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Introduction:
The U.S. Army’s annual “campaign of learning,” Project Convergence, has evolved into the premier joint experimentation venue for validating the technologies that will define multi-domain operations in the 2030s. Simultaneously, the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) is proving that combat training center (CTC) capabilities can be exported directly into the Indo-Pacific theater, as demonstrated during Exercise Keris Strike 26 in Malaysia. These parallel efforts—one focused on future technology integration across all five warfighting domains (air, land, sea, space, and cyber) and the other on operationalizing allied interoperability in contested environments—represent a fundamental shift in how the U.S. military prepares for large-scale, high-tech conflict.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the architecture and operational objectives of the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) system being validated at Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PC-C6).
- Analyze the technical capabilities of “Hammer of the Gods,” a counter-PNT electronic warfare platform, and its implications for multi-domain operations.
- Evaluate the role of AI-driven tools like COA-GPT in compressing military planning timelines and enhancing decision dominance.
- Assess the cybersecurity and interoperability challenges inherent in deploying exportable, multinational combat training systems like JPMRC.
You Should Know:
- Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2): The Digital Backbone of Future Warfare
Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PC-C6), held at Fort Irwin, California, in July 2026, represents the largest iteration of the Army’s flagship experimentation event, involving approximately 10,000 participants and testing over 90 technologies. The central focus is the continued validation of the Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) architecture. NGC2 is a comprehensive overhaul of the Army’s command and control systems, designed to replace siloed legacy platforms with a unified, data-centric network that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance commander decision-making.
The system is built on a modular architecture comprising a data layer that stores and shares information, applications that perform specific warfighting functions (e.g., intelligence, logistics, fires), and a secure transport layer. During the exercise, soldiers used NGC2 to locate friendly forces on digital maps, communicate via laptops and tablets, collect data, manage airspace, and make tactical decisions.
However, the exercise also revealed significant challenges. Soldiers reported connection issues, with some technologies not yet integrated into NGC2, highlighting the difficulty of creating a seamless network in an environment designed to disrupt communications through electronic warfare. This underscores a critical cybersecurity and resilience concern: the system’s dependence on stable data links makes it vulnerable to jamming and cyberattacks.
Step-by-Step Guide: Simulating NGC2 Data Flow and Resilience Testing
While you cannot replicate a military-grade C2 system, you can simulate its core principles using open-source tools to understand data flow and resilience.
- Set Up a Simulated Data Layer: Use Apache Kafka or RabbitMQ to create a message broker that simulates the data layer. Install Kafka on a Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04):
sudo apt update sudo apt install default-jre -y wget https://downloads.apache.org/kafka/3.6.0/kafka_2.13-3.6.0.tgz tar -xzf kafka_2.13-3.6.0.tgz cd kafka_2.13-3.6.0
2. Start Zookeeper and Kafka Broker:
bin/zookeeper-server-start.sh config/zookeeper.properties & bin/kafka-server-start.sh config/server.properties &
3. Create a Topic (e.g., “friendly-forces”):
bin/kafka-topics.sh --create --topic friendly-forces --bootstrap-server localhost:9092
4. Simulate Data Production: Use a Python script to produce simulated location data (like a Blue Force Tracker).
from kafka import KafkaProducer
import json, time, random
producer = KafkaProducer(bootstrap_servers='localhost:9092',
value_serializer=lambda v: json.dumps(v).encode('utf-8'))
while True:
data = {'unit': '4ID-1BCT', 'lat': 34.5 + random.random(), 'lon': -116.5 + random.random()}
producer.send('friendly-forces', value=data)
time.sleep(1)
5. Simulate Network Disruption (Electronic Warfare): Use `tc` (traffic control) on Linux to simulate network latency and packet loss, mimicking the effects of EW jamming.
sudo tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem loss 30% delay 200ms
Monitor how the data flow degrades. This simulates the “spotty connections” observed during PC-C6.
- Hammer of the Gods: Counter-PNT and Electromagnetic Spectrum Dominance
A key highlight of PC-C6 was the joint experimentation with “Hammer of the Gods,” an electronic warfare platform that delivers multi-domain effects from a highly deployable, low-electromagnetic-signature emitter. The maritime variant of this system made its debut during PC-C6 in mid-July 2026, marking a significant milestone in its development. The experiment successfully demonstrated that counter-Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) capabilities can be deployed, controlled, and recovered in real-world maritime operations.
PNT is the foundation of modern military operations, enabling navigation, synchronized communications, and precision-guided munitions. Disrupting an adversary’s PNT can degrade their precision strike capabilities, causing missed objectives or severe collateral damage. The integration of space, cyber, and conventional forces to test these capabilities strengthens the ability to operate as a joint team in contested environments.
Step-by-Step Guide: Understanding GPS Spoofing and Jamming
This guide demonstrates how GPS signals can be manipulated, a core principle behind counter-PNT systems.
- Setup (Linux – Educational Use Only): Install gps-sdr-sim to generate simulated GPS baseband signals.
git clone https://github.com/osqzss/gps-sdr-sim.git cd gps-sdr-sim gcc gpssim.c -lm -O3 -o gps-sdr-sim
2. Generate a Static GPS Simulation:
./gps-sdr-sim -e brdc3540.14n -l 34.5,-116.5,100
(This requires a RINEX navigation file `brdc3540.14n` which can be downloaded from NASA’s CDDIS).
3. Simulate a Spoofing Attack: Modify the script to generate a signal that slowly shifts the simulated position. This is how a “Hammer of the Gods” emitter could create false PNT data.
4. Detection and Mitigation: To detect such attacks, network administrators can monitor for anomalies in GPS timing signals using NTP (Network Time Protocol). Configure an NTP server to cross-check GPS time against other references (e.g., atomic clocks via the internet). On a Windows machine, you can query the time source:
w32tm /query /source w32tm /monitor
If the GPS time source deviates significantly, it may indicate a spoofing or jamming attempt.
3. COA-GPT: AI-Driven Planning and the Human-Machine Interface
Army data scientists from the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) designed an experimental AI-powered platform called the Course Of Action Generative Pre-trained Transformer (COA-GPT). This tool is designed to compress military planning timelines from days or hours to seconds. COA-GPT is not intended to replace soldiers but to integrate seamlessly into their workflow, enabling faster and more efficient planning.
The system uses a plug-and-play architecture, allowing researchers to swap AI components easily. A major focus is solving human-AI integration challenges, particularly communicating intent to machines across a distributed team. An advanced graphic interface allows leaders to use intuitive methods, like drawing on a shared map, to direct AI agents.
Step-by-Step Guide: Setting Up a Local AI Planning Assistant
This tutorial simulates the concept of COA-GPT by setting up a local, open-source Large Language Model (LLM) that can assist with planning tasks.
- Install Ollama (Linux/macOS/Windows): Ollama allows you to run LLMs locally.
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
- Pull a Model: Download a model like Llama 3 or Mistral.
ollama pull mistral
- Create a Custom Planning Create a file called `Modelfile` to define a custom model for planning.
FROM mistral SYSTEM "You are a military planning assistant. You generate rapid courses of action based on provided intelligence, terrain, and unit data. Your responses should be concise, structured, and mission-focused."
4. Build and Run the Custom Model:
ollama create coa-planner -f ./Modelfile ollama run coa-planner
5. Test the Model: Input a scenario, e.g., “Given enemy forces at grid 123456, friendly forces at grid 654321, and a river crossing at grid 789012, generate three courses of action for a battalion-sized element to secure the crossing.” This demonstrates the rapid planning capability being explored at PC-C6.
- JPMRC and Keris Strike 26: Exportable Cyber Training and Allied Interoperability
During Exercise Keris Strike 26, the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center deployed its advanced resources to validate a crucial strategic objective: establishing a permanent Regional Combat Training Centre in Malaysia. This trilateral exercise, featuring U.S., Malaysian, and Australian forces, showcases the Army’s capability to project elite combat training center doctrine directly into the Indo-Pacific theater.
A key aspect is the “exportable” nature of JPMRC. Unlike fixed installations like the National Training Center (NTC), JPMRC can “literally pick this up, find a place on the ground, and execute a Combat Training Center for the training audience”. This capability includes data integration, instrumentation gear, and self-assessment tools. The exercise also highlights the critical role of cyber security in safeguarding the frontier technology being tested. The 75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command supported the need for digital defense by including cyber security experts.
Step-by-Step Guide: Establishing a Secure, Mobile Training Network
This tutorial outlines how to set up a secure, mobile network for a training exercise, mirroring the principles of JPMRC.
- Hardware Selection: Use ruggedized, portable hardware like Raspberry Pi 4 devices or mini-PCs as network nodes. Equip them with software-defined radios (SDRs) like the Ettus B200 for flexible communication links.
- Network Configuration (Linux): Install OpenWrt on the routers to create a mesh network that is resilient to node failure. Configure the mesh:
opkg update opkg install batman-adv
- Implement a VPN for Secure Data Transit: Set up a WireGuard VPN to ensure all data between nodes is encrypted.
wg genkey | tee privatekey | wg pubkey > publickey
Configure the `wg0.conf` file on each node with the appropriate private and public keys.
- Deploy a Local Data Integration Platform: Use Grafana and Prometheus to collect and visualize data from the training instruments (e.g., MILES gear, GPS trackers). This provides the self-assessment tools used at JPMRC.
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 grafana/grafana
5. Cyber Hardening: Immediately apply security best practices:
- Change default passwords.
- Disable unnecessary services.
- Implement fail2ban to protect against brute-force attacks.
- Use AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) to monitor file integrity.
What Undercode Say:
- Key Takeaway 1: The convergence of AI, cyber, and electronic warfare capabilities is not a future concept but a present reality being validated at scale. Project Convergence Capstone 6 demonstrates that the Army is actively building and testing the digital infrastructure required for multi-domain operations, even as it grapples with the inherent fragility of networked systems in contested environments.
- Key Takeaway 2: The JPMRC’s success in Malaysia signifies a paradigm shift in military training. The ability to deploy a comprehensive, high-tech training center anywhere in the world, with embedded cyber security experts, enhances allied interoperability and ensures that the joint force can operate and thrive in the specific conditions of the Indo-Pacific theater.
Prediction:
- -1: The reliance on complex, data-intensive networks like NGC2 will create a critical vulnerability. Adversaries will increasingly invest in sophisticated cyber and electronic warfare capabilities to disrupt these networks, potentially degrading U.S. military effectiveness in the early stages of a conflict. The “spotty connections” observed during PC-C6 indicate that this is a significant, unresolved challenge.
- -1: The integration of generative AI into military planning, while promising, introduces new attack vectors. Adversaries may attempt to poison the training data or manipulate the inputs to AI systems like COA-GPT, leading to flawed courses of action being generated and potentially acted upon by commanders.
- +1: The successful demonstration of the maritime “Hammer of the Gods” and other counter-PNT capabilities positions the U.S. military to effectively deny an adversary’s ability to use GPS and other PNT services. This will be a critical asymmetric advantage in future conflicts, particularly in the Pacific, where anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems are prevalent.
- +1: The JPMRC model of exportable, multinational training with integrated cyber defense will become the gold standard for allied military cooperation. This approach not only strengthens tactical interoperability but also builds enduring trust and shared operational understanding among partner nations, creating a more resilient and cohesive coalition.
- -1: The sheer scale of data required to operate NGC2 and similar systems will present a massive logistical and security challenge. Protecting this data at rest and in transit, while ensuring its availability to commanders in real-time, will require unprecedented investments in cybersecurity infrastructure and personnel. The cyber security wingmen supporting Project Convergence are a testament to this growing need.
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