Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Drury points at the designated impact zone from atop the...... read more read more
FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Soldiers of Kentucky’s Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery, 38th Infantry Division Artillery, executed a live-fire mission during Exercise Arcane Thunder 26, successfully integrating the Starshield satellite network to connect directly with Multi-Domain Command – Europe (MDC-E) in Germany.
The training held April 16 to 28, 2026, at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, proved the real-world operational value of emerging technology in multi-domain operations spanning continents.
The primary objective was to validate Starshield’s capability to provide secure, high-speed, low-latency satellite communications between a forward-deployed artillery battery at NTC and the MDC-E headquarters operating out of Germany. Using this link, Bravo Battery received targeting data, fire commands, and real-time coordination from MDC-E, then executed live artillery rounds on NTC ranges – all while separated by thousands of miles and an ocean.
This marked one of the first documented instances of a continental United States-based artillery unit employing Starshield to enable live-fire effects under the direct control of a European-based task force. The exercise demonstrated that Starshield can deliver the resilient, global connectivity required for future multi-domain operations, allowing U.S. forces to project fires with precision, regardless of geographic separation.
The successful integration of Starshield during Arcane Thunder validates the Army’s investment in commercial satellite technology for tactical use and sets a new benchmark for future training rotations at the National Training Center. It was also a clear demonstration of the Army National Guard’s interoperability with the Active Army in multi-domain operations.
Based in Glasgow, the 1-623rd regularly supports both state and federal missions. By mastering these new systems, the 1-623rd directly contributes to the Guard’s critical role in the Army’s transformation and modernization efforts, ensuring readiness for the future fight.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2026 08:56 |
| Story ID: | 566764 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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