A Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit attached to a drone during Project Convergence-Capstone 6 (PC-C6) at Fort Irwin, California, July 20, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Craig Kong)
Nearly 10,000 troops from the United States and four allied countries tested drones, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence-enabled command systems and electronic warfare equipment in the Mojave Desert during the U.S. Army’s largest Project Convergence experiment to date.
Project Convergence-Capstone 6, held from July 20 to 29 at Fort Irwin in California, brought together the U.S. 4th Infantry Division and forces from Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
More than 90 technologies, concepts and military formations were evaluated in force-on-force scenarios designed to test allied interoperability and the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control network.
The allied contingents were integrated with the 4th Infantry Division and trained against the U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, known as the Blackhorse Regiment, which acted as the opposing force.
The rugged terrain and extreme heat placed additional pressure on both soldiers and equipment. Temperatures at one point reached 50.5 degrees Celsius, according to Britain’s The Telegraph newspaper.
Among the systems tested was an ALTIUS-600 drone, a platform already used in Ukraine but not yet in the British Army’s inventory. After being launched, it searched for potential targets before being directed toward one, while an autonomous Canadian Cessna aircraft monitored the operation from above.
A Shadow unmanned aircraft also maintained its connection during an attempt by the opposing force to disrupt its frequencies through electronic warfare.
Not all the technology performed as intended.
Lithium-ion batteries used in drones and other robotic systems struggled in the heat, while an unidentified drone reportedly malfunctioned during an early test.
The exercise also included autonomous logistics systems, ranging from 20-ton driverless trucks developed by Rheinmetall to smaller unmanned ground vehicles similar to those already used in Ukraine.
Canadian Lt. Col. Andrew Straatsma said equipment tested in controlled conditions at home still needed to be subjected to operational pressure in difficult environments and alongside allied forces.
Col. Jim Howard, head of the British Army’s Experimentation and Trials Group, said exposure to extensive signal jamming helped commanders identify both the limits of new systems and ways to operate when communications could not be relied upon.
Brig. Karen Peek, commander of Britain’s 3rd Deep Recce Strike Brigade, said the presence of a trained opposing force able to act freely made the exercise more demanding than a scripted simulation.
Lessons from the war in Ukraine, particularly the rapid development of drones and electronic warfare, shaped much of the testing. Senior officers said the technology and tactics involved were changing almost daily.
The exercise also tested whether allied forces could continue operating together amid political tensions within NATO.
Senior officers said they had seen no sign of those tensions affecting military cooperation.
The U.S. Army said the results would help determine which technologies should be developed or purchased for future operations.
