FORT KNOX, Ky. - U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to V Corps demonstrated the axiom that the future of European defense is here as they participated in Warfighter Exercise 26-03 (WFX 26-03), a command-and-control exercise designed to test the corps’ ability to lead large-scale combat operations alongside NATO allies and partners. The exercise served as a critical test for America’s forward-deployed corps in Europe, validating its readiness, interoperability, and lethality in a complex, multi-domain environment. “V Corps operated over 6 different locations during warfighter, From those locations we were able to integrate and have a common operating picture utilizing some of the Maven Smart System technology that we integrated into our operations,” said Col. Kevin L. Jackson, V Corps chief of staff. “This is the first time in four years that I’ve seen this happen across U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) where all of the commanders, all five divisions, and the Corps were operating on a common operating picture.”
This allowed V Corps to create a picture for the commander to visualize, describe and direct that allowed him to make timely decisions. The exercise theme underscored the corps’ central role in the continent’s evolving security architecture and artificial intelligence tools. With its headquarters split in Fort Knox, Kentucky and Camp Kosciuszko, Poland. V Corps is uniquely positioned to enhance the interoperability and rapid response capabilities by sharing the same common operation picture with our NATO partners. “Over the last two years, we’ve done five warfighter type exercises, and if you take Warfighter Exercise 26-03, for example, we had three allied divisions: the 10th Panzer Division, the 1st Lithuanian Division, and then the 18th Polish Mechanized Division,” Jackson stated. “Our ability to seamlessly work with them allows us to get better every time, and so I think the more repetitions we get doing this for example WFX 26-03 then it also helps build a stronger deterrence across USAREUR-AF and the Eastern Flank by our continued ability to partner with our allies at those locations.” A key component of the exercise was the integration of a multinational force, which enhanced the collective strength of the alliance. The training allows Soldiers from different nations to build trust and synchronize procedures, turning a collection of units into a cohesive and formidable fighting force. “We do activities like the mission command integration workshop, which shows all the different NATO division corps how to integrate into one common platform and then create that operating picture that allows commanders at echelon to see the same sight picture and to make timely decisions,” elaborated Jackson. “Our commander was able to make timely decisions based on everybody having that same sight picture. As we look at the future, and what our continued operation activities and investments are with all the NATO Corps and divisions across Europe I think we will continue to lead the way as America’s only forward-deployed Corps.” The lessons learned from WFX 26-03 will immediately be integrated into the Corps’ operational plans, training methodologies, and modernization priorities. This continuous cycle of learning and adaptation ensures that V Corps remains a combat-credible force, ready to assure allies, deter adversaries, and secure the European continent.