Warfighter 21-4 to support multinational interoperability

By Maj. Orlandon HowardMarch 30, 2021

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Moore (right), with 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, helps U.K. Army LT. Tom Chapman (left), assigned to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, set up M18A1 Claymore mine during a multinational claymore training...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Moore (right), with 1st Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, helps U.K. Army LT. Tom Chapman (left), assigned to the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, set up M18A1 Claymore mine during a multinational claymore training exercise with Battle Group Poland at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland on July 10, 2018. Battle Group Poland is a unique, multinational coalition of U.S., U.K., Croatian and Romanian Soldiers who serve with the Polish 15th Mechanized Brigade as a deterrence force in support of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Hubert D. Delany III /22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Spc. Hubert Delany) VIEW ORIGINAL
General Robert B. Brown, U.S. Army Pacific commanding general, addresses Soldiers of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade during Warfighter Exercise 18-2 Nov. 6, 2017 at Camp Hovey, South Korea. (US Army photo Pfc. Ethan Valetski)
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – General Robert B. Brown, U.S. Army Pacific commanding general, addresses Soldiers of the 17th Field Artillery Brigade during Warfighter Exercise 18-2 Nov. 6, 2017 at Camp Hovey, South Korea. (US Army photo Pfc. Ethan Valetski) (Photo Credit: Pfc. Ethan Valetski) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army has planned Warfighter 21-4, a major multinational warfighter exercise, for April 6-15. The exercise will involve a simulation of a corps-level battle with U.S., U.K. and French Army tactical divisions. Thousands of troops and support personnel will participate, distributed across multiple installations including Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Grafenwoehr, Germany.

Warfighter 21-4 is another step in the Army’s ongoing readiness efforts to reinforce its ability to conduct large–scale combat operations with unified action partners.

The exercise strengthens U.S., U.K. and French interoperability at multiple echelons, according to the U.S. Army’s exercise directive.

U.K. and French forces will train their ability to operate effectively within a U.S. corps. The combined formations are integrated down to the brigade-level with a U.K. brigade operating within a U.S. division, and U.S. brigade combat teams in U.K. and French divisions.

U.K. army 1st Lt. Hugo Chaplin, troop leader with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, gives a safety brief to his soldiers before they start the first of a four day weapons training event with the Battle Group Poland at Bemowo Piskie Training Area,...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.K. army 1st Lt. Hugo Chaplin, troop leader with 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, gives a safety brief to his soldiers before they start the first of a four day weapons training event with the Battle Group Poland at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland, on May 15, 2018. Battle Group Poland is a unique, multinational coalition of U.S., U.K., Croatian and Romanian Soldiers who serve with the Polish 15th Mechanized Brigade as a deterrence force in support of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Hubert D. Delany III /22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Spc. Hubert Delany) VIEW ORIGINAL
Maj. Gen. Laura Yeager, the commander for 40th Infantry Division, visits with U.S. Soldiers of the The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's 578th Brigade Engineer Battallion at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, on Aug. 19, 2020. Her visit took place...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Laura Yeager, the commander for 40th Infantry Division, visits with U.S. Soldiers of the The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team's 578th Brigade Engineer Battallion at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, on Aug. 19, 2020. Her visit took place during 79th IBCT's 2020 annual training period. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Grandori) (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Katie Grandori) VIEW ORIGINAL

“There’s a joint vision statement between the Chief of the General Staff, head of the U.K. Army, and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army that will see us be interoperable by 2025,” said Maj. Gen. Mike Elviss, 3rd U.K. Division commander.

“What that means is we would place a British division under command of a U.S. corps and a British brigade under command of a U.S. division. The warfighter is the preeminent exercise [to do that].”

“It’s a proper multinational corps fighting against the World-Class Opposing Force,” said Elviss.

Maj. Gen. Laurent Michon, 3rd French Division commander, highlighted the substantial amount of training his division conducted in preparation for the exercise, and the value the exercise has for his formation.

“We’ve had eight months of training before coming to Texas, especially at the divisional level. Such an exercise as the warfighter is wonderful to gain time and to learn much. It is hard training, so it is very good for high intensity conflicts,” said Michon.

Maj. Gen. Laurent Michon, 3rd French Division commander, briefs his  assigned U.S. Soldiers during virtual training with U.S. Soldiers from the III Corps and 1st Armored Division Headquarters in Texas to prepare for the Command Post Exercise Two...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Gen. Laurent Michon, 3rd French Division commander, briefs his assigned U.S. Soldiers during virtual training with U.S. Soldiers from the III Corps and 1st Armored Division Headquarters in Texas to prepare for the Command Post Exercise Two scheduled for April, 2021 at Fort Hood, Texas. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Brig. Gen. Todd Wasmund, 3rd French Division deputy commanding general, briefs French Soldiers during virtual training with U.S. Soldiers from the III Corps and 1st Armored Division Headquarters in Texas to prepare for the Command Post Exercise...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Brig. Gen. Todd Wasmund, 3rd French Division deputy commanding general, briefs French Soldiers during virtual training with U.S. Soldiers from the III Corps and 1st Armored Division Headquarters in Texas to prepare for the Command Post Exercise Two scheduled for April, 2021 at Fort Hood, Texas. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The U.S. Army has specific training objectives for its corps. Fort Hood-based III Corps is being tested and trained as a tactical corps headquarters performing command and control over multinational forces in a complex operational environment.

Training and Doctrine Command’s (TRADOC) expeditionary combat training center, Mission Command Training Program (MCTP), under Combined Arms Center-Training, is orchestrating the exercise. They’ve been tasked to establish a mission partner environment (MPE) with III Corps to enable the training audiences to build decisive action readiness for large scale combat operations.

“Warfighter 21-4 is the largest exercise for MCTP in 35 years and is a critical step in advancing the Army’s multi-national interoperability objectives,” said Col. Charles Lombardo, Combined Arms Center-Training Deputy Commander.

Over the past week and a half, Troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division conducted a Warfighter exercise in order to ensure the integration and readiness of the division staff, as well as test the command post systems and processes for future...
Over the past week and a half, Troopers from the 1st Cavalry Division conducted a Warfighter exercise in order to ensure the integration and readiness of the division staff, as well as test the command post systems and processes for future operations. Wagonmaster 6, Col. Patrick Disney, and Troopers from 1st Cav. Div. Sustainment Brigade were the main sustainers for the exercise.
Photo by: 1st Cav. Div. Sustainment Brigade (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Kelsey Miller)
VIEW ORIGINAL

Successfully establishing the MPE is the first test of interoperability. MPE is a joint framework intended to replicate how a corps fights with multinational partners. It establishes an operating environment that allows command and control for operations, support, planning and execution on a common network infrastructure.

In addition, the Army, for the first time, will implement the Army Interoperability Measurement System (AIMS). The system will assess current interoperability levels between the U.S. and the U.K., and the U.S. and French units. TRADOC’s Center for Army Lessons Learned will deploy collection and analysis teams to collect observations, lessons, and best practices and provide input into AIMS.

The warfighter exercise represents a substantial investment toward gaining interoperability, borne by the U.S. and its allies. All elements involved will undoubtedly leverage successes and mistakes as dividends of lessons learned to enable success in future operations.