Project Convergence-Capstone 6: FCC’s role in Army experimentation

FORT IRWIN, Calif. – Project Convergence-Capstone 6 demonstrates the Army’s commitment to persistent experimentation, putting the U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Command at the forefront of the effort.

As the architect of the future Army, FCC serves as the conceptual and intellectual foundation of Army transformation, spearheading the Army’s Project Convergence experimentation campaign.

Led by the Joint Modernization Command, FCC’s lead integrator of live operational experimentation, the command ensures the experiments are focused on demand-informed priorities and meet strategic and operational objectives.

PC-C6 will focus on 4th Infantry Division operationally employing Next Generation Command and Control at the division scale and continuing to validate the NGC2 architecture, a critical component designed to ensure U.S. and allied forces can achieve and maintain "decision dominance" in complex, high-threat environments.

While JMC leads the planning and execution for PC-C6, directorates across FCC provide the expertise, resources and technical integration to support the overall experiment.

Informing the Future

Capability gaps identified by the Futures Integration Directorate largely determine which technologies are included in this experiment.

These capability gaps are informed by concepts developed by the Directorate of Concepts before they are validated annually by the FCC commanding general.

Validated warfighting gaps then inform the decisions of a three-star Combined Joint Board of Directors that meets regularly to review the experimentation capabilities and choose the technologies for Project Convergence Capstone events.

With the Army’s increased interest in the NGC2 architecture, the ability to integrate NGC2 capabilities became a key consideration in choosing the technology for PC-C6.

“It has become a basic entry requirement for materiel acquisition,” said Mr. David Meyer, director of FID. “Now, if somebody brings a sensor, for example, that they want validated and sent to the Department of the Army, our first question is, ‘does it talk to NGC2?’ A year and a half ago, we didn’t ask that question.”

Participants at PC-C6 will experiment with emerging technologies in NGC2 hardware, applications and AI, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Autonomous vehicles and Cyber.

NGC2 is a comprehensive capability that replaces legacy, fragmented Army mission command and control systems with an open and extensive set of warfighting applications and AI tools, a data integration layer, and resilient communications to achieve decision dominance against sophisticated adversaries.

The modular, open, and data-centric architecture of NGC2 enables rapid integration of additional commercial innovations to accelerate commander decisions, reduce cognitive burdens, and enhance operational effectiveness.

Collecting the Data

Results from previous experiments conducted throughout the year by FCC’s Future Capability Directorates help form future Project Convergence events.

“At our FCDs there are over 200 experiments a year done at their level to answer their field-specific questions, which feed into FCC’s and the Army’s experimentation questions. Project Convergence Capstone events are the culmination of these experiments,” Meyer explained.

As an example, the Fires FCD and Aviation FCD conducted the Cross Domain Fires 26 Concept-Focused Warfighting Experiment in March, which helped inform analysts as they developed a comprehensive plan to assess materiel solutions.

The experiment focused on measuring the systems’ NGC2 capabilities by successfully passing data from an aviation asset to a fires unit, demonstrating the ability to provide integrated data across warfighting functions.

Stressing NGC2

Building on the success of these smaller, localized experiments, PC-C6 will include experiments for the integration at the division level. To achieve this, NGC2 operations have expanded in scope, scale and complexity to effectively stress-test the network at scale.

“We’re allowing a lot more ‘free play’ within the experimentation area,” explained Col. Shaun Conlin, director of FCC G-3/5/7. “The reason is, the experiments we did before were strictly controlled and, while that is good for the iterative process of experimentation, sometimes that doesn’t give us enough feedback to determine if a new capability, like NGC2, can withstand the demands, rigor, strain and stress of actual combat operations.”

As the FCC G-3/5/7 director, Conlin ensures synchronicity between the various units involved on the ground and validates that all the observers and assessors collecting the information for further analysis are at the right place at the right time.

This role is particularly important in PC-C6 as it is the largest iteration of Project Convergence Capstone to date, with over 9,700 participants.

Building Interoperability Experiment participants for PC-C6 increased in scope from previous iterations, incorporating live multi-national maneuver for the first time, with a multi-national brigade made of elements from the Canadian, Australian, British, and New Zealand Armies working together with a battalion from 4ID’s 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

This unprecedented level of integration across the U.S. armed forces with allied nations demonstrates the Army’s collective commitment to interoperability and a shared vision for future operations.

“Any time you have the opportunity to work with partner nations and allies, it’s beneficial. In this instance, it helps us understand what we need to do to enhance interoperability with one another,” explained Command Sgt. Maj. William Justice, command sergeant major of FCC.

Justice emphasized the importance of these experiments in providing a dedicated, collaborative venue for the U.S. and multinational allies and partners to preemptively identify and address any limitations to ensure more efficient joint and combined operations in the future.

Guiding the Experiment

Command leadership plays a significant role throughout PC-C6, providing critical strategic oversight and guidance to ensure capstone events remain aligned with Army modernization priorities.

Their presence extends beyond observing the experiments. Leaders engage directly with planners, experiment leads and participating units to assess progress, identify opportunities for improvement and synchronize efforts across the force.

Lt. Gen. Michael McCurry, the FCC commanding general and PC-C6 experiment director, relies on feedback from the rest of the leadership team as they each bring a unique perspective informed by their respective professional backgrounds.

As the experiments unfold, these senior leaders serve as an extension of the experiment director, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding and well-rounded assessment.

For example, Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Heath Stamm, a subject matter expert and advisor to McCurry during battlefield circulations, provides technical expertise with his background in field artillery.

“Having a trusted subject matter expert that can provide the commanding general with the technical side of things allows for more informed senior leader decision-making,” Stamm explained.

On the operational side, Justice serves as the senior enlisted advisor to McCurry, ensuring the experiment runs smoothly while maintaining a steadfast focus on the Soldiers.

“In preparation for the experiment [my role] was to make sure the support structure is in place so we can ensure our Soldiers are taken care of,” he explained. “When an experiment begins my job is to be another set of eyes and ears for the commander and help him see things that he may not see and advise him on it.”

From providing Soldier support and technical expertise to bridging communication gaps and advising on strategic decisions, the leadership team provides specialized insight that supports the experiment director in overseeing the complex execution of Project Convergence.

FCC also has a robust team of professionals from the headquarters supporting the leadership team while fulfilling key duties in personnel, intelligence, plans and operations, logistics, communications, safety and public affairs.

The Power of Collaboration

As emerging technologies continue to evolve, experimentation remains essential to maintaining the Army’s competitive edge. Through PC-C6, FCC informs future transformation activities, bringing together Soldiers, technical experts, industry partners, and joint and multinational allies and partners in pursuit of a common goal: remaining at the forefront of modernization and continuous transformation to ensure our forces remain the most lethal and ready land forces in the world.