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As the U.S. Army Armor School prepared to host the prestigious Sullivan Cup last month, a massive behind-the-scenes effort led by personnel from the Army’s Capability Program Executive Simulation, Training, Test and Threat’s (CPE ST3) was making sure the Digital Multi-Purpose Range Complex (DMPRC) was fully primed for the competition scheduled for April 30 to May 8, 2026.
Spearheaded by the CPE ST3 Product Manager Tactical Training Systems (PdM TTS) staff, a coalition of engineering, maintenance, and training professionals successfully transformed significant technical hurdles into an Army showcase of cross-organizational teamwork that set the conditions of success for this year’s Sullivan Cup.
According to Liz Bledsoe, Project Manager Training Devices (PM TRADE) at CPE ST3, the road to readiness began in March well before the first tank tread hit the dirt when PdM TTS initiated coordination meetings with CPE ST3’s Project Lead Training Aids, Devices, Simulators and Simulations (TADSS) Support Operations (PL TSO), Fort Benning officials, and DMPRC range personnel to prepare for the new DRAGOS software platform integration.
“Ruthless collaboration and cross-functional expertise ensured delivery of a fully mission capable range that supports the Armor School and directly contributes to readiness,” Bledsoe said.
Demonstrating a forward-leaning approach, Bledsoe said PdM TTS offered subject matter expert support to assist with range fixes prior to the conversion. To validate the range’s status, PdM TTS and their industry partners at General Dynamics conducted a rigorous baseline assessment in late March.
Bledsoe said this step identified that several moving armor targets were not fully mission capable due to hardware and maintenance factors, allowing the team to address these issues before they could impact the competition.
Faced with hardware malfunctions and connectivity drops, Bledsoe said the distinct organizations blurred traditional lines of responsibility to focus on overall event success.
According to Bledsoe, while physical range maintenance fell under PL TSO, General Dynamics remained an active participant, with PdM TTS orchestrating communication between software engineers and range mechanics. When hardware faults proved difficult to resolve, the team applied adaptive problem-solving to keep training scenarios viable.
Bledsoe said the sustained teamwork produced strong results. By the end of April, the joint efforts of PdM TTS, PL TSO, and General Dynamics stabilized the target systems and resolved separate issues affecting the battlefield effects simulator clusters.
Through daily stand-up meetings and transparent communication, Bledsoe said leadership remained informed of risks and mitigation actions. By May 1, all required moving targets were reported as fully mission capable and operating on a stable Dragos software baseline.
“This on-site team also provided over-the-shoulder support for the Dragos software throughout the event,” Bledsoe said. “This helped to ensure the Armor School’s premier competition ran without disruption.”
According to Brig. Gen. Christine A. Beeler, capability program executive at CPE ST3, the advance preparation of the DMPRC is as a testament to the dedication of the acquisition, maintenance, and training communities.
“The Sullivan Cup is a rigorous test of our armor crews' lethality, adaptability, and readiness," Beeler said. "The immense dedication required to prepare the DMPRC ensures our warfighters are training on the most advanced, reliable systems available. It is exactly this kind of behind-the-scenes excellence from PM TRADE, PdM TTS, and PL TSO that guarantees our forces maintain overmatch on the future battlefield."
The Sullivan Cup is named in honor of retired Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, who was an Armor officer for 36 years, serving in a multitude of commands and culminating as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Army and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Competition takes place every other year and brings together the most lethal tank and armored fighting vehicle crews from the U.S. Army and its international partners. To be recognized as the most lethal, crews must be aggressive, competent, physically fit, and decisive warfighters.
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, CPE ST3 is comprised of a highly skilled and diverse workforce of 980 Soldiers, Army civilians and contractors, who work with Army partners to enhance operational readiness and support the Army’s modernization efforts by fielding and sustaining the next generation of multi-domain operations training, testing, and threat replication capabilities.
| Date Taken: | 05.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2026 13:52 |
| Story ID: | 564934 |
| Location: | FORT BENNING, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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