
“As we bring on small Unmanned Aerial Systems and understand swarms and drones, we need to understand how to create an accurate air picture for the division,” Brinkman said.
The Lightning Surge series will expand beyond data to software apps integration, with focus on logistics, AI and culminating in joint/multinational interoperability.
“If you look at the grand scheme, we’ve been fielded a lot of [capabilities],” Brinkman said, noting the Army’s increased speed to field is both necessary and desired. “As we increase our survivability, that’s really what it comes down to at the end of the day, to fight and win our nation’s wars.”
By Kathryn Bailey, CPE C3N Public Affairs Directorate
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — There are no algorithms in foxholes – yet.
While the U.S. Army has applied emerging artificial intelligence tools to streamline processes across the enterprise — most recently with the rollout of the Department of War’s new generative AI website, GenAI.mil — the impact of AI on the tactical edge Soldier and commander is still taking shape.
With the help of industry experts and Soldier experimentation, however, the Army is building a blueprint for algorithmic warfare at the edge across technology, training, concepts, procurement, and ethical implementation. The potential of AI supporting command and control, C2 — using tools to rapidly process data, inform commanders’ decisions, speed the fires kill chain, and reduce the cognitive burden on Soldiers — is a major focus of ongoing operational prototyping of Next Generation Command and Control, NGC2, the Army’s priority effort to leverage rapid progress in commercial technology to deliver information across all warfighting functions.
The overarching goal of AI for C2, leaders said, is to enable human decisions at machine speed.
“No other technology will have a bigger impact on future warfare than artificial intelligence,” said Brig. Gen. Michael Kaloostian, director of the Command and Control Future Capability Directorate, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command. “The way we harness and adopt AI to support decision-making, and to make sense of what is expected to be a very chaotic battlefield in the future, will ultimately give commanders options to achieve decision overmatch.”
Applying AI at echelon — designing secure models for austere conditions, tailorable for specific missions and warfighting functions — was the focus of an industry workshop conducted earlier this month by the C2 Future Capability Directorate and Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The market research event, with technical experts from a range of companies and Army organizations, produced feedback on how the Army can better leverage private sector innovation in AI for C2. Areas to maximize industry opportunities and expertise included prioritization of desired capabilities over time, as well as the availability and relevance of Army warfighting and training data that AI models can consume.
“Everybody sees private sector investment happening in AI, so where does the tactical Army fit in the AI market?” said Col. Chris Anderson, project manager Data and AI for Capability Program Executive Command, Control, Communications and Network. “The Army’s unique value proposition for industry is our data and access to warfighters.”
The workshop session also came on the heels of a request for information released on Sam.gov on Dec. 2, focused on gaining industry feedback on the emerging data architecture for NGC2. The Army securely shared the draft architecture on Sam.gov to foster transparency and invite industry ideas that will augment the current NGC2 prototype experimentation and designs underway with vendor teams supporting the 4th Infantry Division and 25th Infantry Division.
“The Army’s approach with Next Generation C2 has always been commercially driven, with industry as foundational partners,” said Joe Welch, portfolio acquisition executive for C2/Counter C2, and Executive Director, T2COM. “That means all of industry — not just our current team leads, but a large range of companies that can contribute to a thriving ecosystem. This RFI is another step in our commitment to sharing technical details and applying industry feedback as we move forward with NGC2.”
One challenge the Army and industry are jointly facing with AI implementation at the edge is that models are only as good as the data they can ingest and interpret. But available data, as well as computing and network resources required to process it, will vary widely depending on the tactical environment.
“For AI at the strategic level, that’s almost entirely unconstrained by store and compute,” Anderson said. “Down at the foxhole, it’s an entirely different story.”
Because of that complexity, the Army is designing the NGC2 ecosystem to rapidly onboard new AI models, building on a common foundation but able to address new missions and environments.
“We’re looking to really provide an ecosystem so that model developers and Soldiers have the capability to fine-tune models at the edge,” Welch said. “When we say that the Army has specific model gaps that we need addressed, it will be a pipeline to very rapidly move that through.”
Another element of the Army’s roadmap is determining what algorithmic warfare capability is required by echelon, from Corps to company and below, informed by the data each unit needs to make decisions, Kaloostian said. The NGC2 prototyping underway with the 4th ID’s Ivy Sting and 25th ID’s Lightning Surge events is providing significant insight into those requirements, as well as the tactics, techniques and procedures for employing different AI applications, he said.
Even as technology and concepts rapidly evolve, the Army will maintain its ethical standards in using AI to support C2 decisions made by humans, leaders said. For example, during the 4ID Ivy Sting series at Fort Carson, Colorado, the division has trained AI models to review sensor data and rapidly recognize, process, and nominate targets. The commander reviews that information and decides whether to order a fire mission. At the staff level, AI can also reduce the time Soldiers spend sifting through and organizing data from a constantly expanding range of data sources and digital systems.
“A lot of what we’re looking to provide here is a reduction in the cognitive burden that comes with the use of a lot of digital tools,” Welch said. “Not just AI target recognition, but generalized AI capabilities are going to help lower that cognitive burden so that our Soldiers can focus on their core tasks to complete the mission.”
By Claire Heininger
As modern battlefields rapidly evolve, the Army remains at the forefront of capability acceleration and innovation. Through exposure to realistic, emulated threat in the Western corridor, the Army’s All-domain Persistent Experiment (APEX) accelerates technical innovation and enhances Soldier lethality in the most threat-informed, live-sky environment available.
This fall, teams across the Army, Joint Force, industry, allied nations, and academia converged on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, to assess, develop and reassess technology. The goal: outpace the threat.
“Today’s Warfighters must execute operations across the electromagnetic spectrum in the most contested Degraded, Denied, Intermittent, and Low-bandwidth (DDIL) environment the Army has ever seen,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Gaydon, commander of the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). “We must be able to test, experiment, and train to fight in the same environment.”
“Integrating iterative testing, operationally realistic experimentation, Soldier feedback, and emerging technology assessments in support of the Campaign of Learning is vital to ensuring that learning is captured early and often to shape requirements, acquisition strategies, and fielding decisions. We currently have the capability to replicate the DDIL environment at several of our test and training ranges.”
Opening the aperture across a broader swath of the electromagnetic spectrum, APEX provided the DDIL environment needed to test integrated systems that operate in various regions of the spectrum and truly understand their capabilities in a realistic environment. Utilizing the conditions at WSMR, the All-Domain Sensing Cross-Functional Team (ADS CFT) built upon six years of success from the experiment’s previous iterations as the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Assessment Experiment (PNTAX).
“This is the most challenging experiment our organization has completed to date,” said Col. Pat Moffett, deputy director of the ADS CFT. “It was an opportunity to learn– bringing together those who are actively championing the Army’s priorities – and putting capability to the test in one of the harshest environments available. Persistent experimentation of this caliber is one way we maintain momentum and lethality.
This pivot generated valuable insights to help Army leaders knit together warfighting systems that support integrating broader future concepts. Together, participants conducted experiments that accelerate investment in the Army’s top priorities, including command and control, integrated fires, and all-arms maneuver.
Integrated, real-time C2
As the Army gains momentum with Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) prototyping and experimentation, teams at APEX informed Army requirement development for one critical piece of the puzzle: sensor data.
In increasingly convoluted and denied information environments, access to the right data at the right time and the right classification is paramount. The Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center Dynamic project, designed to enable automated tipping and cross-cueing for accelerated kill chains, utilized a sensor framework to integrate Army, Joint Service, national, and coalition partner capabilities, enabling accelerated, automated effects.
To validate sensing system interoperability during APEX, the Dynamic project utilized the Joint Interface Control Document – Common Services (JICD CS) framework and Integrated Sensing Architecture (ISA) developed by the Capability Program Executive for Intelligence Electronic Warfare and Sensors’ (CPE IEW&S). These efforts successfully demonstrated the ability to integrate, process and disseminate multi-sensor data to the appropriate decision maker for action, while operating in a DDIL environment.
“The ability for ISA and our interface to JICD to be able to participate in APEX was invaluable,” said Christine Moulton, CPE IEW&S Strategic Integration Director for the Integration Directorate. “The data we collected at the time needed to integrate new sensors using the API provided great insight as we continue to improve the program.”
Live fires across domains
Commanders should not be limited in their effects on the battlefield. At APEX, experimentation efforts blended kinetic and nonkinetic effects, using mature situational awareness capabilities to speed the commander decision process.
Using Plexus, a system designed to arm commanders with informed decision-making abilities, the C5ISR Center and Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO AA) validated situational awareness information, directing the best shooter for the best effect. This integrated, automated approach demonstrated the lethality of cross-domain fires and an enhanced understanding of the environment.
“The Plexus systems-of-systems approach demonstrates cohesive communication across mission command systems and improves the precision and reliability of artillery strikes,” said Kevin O’Hanlon, C5ISR Center PNT Chief.
The right combination of synchronized effects gives friendly forces the tactical advantage, ultimately enabling the commander’s operational plan. The test bed for kinetic and nonkinetic effects formulated by the environment at APEX enhances the effectiveness of cross-domain fires.
All-arms maneuver
Additionally, APEX boasted multiple scenarios featuring Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and counter-UAS activities within a DDIL environment. These efforts are critical to validate platform operational relevance.
Given this experiment’s expansion to encompass more than navigation technologies, all-arms maneuver remains a critical part of the modern warfighting strategy. This year, the DDIL environment challenged ground and unmanned air platforms, ensuring the next generation of capabilities can operate through all electromagnetic conditions.
Way ahead
Persistent experimentation is critical to Army transformation, allowing for deliberate learning, training, and warfighting system interoperability. Coupled with Soldier feedback and training in realistic, threat informed operational environments, live-sky experiments are poised to advance broader transformation priorities through nested learning demands.
Experiments in denied, spectrum-degraded environments help the Army close the gap between today’s efforts and tomorrow’s warfare, evaluating capability readiness and adaptability.
The ADS CFT will transition into the Future Capability Directorate (FCD) construct under the Futures and Concepts Command (FCC) as the Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) gains full operational capability.
To maintain experimentation momentum, the next iteration of this experiment is called the DDIL Integrated Environment Supporting Experimentation and Learning, or DIESEL. It will align with the Army’s Concept-Focused Warfighting Experiments and support the command’s goal of turning war-fighting concepts into war-winning capabilities.
By Madeline Winkler
The Kaptrek Pro Pilot was developed as the first French (and European) IOT/connected wrist mounted platform for defense applications.
Capabilities:
Technical Specs:
It is available in two versions:
North Eagles is a Swiss firm specializing in wrist one situational awareness systems. For instance they manufacture a gas detector for industrial applications.
At Milipol they showed their newest creation, a tactical instrument which offers several functions:
Battlefield Situational Awareness
Soldier Health Awareness
Communication & Data
Additionally, this wrist mounted device offers the wearer access to the following data:
Although the screen does not depict a map, the system will integrate vector map backgrounds. Additionally, it uses a spread spectrum protocol to connnect to Soldierborne comms systems.
Learn more at northeagles.ch.
