FEBRUARY 12, 2026 — Soldiers from Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command conducted air defense training and live fire in Capu Midia during Exercise Dynamic Front 26, the U.S. Army’s largest fires interoperability exercise in Europe. The training strengthened how allied and partner forces integrated offensive fires and defensive fires and reinforced NATO readiness in a complex security environment.
Dynamic Front 26 rehearsed NATO regional plans and trained units to integrate lethal and nonlethal effects across a distributed battlefield. This year’s iteration emphasized command and control and simulation while still conducting live fire training across multiple Allied nations. The design reflected the realities of modern warfare, where forces operate across distances, national boundaries and multiple domains while maintaining initiative, speed and precision.
Long-range fires remained a centerpiece of the exercise, but air defense served as a key player, demonstrating the ability to provide effective and lethal defensive fires as well as rapidly provide accurate data from radars and sensors.
Capt. Trevor Shackleton, commander of Alpha Battery, said the unit deployed from Ansbach, Germany, with two mission objectives tied directly to the exercise focus.
“Alpha Battery 1-57 was aligned with Exercise Dynamic Front 26 with two major lines of effort for our mission objectives,” Shackleton said. “LOE one was to establish organic beyond line of sight data communications to be able to push our radar air pictures all the way back to USAREUR-AF level from location routing through our battalion in Ansbach, Germany.”
Shackleton said the unit established connectivity upon arrival on the ground, then routed data through mission networks to share the air picture with higher echelons. The effort improved situational understanding and supported commanders who synchronized offensive and defensive fires.
The second objective focused on crew certification and gunnery.
“LOE two was for the battery to conduct Avenger gunnery tables eight, nine, and 10 out here to get our crew certified on their assigned weapon systems,” Shackleton said.
He said the battery began its gunnery glide path in early December and worked through critical gates before arriving in Romania. Once on site, the battery integrated deployment operations, logistics, and range execution into one continuous effort.
“In addition to that, all of the mission planning, logistical support, and the deployment operations to actually move our equipment and personnel across Europe, over here to Romania,” Shackleton said.
On the range, crews employed the Avenger short-range air defense platform and Stinger missiles during live iterations. Shackleton said the battery executed gunnery in stages, beginning with table eight events and progressing to live aerial engagements.
“Upon arriving here on ground, we were able to receive our ammunition with the support of 21st TSC, and be able to start actually executing our gunnery tables,” Shackleton said. “Starting with table eights with the Avenger weapon system and the M3P .50 caliber machine gun.”
He said crews later transitioned to Stinger engagements against aerial targets, validating engagement procedures and crew drills while operating on a live range.
The training also reinforced a practical lesson that applied across both mission objectives. Shackleton said the communications line of effort came down to repetition and disciplined execution.
“The biggest lessons we’re learning for our first line of effort with the data transfer and providing our air picture up to higher comes down to just reps and sets,” Shackleton said. He said it took time to build the architecture, but once established, the battery could provide the air picture quickly.
He also emphasized the need for maintenance discipline as a prerequisite for delivering defensive fires.
“Maintenance is key,” Shackleton said. “Preventive maintenance, validating our PMCS, is identifying faults before they become critical. So that way, when we come out here to the gun line, we’re able to just upload ammo and execute.”
Dynamic Front 26 also strengthened interoperability through daily interaction with Allies and partners at Capu Midia. Shackleton described a multinational environment that included long-range fires units and short-range air defense personnel training side by side. He said the experience extended beyond the range and into the routine interactions that build trust and shared understanding.
“Here at Dynamic Front, specifically at Capu Midia, we have us as the U.S. Army representatives participating alongside Italian MLRS, French MLRS and French short-range air defense personnel as well,” Shackleton said. He added that German counterparts embedded with the U.S. element supported operations, while Romanian hosts managed range coordination and liaison support.
The exercise remained a long-planned training event focused on readiness, deterrence and collective defense. Dynamic Front 26 also marked the final iteration of the exercise under its current construct. Beginning next year, it will merge with Arcane Thunder to form Arcane Front as the Army continues to evolve its training for large-scale, multi-domain operations.
For Alpha Battery, the deployment enhanced its air defense proficiency at the crew level while supporting the broader integration of fires across the alliance. The battery improved its ability to share an air picture to higher headquarters, certified crews through live-fire events, and reinforced the role of defensive fires in enabling the combined team to operate and win.
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By Maj. Alexander Watkins