CAPU MIDIA TRAINING RANGE, Romania — Smoke trails ascended skywards as NATO partners united for Dynamic Front 26. U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, stationed in Ansbach, Germany, traveled here to participate in the joint live fire exercise along with several NATO partners including Romanian, French, Italian and German forces, Feb. 02-10, 2026.
The 1-57th ADAR is an active-duty short-range air defense unit under 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade and 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. The unit provides critical mobile surface-based air defense to protect maneuvering forces in Europe against low-altitude threats. The unit actively participates in NATO exercises, including Dynamic Front, to strengthen air defense in Eastern Europe.
1-57th ADAR accomplished two main objectives while training with their NATO partners. The first, was to utilize their AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar systems, a 3D X-band radar, which enables them to detect, track and monitor targets while also transmitting voice and data communications.
U.S. Army Sgt. William Bailey, an air defense battle management system operator with Alpha battery, 1-57th ADAR, discussed the importance of the radar systems in managing air defense.
“The Sentinel radar allows us to detect, track and classify fixed wing, rotary wing, UAS and cruise missiles, and report those threats of whether hostile, neutral or friendly, up to our higher echelons,” said Bailey.
The radar operators also used satellite communications to ensure information was swiftly distributed to the battalion team and NATO partners in Ansbach, Germany.
Bailey shared how NATO allies worked together while using the radar systems throughout the duration of the exercise.
“One benefit we have here of working with other NATO allies is their utilization of X band radars as well, and us having to de conflict between two nations who is going to be up when, and how that affects each system individually,” said Bailey.
Utilizing radar systems enhances readiness and security of air defense units throughout Eastern Europe.
During Dynamic Front 26, the 1-57th ADAR’s second objective was to engage in a live fire gunnery with NATO allies. The 1-57th ADAR utilized the Avenger Air Defense System and the M3P .50 caliber machine gun, to certify Avenger crews while conducting tables VIII, IX and X. The exercise tested the crew’s ability to engage aerial and ground targets under tactical conditions.
U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Cameron Williams, a first platoon leader for Alpha battery, 1-57th ADAR, described how partnership with NATO allies fostered communication and collaboration.
“Some of the things I’ve learned from being with our allies and partners is the integration of our weapons systems and our capabilities. You see just how alike some of our systems are in terms of communicating with each other, but also the differences in being able to intercept and destroy certain targets," said Williams. "It is very interesting to see how we’re able to come together as a whole, to be able to interconnect with our weapon systems and our communication.”
One of the participating NATO partners was the French armed forces which assisted with their Multiple Launch Rocket System capabilities. French Col. Olivier Leduc, the commanding officer of the French Artillery Regiment, discussed the types of artillery used throughout the exercise.
“We are training about interoperability between all of the different artillery, especially field artillery and air defense artillery,” said Leduc.
Leduc also discussed the benefits of training with NATO partners while conducting firing missions.
“We can perform different training with all of the allied artillery so we can end the training together," said Leduc. "For everybody in my unit it is a very good training because we can make a firing mission with field artillery and firing mission with air defense in a multinational environment.”
Dynamic Front is the practical application of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line (EFDL) and trains US and NATO’s ability to coordinate lethal and non-lethal effects in a distributed battlefield.