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Soldiers

Army Tests New Systems in the Field with Stryker Brigades

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Army's Transformation-in-Contact (TiC) program aims to revolutionize how the military buys and uses equipment, and 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team is at the forefront, testing new systems in the field, including first-person viewer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and electromagnetic warfare platoons. The brigade is working through its fourth training rotation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, and will test a new configuration of UAVs with forward observers and anti-tank elements on Wednesday. The goal is to produce a massing of effects that a larger team would not achieve, and the brigade is providing feedback to industry partners, who are returning updated prototypes to soldiers' hands.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Army's TiC program is experimenting with new systems in the field, including Stryker and armored brigades, to change how the military buys and uses equipment.
  • 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team is working through its fourth training rotation as a TiC brigade, testing new ways to fight with large vehicle formations that have proven to be easy targets on the modern battlefield.
  • The brigade is testing first-person viewer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with forward observers and anti-tank elements, designed by the division's Marne Innovation Center and 3D-printed on site.
  • The drones help solve the problem of defending M1 Abrams tanks from drone swarms, a new issue both sides are dealing with as Ukraine beats back Russia's invasion.
  • The brigade has integrated a second electromagnetic warfare platoon to help jam drone swarms as well as enemy communication networks.
  • Industry partners are providing new tech, including a software-defined radio counter-UAS system, which the brigade is experimenting with and providing feedback on.
  • The brigade receives feedback from industry partners and returns updated prototypes to soldiers' hands, benefiting from the collaboration.

Statistics:

  • The 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team is working through its fourth training rotation as a TiC brigade.
  • The brigade has tested four training rotations with new systems, receiving feedback from industry partners and returning updated prototypes to soldiers' hands.
  • 3D printing has been used to design and produce the first-person viewer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on site, reducing production time and increasing efficiency.

Sources:

  • Defense One, Army wants to put $1B Transformation-in-Contact 20, https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2025/03/army-wants-put-1b-transformation-contact-20/404051/
  • Defense One, Ukraine's 'super-soldiers' bust stereotypes: What lethal looks like, https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/02/ukraines-super-soldiers-bust-stereotypes-what-lethal-looks/403150/
  • Defense One, FPVs, tethered drones could become formal Army programs in 2025, https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/05/fpvs-tethered-drones-could-become-formal-army-programs-2025/396573/
  • Trellisware, TSM Waveform, https://www.trellisware.com/waveforms/tsm-waveform/

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