Fort Irwin, California – By delivering the AEVEX Disruptor, the Capability Program Executive Office Aviation and the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Management Office advanced operational readiness of Multi-Domain Command – Europe (MDC-E). This delivery improves the Army’s long-range capabilities and supports the Department of War’s strategy for unleashing Drone Dominance.
During Exercise Arcane Thunder 26 at the National Training Center, the MDC-E successfully integrated the AEVEX Disruptor unmanned system into their training operations, highlighting the military's ongoing modernization efforts and focus on multi-domain readiness. The integration of the AEVEX Disruptor during Arcane Thunder 26 underscores the Army’s drive toward multi-domain superiority. As the MDC-E refines its operational concepts, the lessons from Fort Irwin will directly shape the future of autonomous systems and long-range precision strikes. Through modular architecture and rapid delivery models, the Army ensures Soldiers remain equipped with the resilient technology to dominate contested environments and maintain a decisive advantage. Arcane Thunder 26 is a premier Department of War multi-domain operations exercise designed to test a unit's ability to synchronize effects across land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace. The exercise places service members in rigorous, realistic training scenarios to evaluate their ability to operate effectively in complex environments.
“The introduction of Launched Effects-Long Range enables multi-spectrum Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition at ranges beyond 1,000 kilometers,” said Lt. Col. C. Hunter Gray, the Product Manager for the Launched Effects Product Office. “This capability fundamentally changes the way the Army fights. Launched Effects-Long Range has simultaneously increased lethality and shortened the kill chain.” Experiments and exercises like Arcane Thunder provide critical opportunities to validate capability in contested environments and garner Soldier feedback during operational use-cases. Integrating launched effects capabilities into these events informs future investment and drives innovation.