FORT CARSON, Colo. - The 4th Infantry Division is transforming the modern-day battlefield during its Ivy Sting series by integrating Next-Generation Command and Control from 2025 through 2026. 4th Inf. Div. will take proven concepts to the next level in Ivy Mass and showcase their success at Project Convergence Capstone 6 in July of 2026.
Capt. Nicole Drago, fire control officer, Division Artillery Brigade, 4th Inf. Div., said the Ivy Sting series allowed the field artillery teams to rapidly expand capabilities through the integration of the Artillery Execution Suite within the NGC2 environment.
"Ivy Mass will serve as the DIVARTY’s first assessment of a containerized version of AXS; fully integrated into the application and data layers." said Drago. "This capability will enable our team to test the autonomous sensor-to-shooter offensive digital kill chain and deploy form factor agnostic fire direction centers during PCC6."
The integration of AXS with other applications such as Lattice, Gaia, and Ark allows for a seamless chain of information to flow from commanders to their formations. These applications have enhanced the tactics and technology the Army relies on at every level. Innovations like Tactical Edge Computers and End User Devices can allow a unit to fight independent yet interconnected even in denied, degraded, intermittent and limited (DDIL) environments. Lt. Col. Shawn Scott, commander of the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team,4th Inf. Div. spoke on how the Army plans to fight in those DDIL environments.
“We were essentially cut off from the division’s cloud, but we were still able to battle track and execute our tasks at the squadron level internally,” said Scott. “And then, as we eliminated that simulated jamming threat, and we were able toreestablish connection back with division and brigade, we watched how our feeds fed back into division, and likewise, division back down to us seamlessly.”
The Ivy Sting Series succeeded in determining the way forward for 4th Inf. Div.; Ivy Mass will serve as the culmination of lessons learned from integrating NGC2 concepts. At PCC6, 4th. Inf. Div. will showcase the lethality of the Army’s Prototype Division and demonstrate how the U.S. Army is leading the way in innovation on the future of warfare. Through the Sting Series, Project Convergence and all future exercises to come, the Soldiers of 4th Inf. Div. remain steadfast and loyal in their commitment to fight and win the nation’s wars.
-30-