FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The U.S. Army is creating VICTOR, a new artificial intelligence-powered network engagement platform designed to transform how soldiers and Army career professionals discover, share and apply operational knowledge. Managed by the leaders within the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command, the effort represents the next step in connecting the Army’s institutional knowledge with the needs of Soldiers across the force.

This new tool aims to solve a long-standing problem: critical lessons and insights are often locked away in disconnected data silos, which impedes and discourages Soldiers from finding them. Whether preparing for a training event, planning an operation or responding to an emerging threat, Soldiers and leaders often spend valuable time searching across multiple systems for information. VICTOR is focused on reducing that burden by bringing trusted Army knowledge together into one interface.

Combat leaders must make confident decisions under extreme pressure; they deserve access to the Army’s collective knowledge at the point of need. VICTOR is being designed as a mobile-first capability that connects authoritative Army knowledge and lessons learned to deliver relevant, actionable information when it matters most.

“We’re getting away from Soldiers having to comb through a haystack of links to websites and documents that may or may not even have the answers they need,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Nielsen, the VICTOR lead at the Combined Arms Command.

“The point of this effort is to combine AI capabilities with the massive canon of knowledge we have in our doctrine library and in the experience of our Soldiers. VICTOR aims to bring all of that together on a secure, easy-to-access platform that Soldiers can use to get instant answers to their questions and only the most relevant resources brought directly to them.”

Rather than replacing existing systems, VICTOR is designed to connect them, enabling users to receive synthesized answers instead of searching across multiple repositories.

The application launched this month to an initial group of innovators consisting of Soldiers and Army civilian professionals. This cohort is testing the system and providing critical insights to shape future capabilities. Based on this feedback, the VICTOR team is targeting a launch to the force this fall accompanied by multiple user upgrades, ensuring that the platform is fully tuned to warfighter needs.

This initiative is designed to improve readiness by helping leaders and Soldiers make faster, more informed decisions. For a squad leader in the motor pool or a company commander in the field, it means getting instant answers when they are needed most. It allows units to benefit from lessons learned across the force rather than relying on trial and error.

“Most of us grew up in the Army where the Center for Army Lessons Learned and the Army Publishing Directorate were the go-to platforms for the latest established and emerging doctrine,” Nielsen said.

“That entire ecosystem was built on the institutional Army and everyday Soldiers sharing their hard-earned tactics, techniques and procedures to help each other fight and win. Over the years, we went from carrying that info in physical books, to scrolling through digital PDFs, and eventually listening to audiobooks on the move. VICTOR is the next-generation step in that evolution. It’s transforming those decades of shared knowledge into an AI-driven, personalized mission partner that puts instant, customized answers at the point of need.”

By connecting lessons learned across the force, VICTOR is designed to accelerate how the Army learns and adapts. In a multi-domain environment, that ability to turn knowledge into timely decisions will provide a decisive information advantage. Combat leaders must make split-second, critical decisions under extreme pressure. VICTOR will help shape how the Army learns, shares knowledge, and prepares for tomorrow’s fight.

By U.S. Army Combined Arms Command

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on Sunday, August 16th, 2026 at 00:00 and is filed under Admin, AI / ML, Army, Guest Post.
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Ascent GORE-TEX Shoe from Sitka

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — The Western Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center wrapped up PELE STRIKE 2026, its premier annual intelligence discipline certification event, after two weeks of joint training designed to test, validate, and strengthen critical military intelligence capabilities at Area X-Ray on Schofield Barracks.

The exercise centered on certifying Soldiers from the 368th Military Intelligence Battalion while sharpening the unit’s ability to operate in a complex, multi-discipline environment alongside joint and multi-component partners.

“This exercise provided a wonderful opportunity for our Soldiers to experience the coordination and technical repetitions they needed in order to be successful on the battlefield,” one participant said. “In intelligence, we often train individually, but when we actually go out, you’re never on an individual effort.”

The 368th Military Intelligence Battalion’s counterintelligence and human intelligence teams were evaluated against their mission-essential task list, while all-source analysts worked alongside tactical collection teams to support HUMINT and CI operations and transform raw field data into Intelligence Information Reports for the broader intelligence community.

A Soldier assigned to the analytical cell said the training improved synchronization across the formation. “We were able to get wrapped in learning how to communicate and coordinate with one another,” the Soldier said. “That was the closest to friction that we got, but we were able to overcome that pretty quickly just because of good communication on both sides.”

PELE STRIKE 2026 also served as a joint and multi-component HUMINT, CI and protection exercise that included participants from the Army’s active-duty and Reserve components, active-duty Marines from 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, Navy observers, and key units including the 368th Military Intelligence Battalion, 301st Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade – Theater and the 25th Infantry Division, totaling 226 personnel.

The exercise expanded beyond certification by serving as a live language-training venue where Soldiers exercised critical perishable skills in Mandarin, Russian, Korean, French, Spanish and Arabic. A HUMINT collector said the event offered valuable experience by combining language skills, interrogation techniques and realistic scenario-based training. “It’s a close representation of what you could expect from the stories that are shared,” the collector said. “The more reps you can get doing it that way, the better.”

The Exercise Director, and Commander of the Western Army Reserve Intelligence Support Center, Lt. Col. Randy Downs encapsulates to distinguished visitors observing the event: “PELE STRIKE builds the grit and readiness our Soldiers need to fight and win. This exercise directly advances Department of Army G-2 priorities and tests emerging technology and AI integration, deepens Pacific partner relationships, language and tradecraft capabilities, and sharpens joint, multi-COMPO, and multi-intelligence proficiencies across the force”.

PELE STRIKE also reinforced readiness through technology integration, serving as a testing site for Headquarters, Department of the Army G-2 emerging capabilities, including the digital interrogation video archiving system. A representative from HQDA G-2 provided overviews on DIVAS, CHS, TactiLink and other emerging artificial intelligence-enabled solutions designed to improve transcription and translation support across the force.

In addition, 140 Soldiers trained on small, unmanned aircraft systems, gaining situational understanding and readiness in the employment of sUAS for intelligence, protection and defensive countermeasure functions. The training included both simulation and live flying, further expanding the exercise’s contribution to operational adaptability and mission readiness.

PELE STRIKE challenged units to operate under realistic pressure by incorporating the protection warfighting function into Joint Intelligence Debriefing Center operations, reinforcing force protection and operational security in a joint environment.

Certification success depended on a total-force effort. One Soldier said the exercise helped participants understand how each discipline contributed to the larger mission. “Here at PELE STRIKE, you had the opportunity to take your skill, execute it, but then also see the second- and third-order effects of your performance,” the Soldier said. “You don’t get to see that back home in your unit.”

Together, the participating units created a realistic, multi-domain training environment in Hawaii that tested and improved the 368th’s intelligence capabilities, maintained operational certification and strengthened the unit’s ability to provide timely, mission-critical intelligence in support of future operations.

By LTC Michael Garcia

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on Saturday, August 15th, 2026 at 00:00 and is filed under Army, Forces Focus, Guest Post, ISR.
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US Army Announces Vendors for Infantry Last Tactical Mile Operations

XS Introduces New Sights and ACRO Optic Plate for Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A five-man team from the 75th Ranger Regiment won the 2026 U.S. Army Special Operations Command Best Squad Competition held Aug. 3-7 at Fort Bragg.

The squad, led by Staff Sgt. Colin Doyle, defeated seven other elite teams from across USASOC to earn a spot at the upcoming Department of the Army Best Squad Competition.

“I’m just humbled to be able to represent the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment in this competition,” Doyle said. “Knowing the caliber of our competition this year and the past winners, I knew we had big shoes to fill. It’s humbling that our command trusts us to get it done.”

The five-day event tested the Army’s “Big 5” fundamentals: physical readiness, mobility, small unit tactics, marksmanship and medical proficiency.

Events began with the Army Fitness Test at Ritz-Epps Field and a swim confidence assessment at Atchley Pool. Competitors then tackled the “Nasty Nick” obstacle course, stress shoots, and day and night land navigation. The final phase featured tactical situational training lanes, a grueling 12-mile rucksack march, and a rigorous graded oral board.

The winning squad — comprised of Doyle, Sgt. William Masters, Cpl. Michael Shield, Spc. William Schaeffer and Spc. Marshall Garren — relied heavily on mutual trust to survive the physical toll.

“There were days where my teammates picked me up and kept me going, and days where I did the same,” Shield said. “It is a team competition, and the knowledge, skills, and abilities my team brought to the table was awe-inspiring.”

The Rangers praised their competitors and the event’s rigorous standards.

“I was blown away by the level of professionalism this competition displayed, from cadre, graders, support, and especially my fellow competitors,” Masters said. “The level of competition we faced was impressive. They were right there in the fight with us.”

The 75th Ranger Regiment has won the Army-level Best Squad Competition twice before, alongside six consecutive Best Ranger Competition victories. Doyle attributed their success to the unit’s rigorous selection and standards.

“Our advantage is our people. Every Ranger has to be specially selected to serve here,” Doyle said. “Our biggest strengths are our culture, which is built on the Ranger Creed, the Blue Book, and our Charters. All of those create a culture which will translate really well to the next competition.”

By CPT Derek Zuchowski

This entry was posted
on Thursday, August 13th, 2026 at 00:00 and is filed under Army, Guest Post, Profession of Arms, SOF.
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WASHINGTON — In a major effort to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighter, the U.S. Army announced today it is opening four premier stateside military test ranges and collaborating with partners to open an international military test range to private industry for their internal research, development and rapid experimentation.

Spearheaded by the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC), in close partnership with the Mississippi and Michigan National Guard and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), this initiative prioritizes commercial access to specialized environments ideal for testing drones, counter-drone technologies, long-range fires and low-cost interceptors.

The ranges designated for this effort include Dugway Proving Ground in Utah; West Cibola Range, a newly opened component of Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona; Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Mississippi; Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Michigan; and the Multidomain Training Area (MDTA) range complex, a component of the Africa Multidomain Training and Experimentation Center (AMTEC), in Morocco.

“A company with a good idea shouldn’t need a team of lawyers and a program of record just to prove their equipment works,” said Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. “So we fixed that. One front door — testrange.army.mil — a real person to walk you in, and on the other side, everything the modern battlefield demands: contested airspace, degraded signals and the space to test at real scale.”

To streamline access, the Army has launched a modern portal, which serves as a digital “front door” for industry. Companies can easily request range time and will be paired with a dedicated concierge who will assist them through the scheduling processes. Private industry does not need to have a prior U.S. government contract or existing federal relationship to submit a request.

“At Dugway Proving Ground and West Cibola Range, we are providing industry partners with unparalleled access to massive land and airspace that is perfect for the ‘fly, fail, fix, fly’ process necessary to mature emerging drone and long-range fires capabilities,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Gaydon, commanding general of ATEC. “By aligning our test processes with the speed of commercial innovation, we enable developers to rapidly prototype and iterate on their systems.”

In addition to standard testing, the Army will also host a special electromagnetic unreliability test event for private industry at Camp Grayling during the week of Sept. 13, 2026. This environment will mimic the contested electronic warfare conditions currently seen on the battlefield in Ukraine, offering industry a rare opportunity to harden their drone and counter-drone systems. The Army anticipates this opportunity will be repeated on a quarterly basis.

“I am grateful to the Secretary of the Army for selecting Camp Grayling to help advance defense innovation and support the modernization of our military,” said Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “This designation will help streamline research, development and innovation opportunities for Michigan’s defense industry, accelerate the delivery of emerging capabilities to the warfighter and further strengthen our partnership with the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. We look forward to providing a realistic environment where government, industry and the military can work together to rapidly develop and evaluate the technologies that will shape the future battlefield.”

Camp Shelby represents the Mississippi National Guard’s contribution to the test range initiative.

“We are thrilled to partner with the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command,” said Maj. Gen. Bobby M. Ginn Jr., adjutant general of Mississippi and commanding general of the Mississippi National Guard. “Camp Shelby, with its distinct history of training warfighters coupled with its unique capabilities, stands out as an exceptional location for a test range. We are committed to supporting the T&E of cutting-edge technologies that empower our warfighters and enhance their operational effectiveness across all warfighting domains, operational imperatives and cross-cutting sectors.”

Internationally, AMTEC will provide dedicated physical space to ensure forces and systems are prepared to operate effectively in any environment. A key feature of the MDTA is the ability to operate in the full electromagnetic spectrum as well as contested environments.

“AMTEC represents a transformative leap in multinational collaboration,” said Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of AFRICOM. “This partnership will not only advance the capabilities of both the U.S. and Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, but it will also provide the defense industrial base with a world-class international venue to experiment, innovate and develop scalable solutions for long-range fires and emerging technologies.”

While submitting a request does not guarantee a vendor’s desired location or timeline due to capacity limits, the Army concierge team will work closely with all applicants to find suitable testing locations and windows.

To view the new site, visit testrange.army.mil/ArmyRangeReservation/s/.

US Army Public Affairs

This entry was posted
on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026 at 20:00 and is filed under Army, Drone, Guest Post, Industry.
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CLARKE RANGE, ANNISTON, Ala. – The Capability Program Executive (CPE) Aviation Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) Project Office is advancing company-level directed requirements — putting relevant, rapidly deployable drones in Soldiers’ hands, and creating capability decision space for Transformation in Contact (TiC) Units.

During a week of evaluation events performed by Product Office Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Soldiers in TiC units participated in Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) system demonstrations intended to inform their own system fielding selections.

As part of the Army’s initiative to test and field new technologies directly with operational units, this event allowed Soldiers to familiarize themselves with multiple Group 2 systems currently listed on the UAS Marketplace, perform live flight operations, and receive formal instruction on marketplace best practices and procurement procedures.

“From the unit level, having a lot more say of what potential systems and capabilities we get fielded is probably the biggest plus,” said CW2 Derrick Brown from 101st Airborne Division.

Brown said the ability to see the systems, understand their operation, transportation, crew requirements, range, and set-up in a hands-on environment was a positive experience.

Following the flight demonstrations, units were able to select up to two different systems to meet their specific Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) requirements. Those systems will be fielded and trained over the next several months.

“I think [the UAS Marketplace] cleans up a lot of the [acquisition] process by showing units what all the available options are, not just what’s slated to come to them,” said Capt. Max Laguna, 1st Calvary Division. “It also allows a comparative aspect that you didn’t have before.”

Laguna said seeing user feedback, verifiying system aspects, and reviewing in one place allowed him to make a more informed decision for the most effective tools to accomplish the mission.

During the event, units provided system feedback based on cost, product support, integrated payload options, configurations, and justifications for their decisions. Units were also encouraged to provide event feedback for future iterations of these events.

“Leveraging existing, readily available systems enables our formations to out-pace threats our Soldiers will encounter on the future battlefield,” said Col. Danielle Medaglia, Project Manager for the UAS Project Office. “Seeing these units learn about, provide feedback, and buy systems in real time proves this new approach to drone acquisition is working.”

This event is a prime example of the Army’s commitment to accelerating fielding and prioritizing Soldiers’ needs and preferences for their missions. With their new systems in-hand, these units can collect, develop, and maintain real-time situational awareness during their missions.

Capability Program Executive Aviation

This entry was posted
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ADAPTIV Defense Launches The F.L.I. Drone Goggle Harness

CLARKE RANGE, ANNISTON, Ala. – The Capability Program Executive (CPE) Aviation Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) Project Office is advancing company-level directed requirements — putting relevant, rapidly deployable drones in Soldiers’ hands, and creating capability decision space for Transformation in Contact (TiC) Units.

During a week of evaluation events performed by Product Office Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (SUAS), Soldiers in TiC units participated in Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) system demonstrations intended to inform their own system fielding selections.

As part of the Army’s initiative to test and field new technologies directly with operational units, this event allowed Soldiers to familiarize themselves with multiple Group 2 systems currently listed on the UAS Marketplace, perform live flight operations, and receive formal instruction on marketplace best practices and procurement procedures.

“From the unit level, having a lot more say of what potential systems and capabilities we get fielded is probably the biggest plus,” said CW2 Derrick Brown from 101st Airborne Division.

Brown said the ability to see the systems, understand their operation, transportation, crew requirements, range, and set-up in a hands-on environment was a positive experience.

Following the flight demonstrations, units were able to select up to two different systems to meet their specific Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) requirements. Those systems will be fielded and trained over the next several months.

“I think [the UAS Marketplace] cleans up a lot of the [acquisition] process by showing units what all the available options are, not just what’s slated to come to them,” said Capt. Max Laguna, 1st Calvary Division. “It also allows a comparative aspect that you didn’t have before.”

Laguna said seeing user feedback, verifiying system aspects, and reviewing in one place allowed him to make a more informed decision for the most effective tools to accomplish the mission.

During the event, units provided system feedback based on cost, product support, integrated payload options, configurations, and justifications for their decisions. Units were also encouraged to provide event feedback for future iterations of these events.

“Leveraging existing, readily available systems enables our formations to out-pace threats our Soldiers will encounter on the future battlefield,” said Col. Danielle Medaglia, Project Manager for the UAS Project Office. “Seeing these units learn about, provide feedback, and buy systems in real time proves this new approach to drone acquisition is working.”

This event is a prime example of the Army’s commitment to accelerating fielding and prioritizing Soldiers’ needs and preferences for their missions. With their new systems in-hand, these units can collect, develop, and maintain real-time situational awareness during their missions.

Capability Program Executive Aviation

This entry was posted
on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026 at 00:00 and is filed under Army, Drone, Guest Post.
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