Courtesy Photo | Personnel from U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) supported a Launched Effects...... read more read more
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Next generation equipment first tested at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is a step closer to being fielded.
Personnel from YPG supported a Launched Effects Short-Range Special User Demonstration (LE-SR SUD) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in August.
The event marked the first time an active-duty unit employed the technology, and the participating Soldiers’ feedback will help improve both the technology and its supporting doctrine prior to fielding. JBLM’s 7th Infantry Division supported the demonstration along with members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and 1st Special Forces Group.
“The Launched Effects Special User Demonstration at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a critical milestone in the Army's Continuous Transformation and our goal to equip every division with Launched Effects by 2026," said Lt. Col. Patrick Gargan, Launched Effects Lead for the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team. "This is the first delivery of launched effects to a U.S. Army Forces Command unit informing future deliveries, materiel development, and launched effects integration in the Army’s formations. By receiving Soldier insights early, we are laying the foundation for a seamless fielding of this capability, which will revolutionize how divisions operate in contested environments and enhance the Army's overall readiness and lethality."
Designed for highly contested environments, launched effects are distinct from both unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and loitering munitions. Launched effects work in tandem as expendable ‘wolfpacks’ that can collaborate semi-autonomously to penetrate enemy defenses and adapt to changing battle conditions in real time. Launched effects’ behaviors provide a decisive advantage to ground commanders, giving them the capability to extend range of sensing and use machines instead of Soldiers to make first contact with an adversary. YPG conducted intense developmental testing of the technologies during the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event (EDGE) in 2023 and 2024, particularly with semi-autonomy and autonomy at long ranges.
“YPG was essential for us to have the simulated threat array to conduct the experiment at echelon that would replicate an enemy capability that we would potentially face in the future,” said Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team Director, following EDGE 2024. “YPG has the air space that allows us to operate at the distances we need and the instrumentation to collect the data to inform our requirements from an analytical standpoint.”
For the recent LE-SR SUD, YPG personnel supported immersive scenarios for Soldiers in the same way, delivering multiple realistic surrogate targets of miliary vehicles, self-propelled howitzers, and air defense guns fabricated by the proving ground’s Threat Systems Target Simulation shop. These realistic targets are not available on most installations and were critical to the success of the launched effects.
“We shipped the targets commercially to Joint Base Lewis-McCord, offloaded them, and emplaced them in the target locations provided by the customer,” said Carlos Molina, YPG test officer. “All of these targets were driven by requirements for these large events. They not only support local testing, but other U.S. Army requirements.”
YPG also sent personnel to run simulated enemy radar emissions to heighten the demonstration’s realism.
“There were requirements for foreign threat radars, and YPG is the primary operator and maintainer of radar equipment for the Threat Systems Management Office,” said Molina.
The Army is rapidly integrating layered UAS and launched effects across formations in a combined arms fight that is synchronized with fires and maneuver across phases to penetrate, exploit, and defeat near-peer adversaries in a complex environment. Launched effects will begin fielding to all Army divisions next year.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 09:30 |
| Story ID: | 547255 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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