U.S. Army Advances Battlefield Innovation at Project Convergence Capstone 5

In March 2025, the U.S. Army conducted Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5) at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. This large-scale modernization experiment brought together over 6,000 soldiers, defense partners, and multinational forces, including participants from Britain, France, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. The primary objective was to test and refine new military concepts and technologies aimed at enhancing integrated operations at the corps level and below.​

Key Focus Areas and Objectives

PC-C5 built upon lessons from previous Project Convergence events, emphasizing:​

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Evaluating advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide real-time situational awareness for rapid, informed decisions.​

• Expanded Maneuver: Experimenting with new concepts and technologies to enhance maneuverability and engagement across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace.​

• Seamless Joint and Multinational Interoperability: Refining the ability of allied forces to operate together seamlessly across all domains.​

Brigadier General Zachary Miller, PC-C5 Deputy Experiment Director, highlighted the comprehensive nature of the exercise: "What Project Convergence does is bring every single war-fighting system we have together in one place."​

Four Central Warfighting Concepts Tested

The experiment focused on four primary warfighting concepts:​

1. Expanded Maneuver: Exploring how the Joint force considers time and space across all domains.​

2. Cross-Domain Fires: Developing methods to create effects across all warfare domains.​

3. Formation-Based Layered Protection: Enhancing unit protection in domains such as the electromagnetic spectrum and countering unmanned aerial systems.

4. Command and Control (C2) and Counter-C2 Operations: Improving command capabilities while disrupting adversaries' command structures.​

Integration of Legacy Systems and Emerging Technologies

Participants employed both legacy equipment and new technologies, including drones, robotics, and concealment tools, in realistic combat scenarios. Lieutenant Colonel Tad Coleman of the 1st Armored Division emphasized the importance of rapid data utilization: "What we’re trying to do is take these emerging technologies where we can get this data better and faster to execute."​

Three Main Vignettes Demonstrated

The exercise featured three main vignettes:​

1. Joint Forcible Entry Operation: The 82nd Airborne Division, alongside British and Australian forces, aimed to suppress enemy defenses and establish airspace dominance.​

2. Combined Arms Breach: The 1st Armored Division and multinational partners utilized command and control systems, fires, and human-machine integration formations with robotic and autonomous technologies to enhance survivability and lethality.​

3. Defensive Operations: The 1st Armored Division defended seized objectives, retaining key terrain for the Joint Force and generating combat power to neutralize enemy capabilities.​

Leadership Observations and Future Implications

Senior leaders, including the newly appointed Secretary of the Army, Dr. Daniel Driscoll, and Army Chief of Staff, General Randy George, observed the exercises. Driscoll emphasized the need for readiness in evolving environments: "The world is changing rapidly, and we must ensure the Army is prepared to operate in new, complex, and contested environments." General George highlighted the value of real-time experimentation, noting the flexibility of the "Transforming in Contact" approach.​

Expansion to the Indo-Pacific Theater

Following the conclusion of Scenario A at the National Training Center, some participants transitioned to Scenario B in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. This phase aimed to experiment with all service components at the combatant command level, integrating learning into new theaters and emphasizing the Army's commitment to continuous transformation and modernization.​

Project Convergence serves as a critical component of the Army’s campaign of learning, striving to integrate its role within the Joint and Multinational Force. By converging effects across all operational domains, the Army seeks to maintain a decisive advantage over future adversaries.