HOHENFELS, Germany — The 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) tested its ability to fight, adapt, and sustain combat power during Saber Junction 26, a biennial combat training center rotation at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Aug. 15 - Sep. 13, 2026. With more than 288 hours of continuous combat operations in 10 days, the Sky Soldiers validated brigade priorities and competencies in a demanding large-scale combat operations environment designed to identify strengths and expose gaps in how the formation fights.
The rotation challenged the brigade across three major battle periods: joint forcible entry, defense and offense. Saber Junction 26 began with a joint forcible entry airborne assault and heavy equipment drop, including Infantry Squad Vehicles. The operation required paratroopers to seize key terrain and rapidly build combat power before transitioning into defensive and offensive operations.
Multinational interoperability was a key aspect of the rotation’s training objectives. The 173rd integrated German, Polish and Kosovo formations into brigade operations, creating a common operational framework that tested the brigade's ability to synchronize multinational capabilities and strengthened the interoperability required to fight alongside allies and partners in Europe.
Throughout the exercise, the brigade focused on mastering warfighting skills while validating its ability to operate at echelon. During defensive operations, units secured, retained, and controlled decisive terrain while conducting reconnaissance, employing fires, integrating unmanned aircraft systems, and maintaining command and control. The brigade then transitioned to offensive operations, maneuvering to contact and conducting attacks against a capable opposing force.
JMRC's Combat Training Center rotations drive unrivaled innovation and readiness in the U.S. Army Europe and Africa area of operations. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Brandon Miles) View original
“Saber Junction provided a very singular opportunity to validate our Brigade’s ability to dominate the contemporary battlefield at time of need,” said U.S. Army Col. Mark Bush, commander of the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). “The tough, realistic conditions experienced at the JMRC challenged our Paratroopers to outfight and outthink a world-class OPFOR and certify our collective ability to operate with controlled aggression and lethal precision.”
The brigade also employed technology and battlefield effects at scale. Soldiers utilized 14 different unmanned aircraft system platforms across echelons, integrating UAS into reconnaissance, situational awareness, targeting, and the employment of fires. The formation executed 160 task force fires missions and 120 mortar missions, demonstrating its ability to synchronize indirect fires with maneuver throughout sustained combat operations.
Leaders incorporated digital rehearsals using existing fighting products to streamline preparation. Rather than rebuilding products for each rehearsal, units used digital tools to visualize upcoming operations, refine plans, and identify potential friction before execution. This allowed the brigade to improve shared understanding while preserving valuable planning time in a high-tempo environment.
Saber Junction 26 ultimately tested more than the brigade's ability to execute individual tactical tasks. It required the 173rd to integrate maneuver, fires, intelligence, command and control, protection, sustainment, multinational forces, and emerging technology while operating continuously against a thinking enemy.
The lessons gained at Hohenfels will inform how the brigade trains and prepares for future operations. By testing its ability to conduct joint forcible entry, defend decisive terrain, transition to the offense, and integrate multinational formations, the 173rd Mobile Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) demonstrated the adaptability, interoperability, and lethality required of Europe's forward-deployed airborne force.
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