WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army announced today it has established the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) common data layer baseline, following NGC2 operational validations at the 4th Infantry Division Ivy Sting-Ivy Mass series and 25th Infantry Division Lightning Surge events.
Anduril Industries will be responsible for leading the common data baseline initiative. They will remain partnered with Palantir to provide an edge-to-cloud data mesh via Anduril’s Lattice and Palantir’s Foundry along with associated software deployment tools. They will also partner with Raft for NGC2 data and services registries, data transformation tools, and data federation via Raft Data Platform.
With this decision, the 4th Infantry Division and 25th Infantry Division will quickly begin to implement NGC2 common components through their respective operational implementation leads as they continue through operational training and campaign exercises at Project Convergence Capstone 6 and Lightning Surge events.
“We are already moving out with the converged data layer architecture,” said Joseph Welch, portfolio acquisition executive for Command and Control (C2)/Counter C2. “Our vendor partners have demonstrated great teamwork and flexibility in helping us establish this baseline and set the groundwork for rapid scaling.”
Vendor Teaming
Anduril Industries will continue to serve as lead for 4th ID operational implementation of the “full stack” of NGC2 hardware and software, with Lockheed Martin continuing to lead the “full stack” operational implementation at 25th ID. These team leads leverage numerous other companies to ensure each division has a tailored “full stack” technology ecosystem, comprised of C2 applications, data, and the underlying infrastructure, network and transport solutions that connect Soldiers on the battlefield, even in contested and denied environments.
Operational implementation leads are also responsible for partnering with units to meet commander priorities by tailoring specific applications, algorithms and hardware relevant to their operational missions and theaters, such as new app development, incorporation of edge compute devices, integration of private 5G and other communications solutions, and fusion of electromagnetic spectrum effectors.
Operational Validation
The Army’s establishment of a common data layer is informed by ten months of feedback and data from operational training events with the 4th ID and 25th ID, where industry formed teams led by Anduril Industries and Lockheed Martin, respectively, have teamed with commanders and Soldiers on the ground to rapidly scale and improve NGC2 capabilities.
Most recently, in May 2026, the 4th ID’s Ivy Mass exercise stressed every element of NGC2 at division scale across the expanse of Fort Carson and Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, Colorado, including fighting through cyber and electromagnetic attacks based on real-world threats. Also in May, the 25th ID conducted Lightning Surge 3 during Exercise Balikatan 2026 demonstrated, simultaneously from Hawaii, the continental United States and the Philippines, the integration of sensors, fires systems and airspace management through a unified data platform providing a real-time view of the battlefield across the Indo-Pacific.
Looking ahead, Project Convergence-Capstone 6, or PC-C6 in July 2026 will serve as the culminating event for a division-scale force-on-force NGC2 validation at the National Training Center, allowing the Army to rapidly advance from prototyping to scaling product delivery.
“This is a major step forward as NGC2 evolves into a phase of continuous delivery and we provide this capability at the speed of relevance,” said Brig. Gen. Shane Taylor, capability program executive for Command and Control Information Network, or CPE C2IN. “We continue to encourage industry self-teaming and collaboration to adjust capabilities to commander priorities, operational needs and emerging technologies.”
– US Army Public Affairs
