WASHINGTON, D.C. – An intensive 10-day event to be held July 20 through July 29 at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California, will test over 100 emerging technologies in a realistic environment during the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence-Capstone 6 (PC-C6).
The project will be directed by Lt. Gen. Michael McCurry, commanding general of the Army Futures and Concepts Command. The goal is “to rigorously experiment with future technologies by significantly expanding the scope, scale and complexity of operations previously tested at the 4th Infantry Division’s Ivy Sting and Ivy Mass exercises.”
With the possibility of future world conflicts “unfolding at unprecedented speed,” the Army introduced the Next Generation Command and Control program – also known as NGC2. According to a press release at army.mil, the effort “leans in on data and AI technologies to enhance commanders’ abilities to make decisions and execute command and control faster than any peer enemy.”
A series of five NGC2 Soldier- driven training events, called Ivy Stings, were held prior to June’s Ivy Mass event. Ivy Mass was the final risk reduction exercise in preparation for July’s PC-C6 event.
“The NGC2 ecosystem will leverage commercial technologies to deliver information across all warfighting functions to provide the right data that enables commanders to make decisions at speed in any environment, including denied, degraded, intermittent, and low bandwidth conditions,” the press release said.
The system is designed to ensure U.S. and allied forces can achieve and maintain decision dominance in complex, high-threat environments.
“PC-C6 is the largest experiment in the history of the program, delivering a critical opportunity to continue validation of the NGC2 architecture at operational scale,” McCurry said. “By leveraging an Army division, we are not only testing over 100 emerging technologies in a realistic environment, we are actively enhancing the future capabilities of our operational forces.”
International partnerships in modern conflict will be emphasized at the training event, and PC-C6 will include multinational participation. The U.S. 4th Infantry Division will train and operate alongside allied forces from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. This combined effort will test tactical system interoperability and strategic alignment among coalition partners, the release said.
“The Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division will incorporate the newest ideas and technologies into their movements at Fort Irwin, providing Soldier feedback on Army command and control,” said Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner, commander of the Army Joint Modernization Command and PC-C6 deputy director.
The data and insights gathered during this event will serve as a foundational element for the Army’s modernization trajectory, according to information at army.mil. Outcomes from PC-C6 are expected to directly inform acquisition decisions to ensure the Army is prepared for future threats.