Deep in the woods of Louisiana, an experimental unit of soldiers from the 101st Airborne sets out with cutting-edge technology.
Sergeant First Class Anthony Clark says his unit is exploring a new way to fight that includes surveillance and attack drones, decoys and jammers directed by laptops or a cell phone app.
“Were [here] to create these tactics, we are [here] creating these standard operating procedures so that the next generation of Soldiers understands our mistakes and can be even more effective with the systems,” Clark said.
Some of the innovations come from lessons learned directly from the battlefields of Ukraine, where electronic warfare is advancing by the minute on both sides of the fight.
Today, the 101st vehicle looks like something out of “Mad Max.”
“Even during World War II, they were using brand new equipment, brand new methods and they had tremendous success and learned from their mistakes,” Clark said.
The 101st Airborne Division saw action during World War II. The Screaming Eagles were among the first Americans to descend on France on D-Day.
Once again, everything changes.
The command post, well hidden in the trees, is tiny. That’s a fraction of the size Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia commanded 10 years ago.
“My command post was 10 different tents, 40 different vehicles, all kinds of huge radars and antennas that were everywhere. It was easy to see and therefore easy to kill,” Sylvia said.
In today’s environment, the art of deception goes beyond makeup and camouflage. It runs fiber-optic cables to antennas hundreds of feet from the command center, then lays out decoys — commercially available circuit boards designed to look like laptops and cell phones.
“The other night the enemy was completely fooled by this and launched an artillery barrage on just a group of decoys that were in a field, and then that command post remained unharmed,” said Sylvia.
It’s not like hiding a needle in a haystack, but “hiding a needle in a pile of needles,” Sylvia said.
They are also experimenting with robotic vehicles, currently controlled by Lieutenant Parker Mitchell.
“There’s no reason to trade blood for blood when we can trade blood for steel,” Mitchell said.
Putting this steel to use on future battlefields will not come without challenges and rewards, said specialist William Bateman.
“I mean, it gives me chills to think that right now we’re shaping the future and being a part of history. It’s absolutely mind-blowing,” Bateman said.
Today, a new generation is putting innovation to the test on the battlefields of the future.
Charlie D’Agata
