The US Army has evaluated counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities along with other military technologies at Northern Strike 26-2 at Camp Grayling, Michigan. NS 26-2 is one of the US military’s largest reserve component readiness exercises.
NS 26-2 included more than 9,000 military personnel from 36 states and territories and five international participants, including the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and a US Indo-Pacific Command partner for realistic training, focused on real world scenarios set in a multi-domain training environment.
The 75th US Army Reserve Innovation Command (USARIC) team directly engaged 21 companies, spanning providers of Group 1-3 UAS platforms; C-UAS capabilities (e.g., jamming guns and active/passive detection systems); autonomy software; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance sensors (e.g., synthetic aperture radar); and contested logistics, sustainment and casualty evacuation focused robotics and software.
Each day, the 75th USARIC soldiers typically started at the UAS and C-UAS Controlled Airspace Geospatial Environment, called the CAGE at Camp Grayling. The CAGE is a designated area for industry to run UAS and C-UAS tests/experiments with a view to accelerating acquisition and deployment.
The 75th USARIC team also tested and evaluated a soldier-worn UAS passive detection system that gives them situational awareness of any incoming UAS, and a soldier-carried handheld UAS drone RF jammer.
At a different location, a UAS called the Flying Basket demonstrated a sling load capability and possible casualty evacuation applications. The US Army said on October 1 that this system could potentially be used to deliver blood resupply shipments and payloads to remote locations in isolated and austere environments.
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Image: Capt. Cole Johnson, innovation officer, Detachment 6, Support Group, 75th US Army Reserve Innovation Command tests an industry partner’s C-UAS equipment during Northern Strike 26-2 as part of his evaluation and assessment mission, at the UAS and C-UAS Controlled Airspace Geospatial Environment (CAGE) at Camp Grayling. (Photo by Master Sgt. Matthew Chlosta)
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