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Sgt. Michael DiValerio, a cannon crewmember assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, pulls the lanyard of a M777 Howitzer to fire the weapon during Operation Summit Strike, Nov. 19, 2024, on Fort Drum, New York. Operation Summit Strike validates the 10th Mountain Division’s ability to integrate surface-to-surface, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing weapon systems by synchronizing multi-domain assets enhancing the division's lethality against any adversary. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kade M. Bowers)
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A U.S. Air National Guard A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft with Maryland’s 104th Fighter Squadron, 175th Wing completes a bombing run during exercise Summit Strike on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 20, 2024. This exercise validates the 10th Mountain Division’s ability to integrate surface-to-surface, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing weapon systems through the synchronization of multi-domain operations assets, enhancing the division's lethality against any adversary. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Abigail Stewart)
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Brig. Gen. Joseph Escandon, 10th Mountain Division deputy commanding general of operations, left, speaks to distinguished visitor Canadian Army Brig. Gen. Jay Mackeen, XVIII Airborne Corps assistant commander of operations, during a briefing regarding exercise Summit Strike 2024 on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 20, 2024. Summit Strike showcases 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum’s continuous effort to create, and build upon existing, partnerships across the region, and embodies 10th Mountain Division’s strategic approach of People, Warfighting and Transformation. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Salvador Castro)
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Soldiers assigned to Chaos Battery, 3-27 Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, fire an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during 10th Mountain Division-led exercise Summit Strike ‘24 on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 19, 2024. Summit Strike ‘24 showcases the 10th Mountain Division’s continuous effort to create and build upon existing partnerships across the Army and embodies the Division’s strategic approach to people and warfighting. Summit Strike ‘24 allows the Division and forces from across the DoD to execute Multi-Domain Operation (MDO) exercises on Fort Drum. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Campbell)
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A U.S. Air National Guard A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft with Maryland’s 104th Fighter Squadron, 175th Wing, engage in a dry fire exercise during Summit Strike 2024 on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 20, 2024. Summit Strike provides a demonstration of the 10th Mountain Division’s ability to coordinate and execute multi-domain operations live-fire exercises, highlighting the Alpine spirit of maintaining ready and responsive forces because of top-tier training facilities at Fort Drum. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Abigail Stewart)
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Staff Sgt. Frank Still, a section chief assigned to Chaos Battery, 3-27 Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, poses in front of an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 19, 2024. Summit Strike, held annually, validates the Division’s ability to seamlessly integrate fires; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); and multi-domain operations (MDO) assets to synchronize the ability to find and kill the enemy, showcasing Fort Drum as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Campbell)
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Spc. Bernardo Rosario, a fire control specialist assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, calculates the coordinates of a fire mission target during Operation Summit Strike, Nov. 19, 2024, on Fort Drum, New York. Operation Summit Strike allows the 10th Mountain Division to incorporate Joint fires with emerging electromagnetic spectrum technology to build resilient kill webs capable of achieving the desired effects under any conditions. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Kade M. Bowers)
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Soldiers assigned to Chaos Battery, 3-27 Field Artillery Regiment (HIMARS), 18th Field Artillery Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, prepare to dry fire an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during exercise Summit Strike ‘24 on Fort Drum, New York, Nov. 19, 2024. Summit Strike ‘24 showcases the 10th Mountain Division’s continuous effort to create and build upon existing partnerships across the Army and embodies the Division’s strategic approach to people and warfighting. Summit Strike ‘24 allows the Division and forces from across the DoD to execute Multi-Domain Operation (MDO) exercises on Fort Drum. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Campbell)
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The 10th Mountain Division (LI) hosted Summit Strike 2024, Nov. 19-21, with the intent to seamlessly integrate fires; intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR); and multi-domain operations (MDO) assets by partnering with other countries, military branches, and multiple industry partners to defeat adversaries, while showcasing Fort Drum as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast.
“It is our sacred obligation to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander. “Summit Strike provides the 10th Mountain Division the opportunity to hone the skills our warfighters need to accomplish this. Through this multi-domain training exercise, we are able to learn, refine requirements, and develop innovative solutions to fight a near-peer enemy with successive iterations of live, multi-domain training.”
“This type of training, partnered with facility improvements, deepening institutional knowledge from our deployments, and ever-strengthening partnerships in the region, positions the division to continue leading transformation initiatives to build warfighting readiness,” he added.
The exercise involved live-fire training, with emitters simulating enemy artillery and weapon systems placed throughout the Fort Drum training area. The Joint Air Ground Integration Center (JAGIC), then coordinated attacks on these targets using various weapon systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), AH-64 Apache helicopters, A-10 Warthogs, and Mobile-Low, Slow, Small-Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat Systems (M-LIDS).
Summit Strike ’24 validated the division's ability to integrate surface-to-surface, rotary-wing, and fixed-wing weapon systems, enhancing its lethality. The exercise also incorporated emerging military electronic systems technology to build resilient kill webs.
“Here, in these types of exercises, replicating real-world, large-scale combat operations, we are coordinating, synchronizing, and employing effects both lethal and non-lethal,” said Maj. Mark Smerka, 10th Mountain Division Artillery operations officer.
Owners of an 80-year-old legacy, born in the battle of Riva Ridge in Italy, the 10th Mountain Division remains at the forefront of modern warfare. The division is dedicated to adapting to the ever-evolving battlefield, embracing innovation, and staying ahead of potential threats, in line with the unit’s history as they face the future of warfighting.
“The future fight that we’re looking at in a near-peer environment is going to be bigger, faster, require more assets and more technology than we’ve been using in the past,” said Maj. Sean Thomas, 10th Mountain Division JAGIC chief. “We’re embracing a lot of that in this exercise, testing it out and getting comfortable using it.”
The exercise involved more than 400 service members from Fort Drum, with additional support from both U.S. and international military members. By fostering these partnerships within the Army and Department of Defense, Summit Strike ’24 provided MDO training on Fort Drum and allowed for the development of shared systems to enhance warfighting capabilities.
“We won’t fight alone in any future operation, whether that’s multi-branch or multi-nation," said Capt. Maddie Crimmins, commander of C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, located at Fort Liberty, N.C. “Here we are executing multi-platform as well as multi-domain.”
Summit Strike ’24 provided a demonstration of the division’s ability to coordinate and execute an MDO live-fire exercise. The exercise highlighted the unique training opportunities offered by Fort Drum in a low-threat environment for Soldiers to train for MDO threats in a contested environment.
“Summit Strike is really the first of its kind where you have a division creating an MDO environment at home station to make sure we are trained proficiently so that we can win the Army’s future wars,” said Capt. Sean Thorpe, 10th Mountain Division cyberspace and electromagnetic activities officer in charge.
Summit Strike ’24 solidified Fort Drum's position as the premier training and force development hub in the Northeast, showcasing its ability to integrate emerging technology and systems into range operations. The exercise also highlighted the division's commitment to partnering with industry to enhance MDO training capabilities at Fort Drum.
“We learned that the 10th Mountain Division is able to conduct multi-domain operations, especially here at home station,” said Maj. Michael Spickard 10th Mountain Division assistant chief of fires, and lead planner for Summit Strike ’24. “We are more prepared in the future to make this exercise grow for Summit Strike ’25.”
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