US Army soldiers simulated an intensive urban assault against a formidable adversary during a training exercise at Fort Irwin in California, according to Business Insider. Close to 10,000 soldiers gathered at the Army’s Project Convergence Capstone exercise to experiment with new weapons and technology while fighting a mock war across the hot, dusty Mojave Desert, where troops grappled with the heat’s effects on themselves and their equipment.
US Army Tests Drones and New Technology During Mojave Desert War Exercise
The simulated conflict followed days of combat, culminating as US Bradley Fighting Vehicles raced toward the training city on the horizon with smoke deployed to conceal their movement. Assault forces gathered on the northern edge to storm the enemy stronghold, navigating enemy obstacles such as barbed wire, cars, and concrete blocks meant to slow the advance. Enemy forces consisted of troops from Irwin’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, known as “Blackhorse.”
Integrating Drones and Software in Urban Warfare
During the exercise, soldiers integrated new technologies, including drones and software, to determine whether these systems enhanced how they perceived, sensed, and engaged the enemy. While not utilized at the scale seen with combatants in Ukraine, remotely piloted uncrewed aircraft proved advantageous for early surveillance operations. A little over an hour before assault forces breached the training city, Blackhorse drones flew above to scout the area.
Inside a building, a unit commander asked a drone operator flying a Black Widow quadcopter to assess vehicles pushing into the city. The quadcopter could fly up to four kilometers away, extending the unit’s view beyond what soldiers could see from the ground. Capt. Mohamed Elmaola with the 4th Infantry Division stated, I’m able to find with my UAS [uncrewed aerial system], I’m able to fix with fires, and then I finish with my AT [anti-tank] weapons systems,
as reported by Yahoo News.
Once fighting moved directly into the city, drones were used more sparingly, occasionally flying above to scout positions, terrain, and movement. Soldiers noted that drone use cases shifted toward the on-the-ground fight as the exercise progressed. Additionally, an uncrewed ground vehicle called the NOMAD was deployed outside city limits earlier that morning, though it did not see use in the actual assault.
Navigating the Sprawling Simulated City of Razish
The simulated urban center, called Razish by the Army, featured a sprawling layout with winding streets, buildings of different heights, underground tunnels, and hidden positions. Key objectives for the assault forces included a jail and a large palace located at the center of the city. Soldiers positioned themselves across rooftops to provide cover fire, as well as in alleyways and windows.
Throughout the operation, traditional warfighting skills remained central to combat operations. Troops cleared areas of the city systematically, making their way toward key locations while bursts of gunfire echoed in the distance. Soldiers positioned on rooftops or in windows peeked up, aimed, and fired their weapons before ducking back down. In the exercise simulation, soldiers who were “killed” stopped fighting and sat or stood where they were.
Balancing Technology and Traditional Training
Testing new technology during regular training brought both operational opportunities and potential complications. Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner, head of the Army Joint Modernization Command, emphasized the need for balance in technology integration.
What we really want to be able to do is not just saturate the environment with a bunch of technology,
because that becomes so distracting
that soldiers cannot train efficiently and effectively, Hibner explained.
