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FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Explosions echoed through the training area as Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (LI) trained with their newly issued XM152 Mounted Machine Gun Optic for the Mark 19 40 mm grenade machine gun.
Designed to enhance situational awareness and survivability, the XM152 MMO allows gunners to neutralize threats more effectively through accurate, controlled fire at various distances.
Before heading to the range, Soldiers received hands-on instruction from the Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command on the optic’s capabilities and operation.
“This optic is important because we need first-round hit probability,” said Tyler Griffeth, a training instructor with TACOM. “A lot of times with the Mark 19 using the iron sights, the Soldiers are really focused on the iron sight when we really need the big picture, and that’s the battlefield.”
The optic enhances engagement capabilities in two key ways: first, by offering a wide field-of-view holographic reticle for rapid, close-range target acquisition, and second, by incorporating a three-times magnifier to extend the effective range and improve accuracy.
“This now switches it to where the Soldier can be more threat-focused, which will increase their first-round hit probability and their overall lethality,” said Griffeth. “Now that technology like this becomes available to the Soldier, we’re going to get out there and get more lethal.”
After familiarization, Soldiers headed to the range the following day to engage targets using the new optic. TACOM instructors joined them to ensure proficiency and understanding of the equipment.
“I feel like with this new optic, I’m very confident in the Mark 19 system, it was much easier to hit the farther ranges and was able to destroy the target as needed,” Sgt. Trever Linberg, a helicopter repairman with Delta Company, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (LI). “With this optic, I could qualify much easier, it took a lot less rounds.”
With new knowledge, experience, and confidence, these Soldiers can return to their units as subject matter experts and bring their fellow Soldiers up to speed on the latest equipment, making the 10th Mountain Division even more capable.
“I wish I had something like this back when I was in the service,” Griffeth said. “I wasted a lot of ammo that could have been right on target the first time.”
By SGT Matthew Connor
SSD Note: The MMO capitalizes on COTS optical technologies to provide a rugged, low-cost optic for the mounted Soldier in Combat Support and Combat Service Support formations. It has three variants, one each for the M2/M2A1 (MMO XM155), M240B/H/L (MMO XM156), and the MK19 (MMO XM152).
OKINAWA, Japan — U.S. Space Force Maj. Ben Pearce and Capt. Hannah Garcia-Park, both with Mission Delta-11 (Space Ranges, Aggressors, Tactics and Exercises), conducted tactical level space operations for the first time in history June 9, 2025, at III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF), Okinawa, Japan.
The Guardians injected critical tactical subject matter expertise directly supporting III MEF’s mission, while also delivering realistic and challenging space aggressor training enhancing the lethality and combat power of the entire joint force.
U.S. Space Force Maj. Ben Pearce, left, and Capt. Hannah Garcia-Park, right, with Space Training and Readiness Command, Mission Delta-11, pose for a photo with U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen Roger B. Turner, left-center, commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Sgt Maj. Christopher J. Adams, right-center, sergeant major of III MEF, on Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Japan, June 10, 2025. Pearce and Garcia-Park received challenge coins for their efforts during training with III MEF. The Guardians provided subject-matter expertise directly supporting III MEF training. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alexander Canal)
“Incorporating Guardians into our formation provides an increase in combat effectiveness,” said Col Brian Greene, operations officer for III MEF. “Their ability to seamlessly integrate space-based assets directly into the battlespace, increasing our lethality, provides III MEF and our partners with a decisive tactical advantage.”
“My experience with III MEF as a Guardian showed me how space is integrated tactically, reinforcing our mission’s importance,” said Park. “Commitment as a Guardian means we ask questions, gain insights, and seek ways to enhance support for the joint warfighter while defending our space domain.”
Mission Delta-11 is a subordinate unit of Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) and delivers realistic, threat-informed test and training environments through the provision of live, virtual, and constructive range and combat replication capability in order to prepare USSF, joint, and allied forces to prevail in a Contested, Degraded, and Operationally Limited environment.
From III Marine Expeditionary Force
RICHMOND, Va. –
The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team will be the first Army National Guard brigade to test and evaluate a prototype task organization for a mobile brigade combat team during their 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation in June 2025 at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s transformation initiative with the goal of making units more agile and lethal.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Bedford-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct a movement to contact situational training lane June 9, 2025, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The 116th is the first Army National Guard brigade to test a prototype task organization for a mobile brigade combat team, and it will be evaluated during a 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation. The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s transformation initiative with the goal of making units more agile and lethal. (U.S. National Guard phtoo by Cotton Puryear)
“The 116th has an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of the Army’s transformation initiative, and I am confident the Soldiers of the Normandy Brigade will rise to the occasion,” said Col. Jared Lake, commander of the 116th. “There are still many variables in the transformation process, but our Soldiers are going to focus on their core warfighting skills that will make us a more ready and lethal organization by the end of XCTC.”
XCTC is a series of field training exercises simulating realistic combat scenarios including live fire, situational training lanes and force on force with a dedicated opposing force intended to increase the skills and readiness of National Guard units.
The 116th will be configured as the MBCT during the XCTC rotation, and it will be an opportunity to continue testing and evaluating the proposed force structure, Lake said.
The mobile brigade combat team force structure focuses on three infantry battalions with organic logistics support and the addition of a multi-purpose company in each battalion and a multi-functional reconnaissance company in the brigade.
Battalion scout, mortar and assault platoons move to a battalion MPC to provide ground and aerial reconnaissance, indirect fire support, launched effects, counter unmanned aerial systems and deception capabilities to fix and attrit enemy forces that allows for infantry companies to close with and destroy the enemy.
The MFRC provides reconnaissance and surveillance with the brigade deep area to enable targeting and provide timely, accurate reporting of enemy activity, detect and target enemy high payoff targets and shape the brigade deep area to enable operations.
The MPCs and MFRC will be employed along with the 116th’s three infantry battalions during the culminating field training exercise near the end of the XCTC rotation.
The cavalry squadron and the brigade engineer battalion are not a part of the prototype MBCT task organization. Future force structure for those organizations is still being analyzed at the U.S. Army level. Soldiers assigned to those units will still focus on honing their MOS-specific skills during XCTC.
The field artillery battalion will conduct live fire during XCTC in addition to other MOS-specific training. Long term, the artillery battalion will align under the 29th Division Artillery as that force structure comes online in the coming years.
A key piece of equipment for the MBCT is the infantry squad vehicle designed to transport infantry squads across the battlefield. The 116th has not fielded the ISVs, but they will still be able to train on employing the new MBCT formations with their existing equipment.
The official 116th IBCT force structure has not changed and is not scheduled to change until the Army validates and finalizes the new MBCT structure, and then approves that change for the 116th IBCT, Lake said. This process is anticipated to occur over the next three years.
“Every Soldier still has a home in the 116th IBCT and every opportunity to continue their service with the Virginia Army National Guard,” he said.
Lake explained that while some Soldiers may be attached to other units for XCTC, there are no plans for permanent reassignments until the new official force structure is approved. Some Soldiers may get the opportunity to change military occupational speciality and career field, but most of Soldiers will not need to change MOS.
The Army’s 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team was first mobile brigade combat team, and they conducted a Joint Readiness Training Center rotation to experiment, test and collect Soldier feedback on the MBCT concept in July 2024 at Fort Johnson, Louisiana.
By Cotton Puryear | Virginia National Guard Public Affairs
MEADOWS OF DAN, Va. — Project Manager Soldier Survivability (PM SSV), under Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier), marked the Full-Rate Production (FRP) kickoff of the Aircrew Combat Equipment (ACE) vest at the Aerial Machine and Tool Corp. manufacturing facility, June 4, 2025, in Meadows of Dan, Virginia. The ACE vest represents a major milestone in rotary-wing protection, delivering the Army’s most significant upgrades in more than two decades.
During the kickoff, Maj Caleb Hughes, assistant product manager for PM SSV’s Air Warrior, (AW) Air Soldier Systems and ACE vest program lead, provided a technical overview of ACE program objectives to senior PM SSV leadership focusing on showcasing the vest’s core deliverables, reducing the physical weight borne by the air warrior while enhancing Soldier protection and survivability.
Developed as a Preplanned Product Improvement (P3I) under the Air Soldier System, the ACE vest replaces the legacy Generation III Air Warrior Personal Survival Gear Carrier (PSGC), delivering a 19% lighter system, with a 10% reduction in bulk from the legacy carrier.
“The improvements to form, fit, and function dramatically increase mission effectiveness and survivability,” Maj. Hughes said. “Reducing body-carried weight is key to lowering fatigue and increasing aircrew sustainment during long-duration aviation missions.”
To achieve these efforts, the ACE vest integrates components from the Modular Scalable Vest (MSV) developed under the Soldier Protective Equipment (SPE) portfolio. The MSV’s low-profile soft armor replaces heavier legacy materials while streamlining compatibility with other ACE protective elements.
“The ACE vest is a strong example of cross-platform integration,” said Neal Nguyen, lead systems engineer for SPE. “The MSV’s upgraded soft armor reduces core areal density from 1.8 to 0.78 lb/ft², with a drop in carried weight from 9.3 pounds to 5.61. This transformational capability results in significant improvements to aircrew mobility.”
By aligning the MSV across platforms, PEO-Solider ensures proven ballistic technologies are fielded faster without requiring separate testing or validation from each system team, Nguyen added.
During the kickoff, Maj. Hughes also introduced the laser-cut Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS), a modernized textile solution replacing the traditional MOLLE system.
“The PALS eliminates unnecessary bulk from excess stitching and cloth and supports a more flexible gear configuration,” Maj. Hughes said. “This modular capability allows aircrews to tailor the vest based on mission and environmental factors, reducing equipment load without compromising protection.”
The ACE vest includes additional survivability features such as the advanced Personal Restraint Tether (PRT), an attenuating safety line designed to control deceleration during a fall from a rotary-wing platform.
“The tether helps reduce the jolt a crew member might otherwise experience during a fall,” Maj. Hughes said. “Instead of a hard stop that could cause secondary injuries, the design absorbs energy and enhances recovery safety.”
Another notable upgrade to Aircrew survivability is the repositioned Life Preserver Unit (LPU-42/P) floatation device, now mounted at the abdomen. The configuration increases the head’s range of motion, reducing fatigue and enhancing situational awareness during flight operations and water egress scenarios. The LPU-42 redesign also increases buoyancy by nearly 39%, a critical survivability improvement delivered through the ACE vest.
Following the technical presentation, senior leaders toured the production facility, observing elements of the ACE vest manufacturing line and Aerial’s recent technology upgrades implemented to support product development. The event concluded with a complete product layout, offering a firsthand look at the ACE vest’s fielded components and marking the milestone in the program’s transition to full-rate production.
“Today’s event highlights the culmination of hard work and collaboration across the Army to deliver the first update to Aircrew protection in more than 20 years,” said Col. James Lindh, Project Manager of Soldier Survivability. (PM SSV) “This dramatic increase in protection and comfort will make our Aircrews more lethal and survivable. This milestone reflects our commitment to delivering the best kit for our Aircrews available today, while supporting Army-wide modernization.”
Limited procurement for the ACE system began in fiscal year 2022, followed by initial fielding in FY24 to the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade and rapid delivery to elements of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, earlier this year. The ACE vest and modular component fielding will continue through FY32 based on aviation unit priorities.
“Supporting the Air Warrior mission means ensuring these systems are fielded where they are needed most,” said Maj. Hughes. “What this event means for the Aviator, is delivering the best equipment to the field faster.”
Story by Khylee Woodford
PEO Soldier
Hohenfels, Germany – With the rapid advances of technologies and the ever-changing technological landscape, it remains more important than ever for the United States Army to remain at the cutting edge of innovation. Which is why an event like the Human Machine Integration (HMI) Fight Tonight Excursion is so essential.
The HMI Fight Tonight Excursion is a training event to train today’s Soldiers on how to use the emerging technologies and devices of tomorrow. For three days, Soldiers were given hours of training and hands-on experience to test, experiment with, and provide direct feedback for some of the latest technologies and breakthroughs coming from PEO Soldier.
And the Soldiers of 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division led the way.
“The Fight Tonight Excursion is an Army Futures Command Commanding General priority to rapidly integrate a Common Control Solution for uncrewed systems for the Army,” said MAJ Adam Arnold, assistant program manager of Nett Warrior. “The focus for the excursion centered around bridging Nett Warrior, Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) assets along with other commercial off-the-shelf UAS with commercial controllers to provide Soldiers a common control software solution and reduce the number of controllers on the battlefield.”
Many current SRR drones only come with controllers provided by the manufacturing companies. While these controllers work, they only work for the specific drones they are made for and can quickly add a lot of excess bulk and weight for Soldiers to carry if units are given multiple different SRRs to operate.
That is where PEO Soldier and Nett Warrior come in: Working with the DEVCOM Soldier Center, they designed an all-in-one system that can deploy and control multiple different types of SRR drones, eliminating the need for Soldiers to constantly keep track of different controllers and operating systems.
Getting here has been a collaborative process from the beginning. Taking DEVCOM solutions and partners at Program Manager UAS have been integral to bringing these advanced systems online well before they were ever in the hands of Soldiers. PM UAS has been crucial in receiving UAS vendor support to update their firmware so the systems will work. It is also responsible for sending three of their trainers to join the Nett Warrior team to help train Soldiers on these advanced systems.
The feedback from the Soldiers testing the Army’s cutting-edge system has been very positive.
Soldiers who trained with the Nett Warrior system thought the software was “simpler” and more “user-friendly” than what they were currently used to. They found that the drones they controlled performed better on the Nett Warrior system and that the interface was very easy to use.
That is no small feat given that the training took place in the frigid, single-degree German winter weather.
The Nett Warrior system also adds the same extensibility to platoon leaders and commanders. Now, reconnaissance footage and intelligence can be relayed through multiple touchpoints. Leaders at all echelons can see the video in real time. Nett Warrior also allows commanders to assign tasks directly to their units and even remotely take control of the UAS if necessary.
All that in one easy-to-use system, designed from the ground up with Soldiers in mind.
“The collaborative efforts between PEO Soldier, PEO Aviation, PEO C3N, and our industry partners were in full display in the work required to bring UAS assets into the unit network architecture,” MAJ Arnold said. “The ability to pass Position Location Information (PLI) and video streaming throughout the formation will provide Soldiers with far more extensibility and situational awareness than ever before.”
After this training, the Soldiers had an additional month to use the Nett Warrior system on their own, integrating it with their other duties and training to see how the system performed in the field.
The response was incredibly positive.
The training was “an overwhelming success,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brendan Henske, Brigade UAS Operations Officer, noting that the overall Nett Warrior devices and systems helped to “reduce and simplify the Soldiers’ workload.”
“Soldiers took to learning the new interface with vigor and did not want to give up the equipment at the end,” CW2 Henske said.
This is far from the end, however. The Soldiers will provide the Nett Warrior team with direct feedback on their favorite features and what could be improved. That feedback will be used to refine, improve, and perfect the Nett Warrior system.
It is that commitment, to put Soldiers at the forefront of everything being done, that helps Nett Warrior and all the teams across the multiple PEOs thrive and continue to deliver the best and most advanced systems in the world to the men and women in uniform.
By Zachary Montanaro
Introduction
To the combat arms platoon leader and company commander: You are leading formations that will close with and destroy the enemy. Your ability to shoot, move, communicate, and then move again (see later section on countering enemy surveillance in the electromagnetic spectrum) is paramount to our success on the modern battlefield. The enemy is sophisticated, adaptive, and aggressively contesting your ability to maneuver in all domains, including the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS). You are not alone in this fight; the intelligence and cyber communities will enable you to dominate the EMS. These communities stand ready to provide you with actionable targets and the means to influence/dominate the EMS at echelon. This is not theory; this is the reality of combat against peer and near-peer adversaries, and we are bringing the full weight of the Department of Defense (DoD) and its combat support agencies to bear. Your S-2 section and Cyber Electromagnetic Warfare Activities (CEMA) cell will innovate at speed across the range of operations to ensure that you have the capabilities necessary to win.
SIGINT and EW: Your Tactical Edge
Signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electromagnetic warfare (EW) are distinct but complementary disciplines that must be integrated effectively to maximize battlefield effects. SIGINT identifies and characterizes enemy signals, providing critical intelligence that inform EW operations. EW teams can use that information to help locate enemy positions for destruction, or simply to disrupt, deceive, or deny the adversary’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Proper coordination between SIGINT and EW enables deception operations, enhances precision targeting, and strengthens force protection measures, ensuring that friendly forces maintain dominance over the EMS while denying the enemy key capabilities.
Based on historical analysis of large-scale combat operations (LSCO), recent lessons learned from Ukraine, and predictive analysis of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) capabilities, the teaming of SIGINT and EW can be a force multiplier across the warfighting functions. By integrating SIGINT-derived intelligence with EW’s ability to deny and disrupt, we can significantly degrade an adversary’s ability to maneuver and execute multidomain operations (MDO).
Understanding SIGINT in Your Fight
SIGINT is not just a tool for strategic planners in some far-off headquarters. It is a tactical enabler that allows you to detect, locate, and exploit enemy communications in real time. Whether you are setting up an ambush, planning a fire mission, or maneuvering to secure a key objective, SIGINT can provide the enemy’s disposition, intent, and vulnerabilities. The Army’s ability to identify and track enemy command nodes, air defense systems, and maneuver elements through SIGINT means you can strike at the right place and time with overwhelming force.
How EW Shapes the Battlefield
EW is your ability to seize control of the EMS. EW is the counterweight to enemy SIGINT and can greatly affect their ability to execute command and control (C2) while disrupting their ability to communicate, navigate, and coordinate. If the enemy cannot receive orders, they cannot react. If their targeting systems are blinded, they cannot fire effectively. Ultimately, if they can’t navigate, they cannot effectively maneuver forces on the battlefield. EW, when employed effectively, can have significant battlefield effects, all without firing a shot.
EW’s Three Essential Functions:
Electromagnetic Support (ES): Detecting and identifying enemy emitters to support targeting and situational awareness.
Electromagnetic Attack (EA): Jamming and deception operations that deny the enemy use of the spectrum.
Electromagnetic Protection (EP): Ensuring that friendly forces maintain reliable communications despite enemy jamming, to include employment of emission control measures (e.g., radio power, antenna placement, etc.) to defeat enemy attempts to surveil and target friendly forces.
The Critical Role of SIGINT and EW in Tactical Operations
The operational environment requires agility, synchronization, and unity of effort to converge all sensors and effects on a rapidly evolving threat. The ability to integrate SIGINT with EW at the tactical level allows commanders to enhance targeting fidelity (SIGINT and EW), disrupt adversary operations (EW), and provide real-time intelligence for maneuver forces (SIGINT).
To focus on C2 and counter-C2, expanded maneuver, and cross-domain fires, we must team SIGINT and EW across EA, ES, and EP to present multiple dilemmas to our enemy, enhance C2 protection, and increase lethality. Let’s look at an example:
Kill Chain Analysis: A Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) Scenario
In an era where UAS play an increasingly critical role in modern warfare, understanding the full kill chain process for countering these threats is essential for operational success.
Phase 1: Detect and Identify
A brigade combat team (BCT) is executing a deliberate attack when SIGINT elements intercept and transcribe enemy communications emanating from an urban area associated with drone activity. Electromagnetic support reporting from sensors riding on a remote-controlled scouting vehicle confirms the presence of enemy UAS operating frequencies, geolocating multiple launch sites and relay nodes.
Phase 2: Target and Disrupt
Upon confirming the threat, the BCT’s organic EW platoon, using Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) Manpacks, receives the locations of the threat signals of interest (SOI), and executes an electromagnetic attack to jam the drone’s control frequencies, disrupting the operator’s ability to maneuver the UAS effectively. Simultaneously, SIGINT analysts coordinating with higher-echelon intelligence teams pinpoint the drone operator’s location for kinetic targeting.
Phase 3: Engage and Destroy
With the drone rendered ineffective, the fire support element coordinates an artillery strike on the enemy UAS ground control station, leveraging the precision geolocation refined by enhanced tools like the Electromagnetic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) and the Army Intelligence Data Platform (AIDP). Simultaneously, the EW platoon continues to jam the enemy’s communications, preventing coordinated support or retrograde. Friendly forces neutralize the threat, allowing maneuver elements to proceed unimpeded.
Phase 4: Assess and Adapt
Post-strike analysis from SIGINT utilizing High Altitude Platform (HAP) sensors reveals ongoing enemy attempts to reestablish drone operations, underscoring the necessity for sustained EA efforts. In response, SIGINT teams disseminate updated threat reporting to the EW platoon, enabling them to adjust jamming frequencies and counter enemy adaptations. Concurrently, SIGINT elements refine their intelligence collection to anticipate and prepare for potential future enemy tactics, ensuring proactive EW measures.
This coordinated SIGINT and EW kill chain ensures the enemy’s UAS capability is neutralized before it can affect friendly operations. This vignette effectively illustrates the critical synergy between intelligence-driven targeting and spectrum dominance.
How You Can Leverage SIGINT and EW at Your Level
To gain a decisive battlefield advantage, leaders must integrate SIGINT and EW capabilities to counter enemy threats in the EMS. The following approaches can help achieve this:
Incorporate SIGINT and EW into the DNA of Your Planning and Execution
From the outset, consider how to effectively integrate these capabilities into your operations to inform and shape your decision-making. Collaborate closely with supporting staff elements, such as the BCT CEMA cell and S-2 section, to gain a deep understanding of the enemy’s electromagnetic spectrum usage and identify opportunities to disrupt and exploit their vulnerabilities. By incorporating SIGINT and EW into your operational framework, you can create a more comprehensive and effective approach to achieving your mission objectives.
Train Your Leaders and Soldiers to Recognize and Exploit the EMS
Your Soldiers must understand that controlling the EMS is just as vital as controlling key terrain. Integrate SIGINT and EW considerations into your battle drills, mission rehearsals, and after-action reviews. Units that fail to account for enemy EW will put their formations at significant risk on the battlefields of the future. Training ensures you can adapt and maintain tempo under contested conditions.
SIGINT and EW teams can sense across the EMS with ES at the tactical edge. By developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), SIGINT support from higher echelons, such as from the division level, can be pushed down to BCTs, providing real-time EMS sensing without burdening them with protecting and maneuvering higher-echelon intelligence capabilities. Ultimately, this enables more agile and lethal maneuver forces.
Ensure Interoperability with Supporting SIGINT and EW Units
SIGINT and EW units are enablers, not afterthoughts. Integration of SIGINT and EW elements throughout the organic targeting process is key. Work with them to refine target identification and EA options. Develop unit standard operating procedures (SOPs) that detail how to request and synchronize their capabilities in real-time engagements and incorporate them in all rehearsals. Leaders must ensure that EW Soldiers are embedded within tactical formations to provide immediate effects that enhance maneuver and fires.
Adopt an Aggressive, Learning-Focused Mindset
The enemy is adapting. As such, we must do the same. Stay informed on the latest TTPs by leveraging resources such as the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) and current doctrinal publications like Field Manual (FM) 2-0, Intelligence, and FM 3-12, Cyberspace Operations and Electromagnetic Warfare. We must continue to share lessons learned across our formations and with intelligence and EW enablers to continually refine our operational effectiveness.
Conclusion
In an era where the electromagnetic spectrum is as contested as the physical battlespace, success demands leaders fully integrate SIGINT and EW into their tactical decision-making. These are not ancillary capabilities but core enablers of maneuver, fires, and protection. By treating SIGINT and EW as an integral piece of battlefield operations rather than separate support functions, we can outthink, outmaneuver, and overwhelm our adversaries before they can react.
The future fight will be won by those who master the integration of intelligence and electromagnetic warfare, seamlessly fusing these disciplines into their formations and operational planning. This requires continuous learning, rigorous training, and adaptive thinking to counter evolving enemy tactics. The intelligence and EW communities stand ready to support, provide counsel for our specialties, and execute through our commanders’ intent.
Superiority in the EMS is not an option — it is a necessity. By embracing these capabilities and fostering interoperability, we ensure that our forces maintain a lethal edge on the battlefield. The challenge is clear, and the tools are at hand. Now is the time to educate our leaders and Soldiers and incorporate these capabilities into our training so we are prepared to fight and win our nation’s wars.
By MG Rick Appelhans and MG Ryan Janovic
MG Richard T. “Rick” Appelhans currently serves as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, AZ. Prior to assuming this position, he served as the director of Intelligence, U.S. Forces Korea/deputy director of Intelligence, Combined Forces Command. MG Appelhans’ overseas assignments and deployments include the Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Germany, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Iraq. He began his military career as an Armor officer, serving as a tank platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion S-4. Since transitioning to Military Intelligence in 1997, MG Appelhans has served in a variety of command and staff assignments to include detachment commander, battalion S-2, company commander, brigade combat team S-2, analysis and control element chief, region commander, division G-2, and group commander.
MG Ryan Janovic currently serves as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Eisenhower, GA. A native of Akron, OH, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, in 1993 and commissioned into the Military Intelligence Corps. He served with Multi-National Forces-Iraq, 1st Infantry Division in eastern Afghanistan, Military Intelligence in Korea, and later with Commander United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea. His other assignments include various posts throughout the U.S. to include a tour as a White House Fellow. In 2019, MG Janovic joined the cyber ranks as the deputy commander of Joint Force Headquarters – Cyber (Army), leading the organization toward unit citations earned in support of U.S. Central Command.
This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Infantry. Read more articles from the professional bulletin of the U.S. Army Infantry at www.benning.army.mil/Infantry/Magazine or www.lineofdeparture.army.mil/Journals/Infantry.
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.
The April 23 “Friendship Jump” brought together paratroopers from two nations to strengthen warfighting readiness and enhance interoperability under high-risk, realistic training conditions. The Colorado National Guard and Jordan have been partners since May 24, 2004, through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
“Airborne operations bond people together,” said U.S. Army Master Sgt. Casey Finkbiner, jumpmaster, Colorado Army National Guard. “You place your lives in one another’s hands and trust that they will place your safety above all else. It shows real partnership when we are able to execute air ops with our foreign counterparts.”
The jump, initiated and organized by Finkbiner, showcased the commitment of both forces to operate as a cohesive, capable team in demanding environments.
The operation was particularly complex because of differences in equipment, language and procedures.
Jordanian paratroopers had never jumped from a CH-47 Chinook or used the U.S. MC-6 parachute system. Through detailed coordination and instruction from Colorado Army National Guard jumpmasters, the forces bridged those gaps and executed a successful joint mission.
“Any training that is high risk builds trust between partner militaries, and this makes detailed planning and collaboration even more important,” Finkbiner said.
U.S. Army Col. Alyssa Aarhaus, commander, 89th Troop Command, emphasized the historical and symbolic importance of the jump.
“Although raised in culturally different environments, we came together to celebrate our unique airborne capabilities and the partnership of our two amazing nations,” she said. “By completing this jump with both Jordanian and American jumpmasters, COARNG [Colorado Army National Guard] solidified an already strong partnership and highlighted the talent of our two nations.”
After completing the joint airborne operation, participants were awarded Jordanian jump wings, “a coveted recognition and outward expression of our strong partnership,” Aarhaus said.
The award acknowledges the mutual trust, coordination and shared risk involved in the combined training event, reinforcing interoperability between the two forces.
Finkbiner said the successful execution of this operation serves as a stepping stone for future collaborative missions involving more complex joint capabilities.
“Exercises and partnership events under realistic or high-risk conditions allow the U.S. and Jordanian forces to coordinate and execute complex military operations, improving communication and processes, and overall becoming a more effective combined force,” she said.
A participant from the JAF said, “This joint airborne jump represents a step that reflects the high level of coordination and understanding between the Jordanian Armed Forces and the Colorado National Guard.
“This training provided us with the opportunity to exchange experiences and acquire new skills, which enhanced our readiness and ability to operate jointly in diverse and evolving environments. Cooperation based on mutual respect and professionalism makes us better prepared to face future challenges efficiently and effectively,” the participant said.
While modern technologies such as drones and cybersecurity tools offer critical capabilities in reconnaissance, surveillance and precision engagement, airborne forces continue to play a vital role by providing the ability to rapidly deploy large-scale personnel across the globe. This capability complements emerging domains, ensuring that military forces remain flexible and prepared across both conventional and digital battlefields.
As global security challenges continually evolve, efforts like the “Friendship Jump” can ensure that allied forces remain ready, responsive and resilient together.
Officially signed May 24, 2004, the partnership between Jordan and the Colorado Guard represents a milestone in the SPP program because it was the first such partnership established in the Levant region of the Middle East. Celebrating more than 20 years of cooperation, the partnership has become a cornerstone of strategic collaboration and mutual support between the JAF and the Colorado National Guard.
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, Colorado National Guard
